Summary: We cannot investigate Miss B complaint about the Council’s response to the problems she has reported relating to housing land it owns. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about action the Council has taken in its landlord role.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Miss B, complained about the Council’s response to the problems she has reported relating to housing land it owns.

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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 have considered the information Miss B provided and the Council’s responses to her complaint. I have spoken to Miss B by telephone.

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What I found

5. The land in question is housing land so the Council has responded to the issues raised by Miss B in its role as a social housing landlord.
6. Miss B remains dissatisfied with the measures the Council has taken to date. But we cannot investigate her complaint because it is about action the Council has taken in its landlord role.

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Final decision

7. We cannot investigate this complaint. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about action the Council has taken in its landlord role.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman