North Lincolnshire Council (20 009 737)
Statement Upheld Private housing 30-Jul-2021
Summary: Dr X complains about the Council's handling of a home appreciation loan. He says the Council pressured his parents into signing a contact for the loan and did not safeguard his parents. He also complains his parents were overcharged for substandard work. We find some fault with the Council's actions. We have made recommendations.
Wellingborough Borough Council (20 009 917)
Statement Not upheld Private housing 26-Jul-2021
Summary: Mrs D says the Council wrongly told her tenants to remain at her property and failed to rehouse them in 2020. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault by the Council. He has completed the investigation and not upheld the complaint.
London Borough of Enfield (20 008 181)
Statement Not upheld Private housing 25-Jun-2021
Summary: The Ombudsman found no fault by the Council on Ms S's complaint of it failing to act against her landlord for not carrying out works set out in a Hazard Awareness Notice. The Council inspected her property and liaised with her and the landlord/agent about her reports. Nor was there fault with its decision on her report of the landlord harassing her. There was no evidence to support the claim. Officers were aware of outstanding issues with the property but decided Ms S and the landlord/agent need to liaise to resolve them.
Nottingham City Council (19 018 959)
Statement Upheld Private housing 24-Jun-2021
Summary: Mrs X complained about how the Council handled an Improvement Notice attached to a property she purchased at auction. Mrs X also complained about the Council's staff behaviour and how it dealt with her complaint. The Council was at fault for its failure to register an Improvement Notice but this did not cause an injustice to Mrs X. But there was fault with the Council's complaints handling which caused Mrs X an injustice. The Council has apologised to Mrs X and has agreed to make a financial remedy for the injustice caused.
Bedford Borough Council (20 006 479)
Statement Not upheld Private housing 16-Jun-2021
Summary: There was no fault in how the Council dealt with Miss B's housing problems. It properly considered her circumstances. There was no fault in how the Council decided her house was not dangerous, or in how it ended her entitlement to interim accommodation.
Westminster City Council (20 005 034)
Statement Upheld Private housing 28-May-2021
Summary: Ms D complained the Council ignored evidence of, and failed to report, multiple civil and criminal violations relating to the condition of her privately rented property. She also complained the Council failed to advise her that handing in the keys before the property manager was forced to join a redress scheme would impact her ability to seek redress. We find the Council delayed dealing with the expired gas safety certificate. However, this did not cause Ms D a significant injustice. We also find the Council delayed following up on Ms D's concern that the property manager was not part of a redress scheme. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.
London Borough of Havering (20 005 684)
Statement Upheld Private housing 28-May-2021
Summary: Mrs X complained on behalf of her son and daughter in law, Mr and Mrs Y, that the Council delayed returning their house to them at the end of a lease agreement and failed to keep them updated. This caused uncertainty and distress. The Ombudsman found the Council was at fault for delays returning Mr and Mrs Y's house and for failing to provide clear information. It agreed to provide a remedy.
Birmingham City Council (20 006 112)
Statement Upheld Private housing 07-May-2021
Summary: Mr X complains about the Council's decision to enforce a compulsory purchase order. He says the Council did not complete an internal inspection before making the decision, did not tell him what he was failing to comply with, and did not give him an opportunity to correct any short comings. We find fault with the way the Council made its decision to implement the CPO. We have made recommendations.
London Borough of Waltham Forest (20 003 114)
Statement Upheld Private housing 30-Apr-2021
Summary: Ms D complains the Council failed to properly administer her property under its Managed Rent Guaranteed Service. The Council has already told Ms D it failed to carry out management visits to the property and has apologised. The Ombudsman has not found any additional evidence of fault. He has completed the investigation. The complaint is upheld because of the one error by the Council.
London Borough of Brent (20 001 199)
Statement Upheld Private housing 15-Apr-2021
Summary: Ms X complained on behalf of Mrs Y, a private tenant, about the way the Council used its housing enforcement powers to address poor housing conditions in her flat. She also complained about the Council's handling of Mrs Y's landlord's application for a selective licence. There was fault in the conduct of the housing enforcement investigation but that did not cause the injustice claimed by Ms X. There was no fault in the Council's consideration of the selective licence application.