Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s investigation of disrepair in a housing association property. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Ms X could not have complained to us sooner.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained about disrepair in her housing association home since 2014. She has involved the Council and her member of Parliament in the past but says the landlord has still not remedied all her concerns about repairs and excessive cold.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)
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 considered information provided by the complainant and the Council’s responses.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Ms X says her housing association landlord has failed to deal with her complaints about disrepair and excessive cold in her social rented home. She complained to the Council in 2014 and it investigated her claim that there were hazards in the property. The Council identified some Category 1 hazards and the landlord complied with repairs to its satisfaction. It says that the heating system could not be upgraded by the landlord at the time because the tenant would not allow access.
7. Ms X’s Member of Parliament made enquiries on her behalf in 2023 and the Council advised that she should first make a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service as it concerned the landlord’s repairing obligations under the tenancy agreement.
8. Ms X did not complain to us until July 2025 which is outside the normal 12-month period for receiving complaints. There is no evidence to suggest the PA could not have complained to us sooner She has not confirmed whether any complaint to the Housing Ombudsman was made following the 2023 MP involvement.
9. The time for receiving complaints is from when someone became aware of the matter they wished to complain about, not when they complained to the Council or it issued its final response. We would expect someone to complain to us within a year, even if they were dissatisfied with the time the complaints procedure was taking.

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Final decision

10. We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s investigation of disrepair in a housing association property. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Ms X could not have complained to us sooner.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman