London Borough of Southwark (25 023 969)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We have upheld Mrs X’s complaint about the Council significantly increasing her rent without notice. The Council has remedied the injustice to Mrs X during its complaints process.
The complaint
- Mrs X complains the Council significantly increased her rent for her temporary accommodation without notice. She says this caused anxiety and distress. She also raised concerns about damp and mould in the property.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- If we are satisfied with an organisation’s actions or proposed actions, we can complete our investigation and issue a decision statement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 30(1B) and s34H(1), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mrs X complained to the Council in January 2025 after it significantly increased her rent without notice between October 2024 and November 2025.
- In June 2025, the Council agreed it had wrongly increased the rent payments. It apologised and upheld her complaint. It reduced Mrs X’s arrears in line with the rent she should have paid.
- Mrs X also raised concerns about mould, damp and water leaks in the property. The Council raised her concerns with the management company and said the management company has been trying to contact Mrs X to resolve the issues.
- I will not investigate this complaint. The Council has taken suitable steps to remedy the injustice to Mrs X. It said it will pay her £500 in recognition of its failure to tell her of the rent increase. It also said it will pay Mrs X £250 for her time and trouble.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because the Council remedied the injustice to Mrs X during its complaints process.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman