Summary: Miss D complains about private housing disrepair and issues with the housing register. I have ended the investigation because further consideration of the case would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. The complainant (whom I refer to as Miss D) says the Council failed to properly investigate disrepair at her private rental home and mishandled her housing register case. She says the fault goes back to 2021.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organization; or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome; or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered evidence provided by Miss D and the Council as well as relevant law, policy and guidance.
4. I shared my draft decision with both parties and considered their comments.

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What I found

What happened

5. Miss D previously complained to the Ombudsman in 2024 about the Council’s failure to properly investigate disrepair at her private rental home. She also referred to issues with the housing register. The Ombudsman issued a decision in October 2024 finding no fault by the Council.
6. In April 2025 Miss D complained to the Council about disrepair at her home and reiterated the Council had mishandled matters for several years, she also referred to issues with the housing register. The Council replied on 2 May that it had acted in line with procedures regarding the disrepair investigation. A review was being considered for the housing register case. Miss D pursued her complaint, and the Council issued its final response on 18 June. It said it was correct to close the disrepair case because works had been completed. It found there had been 18 days delay issuing a recent decision in respect of the housing register review. It apologised for the error. I understand the Council subsequently offered to pay Miss D £50 for the delay.

Reasons for my decision

7. I have decided to end the investigation because we cannot add to what has already been established by the Council and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. Miss D has already had her complaint about the disrepair considered by the Ombudsman in 2024. I cannot look again at events up to October 2024 in the absence of any significant new evidence. In respect of events from November 2024 to June 2025 (when the Council issued its final complaints response) Miss D’s complaint about the disrepair is largely a reiteration of her 2024 complaint. In respect of the housing register case, the Council undertook a review of its decision in 2025 and subsequently accepted it had delayed issuing the review outcome by 18 days. I do not see further investigation would likely find any additional fault. The Council has already apologised and offered a redress payment: we would not be able to add to that remedy. Miss D wants the Council to pay additional redress which we would not be able to achieve for her.

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Decision

8. I have ended the investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman