Housing Ombudsman Slams Guinness Partnership for ‘Severe Maladministration’
The Housing Ombudsman has blasted the Guinness Partnership, a major social housing provider across England, for spectacular failings that left vulnerable tenants in unsafe, damp, and poorly maintained homes. The damning report exposes shocking delays, botched repairs, and terrible communication.
Bird Infestation Roof Fiasco Left Unfixed for Nearly Two Years
One case revealed a roof damaged by bird infestation that went ignored for 21 months. Guinness bungled a contractor handover, dragging out temporary fixes that barely held up. Even after admitting their errors, it took another four agonising months to sort the problem.
Worryingly, there was no sign the landlord checked their duties under the health and safety rating system (HHSRS). Throughout, residents were kept in the dark with terrible communication.
Damp & Mold Nightmare Plaguing Families
In another shocking failure, a family endured a persistent leak and rampant damp that turned their home into a mouldy, freezing misery pit. Fungi spread through a bedroom, worsening living conditions with no timely resolution.
Ombudsman Issues Stinging Rebuke
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman: “Poor home conditions dominate our cases. Guinness missed inspection deadlines, failed to act on repairs, kept poor records, and disrespected residents with rubbish communication.”
“Many issues dragged on even when Guinness knew repairs were unfinished. Our orders forced action but this landlord consistently missed chances to fix things sooner.”
“While some improvements are underway, years-long repair delays and poorly managed in-house services caused more headaches for tenants.”
“The number of complaints sent our way shows Guinness still needs to learn and improve. A lack of proper information management underpins these failures. We urge landlords to heed our Spotlight report to protect residents.”
Guinness Partnership Responds: Sorry and Committed to Change
In a statement, Guinness Partnership admitted their 2021 service was “not good enough” and apologised for letting down four affected residents and their families. They promise a “positive complaint-handling culture” and say they’re learning from mistakes.
The landlord claims to have revamped contractor management, delivering more repairs in-house and beefing up complaints and repairs teams. Significant investments were also made in record keeping and internal systems.
“We recognise we need to do better,” Guinness vowed. “We are committed to listening to our residents and working with the Ombudsman to improve.”
