Summary: We cannot investigate Miss Z’s complaint about how the Council handled disrepair in her council home. We cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by a council acting as a social landlord.

The complaint

1. Miss Z complains the Council delayed addressing disrepair in her council home. She says this led to more serious disrepair, which caused her family physical harm and distress and meant they had to move into temporary accommodation. She wants the Council to permanently rehouse them in a safe property.

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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.
3. 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

4. I considered information provided by the complainant, and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss Z is a council tenant. Her complaint is about how the Council managed disrepair in her home and whether it will agree to permanently move her due to the disrepair. This is about the management of social housing by a council acting as a social landlord. The law says we cannot investigate these complaints.

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Final decision

6. We cannot investigate Miss Z’s complaint because it is about the Council’s management of housing as a social landlord.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman