Welsh landlord Trivallis told to compensate residents over damp and mould failings

The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales recommended that Trivallis apologise and financially compensate two residents for mishandling complaints about damp and mould.

The watchdog published two public interest reports after finding that “vulnerable tenants and their families suffered repeated delays in essential repairs, including unresolved damp and mould, poor communication, and a lack of attention to their specific needs.”

In one case, a tenant referred to as “Mr B” lived in a home with outstanding repairs for nearly seven years after Trivallis failed to respond to several reports of damp and mould a broken boiler in line with its repairs policy.

During the period in which boiler repairs were awaited, Mr B said that he was unable to heat his home to a comfortable level.

The ombudsman found that Trivallis employees did not attend the tenant’s home to carry out a roof inspection, but instead used photographs from a previous visit to support the false claim that they did.

The landlord also failed to maintain accurate records, which led to “fundamental errors” in the way Mr B’s complaint was addressed and did not provide records requested as part of the investigation, according to the watchdog.

The ombudsman made several recommendations, including that Trivallis should acknowledge and apologise to Mr B and pay him a total financial redress payment of £1,000 for the “distress” he experienced within one month.

Within three months, the ombudsman advised that Trivallis should provide training to all relevant staff to identify and respond appropriately to vulnerable customers and develop and implement a damp and mould procedure, among other recommendations.

Trivallis accepted all the recommendations.

In the case involving the tenant referred to as “Mrs C”, the housing association failed to establish the cause of moisture in her home and did not consider the needs of her disabled grandchildren when responding to reports of damp and mould.

Trivallis was told to apologise to Mrs C and make a financial redress payment of £840 to cover the cost of a mattress, clothes and toys she had to dispose of, the survey she arranged and the “distress” she experienced.

The landlord also agreed to remove the plasterboard in the area where moisture has been recorded and undertake a full inspection of the wall after the next period of significant wet weather or when the tenant next reports any evidence of damp on the wall.

Michelle Morris, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales said: “These cases show the serious distress caused when essential repairs are not carried out. This falls short of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Residents should not have to make repeated complaints to have urgent issues addressed – this is a clear injustice.

“Systemic weaknesses in the association’s repairs service – such as inaccurate records and failure to act on repeated requests – prolonged residents’ distress and undermined trust in how complaints and repairs are managed.

“These failings also raise concerns about tenants’ rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects one’s home and family life. The cases highlight lessons for other landlords on the importance of timely action, proper record-keeping, and ensuring the needs of vulnerable tenants are fully considered – issues emphasised in our recent report, Living in Disrepair.”

Duncan Forbes, chief executive at Trivallis, said: “We deeply regret the failings in these cases and have taken full responsibility. We’ve made real progress, but we know there’s more to do. Our commitment is to listen, learn, and keep improving, so every tenant receives the safe, responsive, and respectful service they deserve.”