London Borough of Harrow Council Failed to Fix Windows for Three Years

The Housing Ombudsman has criticised social housing landlords such as London Borough of Harrow Council, saying there is “no justification for the conditions residents have endured” following repair and risk assessment failures leaving some windows unrepaired for three years. The failures come ahead of changing regulations including Awaab’s Law, which came into effect in October 2025.

Social housing failures 

In one case, London Borough of Harrow Council was made aware of multiple broken windows even before one tenant moved into their property. The Council then failed to proactively fix the issue, even after complaints, taking 19 days to inspect the windows. With no interim repairs and a further 18 months waiting for repairs to be actioned, conditions only got worse when a storm loosened a window in the tenant’s baby's room. Despite significant health risks and concerns raised with the Council, repairs were only finished three years after the initial complaint. 

In response to the report, the Council has undertaken a review to improve maintenance processes. 

Housing Ombudsman’s view 

The Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS) is an independent, impartial service for social housing residents. It helps social housing landlords and tenants settle disputes, focus on strengthening complaint procedures, and investigate service failures. Their mission is to 'improve landlords' services and residents' lives through housing complaints'. Tenants can progress complaints with the Housing Ombudsman Service if their housing provider has failed to respond or has disregarded their initial complaints. 

Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, has commented on recent social housing failures, saying, "these cases make for grim reading." And although repairs can be costly, "there is no justification for the conditions some residents have endured." The Ombudsman has also urged landlords to pay heed to “risk of falling, fire safety and exposure to cold and damp.”  

Social landlords must provide safe housing 

Landlords are legally responsible for property repairs, including, among others, mould and damp, structural issues, and electrical faults. Tenants are responsible for reporting any issues to the landlord as soon as they become aware of them. 

If a tenant experiences issues with their property, such as internal or external damage or disrepair, and their landlord fails to put it right, they may be eligible to make a housing disrepair claim. 

The issue should always be raised directly with the landlord; however, if they ignore the request, fail to fix the issue satisfactorily within a reasonable time, or the problem reoccurs, a complaint can be made to HOS for free, or Premier Legal Assist can help with a free case assessment. 

What is Awaab’s Law? 

Awaab’s Law is named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from mould exposure in 2020. His death spurred widespread scrutiny of social housing conditions and eventually led to the implementation of changes under Awaab's Law. 

Awaab’s Law came into effect for the social rented sector on 27th October 2025. From this date, all social housing landlords are required to address all emergency hazards, including damp and mould which pose a significant risk of harm, within strict timeframes. 

Ahead of the introduction of Awaab’s Law, HOS published reports covering complaints about hazardous living conditions to help both landlords prepare and tenants recognise issues within their property. The service stated “our spotlight report on repairs and maintenance encourages landlords to move towards a predictive rather than responsive repairs.” 

What does Awaab’s Law mean for tenants? 

From 27th October 2025, social housing landlords are required by law to respond to reports of damp, mould, leaks or other health hazards within the following time frames:  

• The landlord must investigate within 10 working days 
• They must communicate the outcome of that investigation in writing within 3 days 
• If your home is unsafe, repairs must start within 5 working days 
• If it’s an emergency, action must be taken within 24 hours 
• If the problem can't be fixed quickly, the tenant should be offered a safe alternative place to live 

In 2026, regulations will extend to include hazards such as excess cold or heat, falls, fire and electrical hazards, structural collapse and explosions and domestic and personal hygiene and flood safety. 

Premier Legal Assist can help 

If you are a local authority or social housing tenant who has reported disrepair that has not been actioned by the landlord within a reasonable period, then you may be eligible to make a legal claim or pursue the matter with the Housing Ombudsman Service.  At Premier Legal Assist, we connect you with our panel of specialist team of no-win, no-fee housing disrepair solicitors who understand the law and how to put your case forward to secure the compensation and repairs you deserve.  

To find out if you are eligible to make a ‘no-win, no-fee’ claim, complete our short form, or send us a message on WhatsApp, and a member of our team will be in touch.