Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to arrange temporary accommodation in April 2024. The complaint is late. There is no evidence Ms X could not have complained earlier and no good reasons to decide to investigate now.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained the Council failed to arrange temporary accommodation when her landlord was evicting her, which meant the family had to remain in housing affected by damp and mould.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

What happened

5. Ms X approached the Council in March 2024 after receiving a notice from her landlord to leave her private rented property. In March and again in April, she asked the Council to arrange temporary accommodation.
6. In April, the Council accepted a prevention duty. It subsequently decided the notice was invalid, which meant the landlord could not proceed with the eviction. On that basis, it ended its prevention duty. In its complaint response, it accepted it did not send a decision letter ending the duty, nor had it issued a personalised housing plan. It apologised and offered to pay Ms X £100 to remedy the injustice caused.
7. The homelessness team made a referral to its private sector team to liaise with the landlord to address the disrepair in the property. The Council said works were completed in June 2024.

My assessment

8. We usually expect people to complain to us within 12 months of the events complained about. Ms X complained to us in October 2025 about events between March and June 2024. There is no evidence she could not have complained earlier and no good reasons to decide to investigate now.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons to decide to investigate now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman