Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s maintenance of Miss X’s neighbouring properties as the law says we cannot do so.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council has decided not to repair neighbouring houses it owns. Miss X says this is causing her stress and is impacting her as a vulnerable person as this directly impacts her own property. Miss X wants the Council to carry out the work.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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 the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. The properties that neighbour Miss X’s home are provided by the Council as social housing. Decisions about what repairs will be carried out to such properties are not matters we can investigate by law, as per paragraph two. We cannot therefore investigate Miss X’s complaint.

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Final decision

6. We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint because the law does not allows us to do so.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman