Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled a homelessness application. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council had not helped him to find rented properties. He said this caused him distress and inconvenience. He wanted the Council to help him find a property.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X approached the Council in September 2025 for homelessness assistance after receiving an eviction notice because his landlord wanted to sell the property. In September 2025, the Council accepted it owed Mr X a prevention duty and issued him with a personalised housing plan (PHP).
6. Mr X complained the Council did not provide him with help to find suitable properties.
7. In its complaint response in October 2025, the Council said it had offered Mr X support to gain private rented accommodation, but Mr X rejected this offer. The Council said it had provided Mr X with written advice on how to find alternative accommodation, and a list of landlords in the area. The Council advised Mr X to follow the advice within his PHP, and asked him to contact them if he wanted to re-consider their offer of support to find rented accommodation.
8. The Council also advised Mr X how he could request a review of its decision, and said it was aware there were affordable homes being marketed.
9. The Council wrote to Mr X in December 2025 to advise it no longer owed him the prevention duty because he had found accommodation.
10. We will not investigate this complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. The Council said it offered Mr X support to find rented accommodation which he did not take up. It re-iterated this offer of support within its complaint response, and reminded Mr X of the advice it had provided to him.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman