Plexus has made significant changes to how it prepares properties between tenancies – a period known as a ‘void.’ This comes after we found severe maladministration in how it handled a complaint about damp, leaks, and mould.
We ordered an independent review using powers under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act after the resident, her young child, and disabled parter were moved to another damp property owned by the same landlord. The move was due to damp and mould in their previous home.
Shortly after moving in, the resident reported several leaks and told the landlord of significant repairs, severe mould, and her son being hurt due to outstanding repairs. Despite the resident’s clear expressions of dissatisfaction, the landlord did not raise a complaint until we intervened.
Our investigation found the landlord spent over £5,000 repairing the empty property before the family moved in. However, repair records showed a known leak, water damage, and a professional recommendation for a damp survey. The landlord said a survey had taken place but not been recorded. The landlord failed to act on its recommendations, placing a vulnerable family in a home with an unresolved damp problem. The landlord did not respond within its policy timescales when other issues were reported.
The review has led to the landlord committing to the following improvements to its void process, before residents move in:
.supervisors will regularly review void repairs and sign them off before a property is let
.staff will review relevant property documents during the void process to identify any historical issues
.all survey recommendations will either be raised as repairs, or formally recorded if not classed as an immediate priority, before any resident moves in
The review also found that repairs took far longer than they should have done and were not prioritised effectively once the case became a complaint. In response, the landlord has committed to further improvements, including:
.reviewing the process for follow-on works and key performance indicators
.making adequate record keeping part of the performance framework for all staff
.defining clear guidelines for when a supervisor must attend a repair
.introducing a decant policy to provide temporary accommodation where properties require extensive repairs
We also asked the landlord to explore whether any other homes may have been affected by similar failures. The landlord identified 4 cases which it dealt with immediately.
Read the report PDF – https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/app/uploads/2026/04/Plexus-wider-order-report-April-26-1.pdf