Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with disrepair issues in his rented property. This is a late complaint and so we cannot investigate.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council failed to take action against his landlord for poor standard of the rented accommodation he was living in.
2. Mr X says this has impacted on his mental health as well as his family’s health and his finances.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Mr X complained to the Ombudsman previously about the Council’s actions when he became homeless from the address complained of. Mr X reported the issues at the property to the Council in January 2019 and he was placed in interim accommodation in March 2019.
7. If Mr X was unhappy with how the Council had dealt with his landlord he could have complained about this as part of his previous complaint to the Ombudsman. Mr X did not raise his current complaint until June 2021. Therefore this is a late complaint and we cannot investigate.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is a late complaint and we cannot investigate.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman