Sheffield City Council (24 016 347)

Statement Upheld Allocations 06-Jan-2026

Summary: Miss X complains the Council delayed acting on and failed to properly consider her mother’s application for housing in Sheffield. She also complained the Council did not explain its decision properly. We found no fault in the way the Council processed or reached its decisions on her mother’s application. However, there was some fault in its explanation of the housing policy, for which we recommended an apology.

London Borough of Tower Hamlets (25 004 314)

Statement Upheld Allocations 06-Jan-2026

Summary: Miss X complained about the way the Council dealt with her housing. The Council was at fault for delaying in completing a medical assessment, failing to complete a review of her priority need and poor communication. This caused Miss X frustration and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Miss X for the frustration and uncertainty this caused and make service improvements.

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (25 010 058)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 06-Jan-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Mrs X’s housing application after she notified it of a change of circumstances. There is insufficient evidence of fault and injustice to justify an investigation.

Birmingham City Council (24 023 335)

Statement Upheld Allocations 05-Jan-2026

Summary: Mrs B complained about the Council closing her housing applications. We find that the Council failed to clearly explain which documents she needed to provide with her applications. This caused Mrs B avoidable frustration and inconvenience and delayed her ability to join the housing register. The Council has since changed its procedures, assessed Mrs B’s application and offered her compensation. We do not consider any further remedy is necessary.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (25 006 108)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 05-Jan-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to end its homelessness duty. This is because it is reasonable for him to use his right of appeal to the County Court.

Thurrock Council (24 015 013)

Statement Upheld Allocations 02-Jan-2026

Summary: Miss X complained that the Council delayed accepting a homelessness application referral. We found fault by the Council which caused Miss X avoidable distress and meant she lived in an unsuitable property for longer than necessary. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Miss X.

London Borough of Lambeth (25 002 805)

Statement Upheld Allocations 02-Jan-2026

Summary: We found fault and service failure by the Council on Mr Y’s complaint about it failing to transfer him and his large family from his accommodation which it accepted was unsuitable. The Council failed to consider the suitability of the accommodation sooner when alerted to problems. It delayed carrying out an assessment and failed to identify it as unsuitable initially under its complaints procedure. The Council agreed to send Mr Y a written apology for the identified failures, pay £2,250 for the injustice caused living in unsuitable accommodation for 15 months, and will ensure officers explore, and keep under review, whether a household in temporary accommodation is statutory overcrowded when overcrowding is raised as a concern. This remedies the injustice caused.

Wokingham Borough Council (25 009 463)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 22-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision that he is not eligible to join its housing register. There is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (25 015 419)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 21-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation. We will not exercise discretion to consider matters the complainant was aware of more than 12 months before we received the complaint.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (25 015 953)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Allocations 21-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s offer of unsuitable accommodation and the discharge of its homelessness duty in 2023. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Miss X could not have complained to us sooner.