Canterbury City Council (21 016 971)

Statement Upheld Private housing 07-Apr-2022

Summary: Miss B and Mr C complained the Council delayed investigating disrepair to their private rented property, failed to identify hazards and did not take enforcement action against their landlord. They also complained the Council did not follow its complaint procedure. Miss B and Mr C said this caused them disruption and inconvenience. The Council delayed seeking an update about an electrical safety test report and responding to Miss B and Mr C's complaint. This caused Miss B and Mr C injustice. The Council will make a financial payment to remedy this.

Plymouth City Council (21 011 591)

Statement Not upheld Private housing 04-Apr-2022

Summary: There was no fault by the Council. It could have made its responsibilities clearer to Ms B, but it took the appropriate action when she complained that the owner of the property she rents had not repaired the roof.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (21 008 575)

Statement Upheld Private housing 31-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr X complains about disrepair in his property. He says he has issues with damp, mould, and mites. Mr X says the landlord has not resolved the disrepair in the property and the Council has taken no enforcement action against the landlord. He also complains the Council sent him incorrect council tax bills. We find no fault with the action taken by the Council to deal with the disrepair issues in Mr X's property. We find fault with the Council for the incorrect council tax bills. However, the Council has already appropriately remedied this.

West Northamptonshire Council (21 007 070)

Statement Upheld Private housing 22-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council's failure to take effective action to deal with nuisance caused by a derelict residential property next to his home. The Council delayed in producing an options appraisal after it inspected the property in November 2020 and it failed to keep Mr X informed of its plans. These faults had an adverse impact on Mr X for which the Council has agreed to provide a suitable remedy.

Rugby Borough Council (20 011 352)

Statement Upheld Private housing 21-Feb-2022

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council's actions in relation to housing disrepair issues she reported. She says the Council took no action against her landlord to resolve the disrepair. She also complains about comments made by a Council officer who referred to her as a serial complainant. We find some fault with the Council's actions. We have made recommendations.

Wyre Borough Council (21 000 346)

Statement Upheld Private housing 06-Jan-2022

Summary: There was fault by the Council as it mistakenly closed a complaint about housing disrepair. The Council's apology and change in procedures remedies the injustice to Miss X. The Council has no powers to force her landlord to complete an electrical safety check on the rented property she had to move out from, so there is no fault on this point. The landlord wants Miss X to sign a new tenancy agreement before he completes the electrical check and the Council has no power to intervene in this dispute.

City of York Council (21 003 895)

Statement Upheld Private housing 04-Jan-2022

Summary: Mr X complains on behalf of his son, Mr Y, that the Council did not inform him of his right to apply for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO), when it found the property he was a tenant in was an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). He says when the Council did tell him it was too late, as the time limit to apply to a tribunal had ended. Mr X also says the Council did not issue notices regarding hazards at the HMO as required by law and did not respond to his complaint despite acknowledging it, which caused uncertainty and distress. We find fault with how the Council handled Mr X's complaint, its failure to issue the required notices and with some of the information it provided. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment for the uncertainty and distress caused, and the time and trouble used pursuing the complaint. It has also agreed to make service improvements.

London Borough of Newham (20 006 212)

Statement Not upheld Private housing 17-Dec-2021

Summary: Mr B complained the Council failed to take action to require his landlord to resolve problems of disrepair and hazards in his home. He said this meant he had to live in a property in an unsatisfactory and dangerous condition. There was no fault by the Council

Canterbury City Council (20 010 229)

Statement Not upheld Private housing 15-Dec-2021

Summary: Miss B complained the Council delayed investigating disrepair to her private rented property, failed to identify hazards and did not take enforcement action against her landlord. Miss B says her family suffered injury because of the disrepair. I have stopped investigating this complaint because Miss B is pursuing the matter through the Courts. Miss B can return to the Ombudsman once the Court case has concluded.

London Borough of Wandsworth (20 012 495)

Statement Upheld Private housing 10-Dec-2021

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to take action about water escaping into his property from a neighbour's property. There was no fault in how the Council decided what action to take about the water leak. However, there was fault in how the Council first responded to Mr X's complaint which caused him avoidable frustration for which the Council should apologise.