Housing association ignored tenant's noise complaints for years - and didn't even bother to record some of them

A housing association ignored a tenant’s complaints about loud music for years and said they ‘couldn’t be bothered’ to record some of them, a damning ombudman’s report has said. The chief executive of social housing landlord Six Town Housing, who rent out 8,000 homes in Bury, has been ordered to personally apologise to Tracey Farmes and pay her more than £1,000 in compensation after it found ‘a lack professionalism’ and severe maladministration on the matter.

The housing ombudsman said Miss Farmes, who lives in an end terrace home on the Coronation Road estate in Radcliffe, had noise nuisance complaints ignored or not acted on effectively on for nearly two years. When staff did acknowledge the complaints, the internal correspondence contained inappropriate remarks, including officers saying they ‘couldn’t be bothered’ to add her complaints to their system.

Miss Farmes, who has lived in her home since 1999, said she felt ‘completely ignored and let down’ by Six Town Housing and that she felt victimised, leading to her having mental health difficulties. The ombudsman said that irrespective of officer’s views about her reports, the landlord should have treated her with respect and clearly communicated its position.

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Speaking after the ombudsman published the findings, Miss Farmes, said: “The fact that I was being ignored and not listened to has had a massive effect on me. I got nothing off them, if they had communicated better, maybe it could have moved forward but I just hit a brick wall.

“When the investigation report came out it was such a massive relief. Finally somebody had actually listened to me. “The need to listen to