The Housing Ombudsman says its latest ‘learning from severe maladministration’ report on complaints about windows makes for “grim reading” and many of the highlighted cases are “inexcusable”.

In one case a mother was unable to close windows for three years despite worries about the risks to her children. In another, a child’s bedroom window was boarded up for four years. Another case involved children unable to do schoolwork because of excess cold, as well as experiencing a burglary, with repairs unresolved for two years.

Elderly residents also reported excess cold because window disrepair or residents with health conditions being impacted by these issues.

The report is split into three areas that the ombudsman believes landlords should focus on: individual circumstances, major works, and responsive repairs.

And it says the human impact of failings is evident across each area. This includes failure to conduct risk assessments, delaying repairs in favour of later major works, or poor communication. More than half the cases in the report include children.

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “These cases make for grim reading.

“Replacing windows can be complex and costly for landlords. But there can be no justification for the conditions some residents have endured.

“Multiple times we see risk assessments not conducted, or surveys repeated without expert advice acted upon. We also see poor contractor coordination or oversight and excessive delays combined with a lack of communication.

“Crucially, we repeatedly see a failure to connect the circumstances of the household to the condition of the property. Reports of the risk of falling, fire safety, and exposure to cold and damp and mould are not always heeded by landlords. Nor are health conditions factored into the landlord’s response.

“Our Spotlight report on repairs and maintenance encourages landlords to move towards predictive rather than responsive repairs.

“The reformed Decent Homes Standard is a welcome move towards a better outcome for residents around window repairs. But we should not need a new standard to see that leaving a child with a boarded-up bedroom window for several years is inexcusable.”

The landlords named in this report are: A2Dominion; Citizen Housing; Clarion; Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham; London Borough of Haringey; London Borough of Harrow; London Borough of Islington; London Borough of Lambeth; London Borough of Lewisham; L&Q; Notting Hill Genesis; Origin Housing; Platform Housing Group; RHP, and Sanctuary.