Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about problems with two Council properties. This is because the law prevents us investigating complaints about the management of social housing.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about poor conditions in his current Council home and in the temporary home the Council offered his family.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate. We cannot investigate complaints about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a registered social housing provider. (Local Government Act 1974, paragraph 5A schedule 5, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and copy correspondence and information about the two properties from the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X is a tenant of Council social housing at Address Y, where he reports infestations and damp. The Council offered Address Z, also a Council social housing property, as a temporary ‘decant.’ Mr X reports problems with the condition of Address Z too.
6. The complaint concerns the Council’s management of social housing properties in its capacity as a registered social housing provider. Therefore the law prevents us investigating this complaint.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is about the Council’s management of social housing, which the law says we cannot investigate.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman