Leicester City Council (25 001 104)

Statement Not upheld Council house sales and leaseholders 25-Nov-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council has wrongly refused to waive the requirement to pay back the Right to Buy discount. We found there is no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered Mr Y’s request to exercise discretion not to recover all or part of the Right to Buy discount for his home.

Birmingham City Council (25 002 498)

Statement Upheld Allocations 25-Nov-2025

Summary: Mr B complained about the Council closing his housing applications. We find that the Council did not clearly explain which documents he needed to provide and then closed his applications as incomplete without specifying what additional evidence he needed to supply. This caused Mr B unnecessary frustration and inconvenience and delayed his ability to join the housing register. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment to Mr B, assess his application and, if he qualifies to join the register, backdate his registration and award date.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (25 008 223)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Homelessness 25-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a homelessness application. It was reasonable for Miss X to ask for reviews of the decisions on intentionality and suitability of the temporary accommodation provided. She will have a further right of appeal on any undecided reviews which are negative.

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames (25 008 638)

Statement Upheld Private housing 25-Nov-2025

Summary: We have upheld Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to proactively address his reports of disrepair in his private rented property between September 2024 and March 2025. The Council has agreed to take appropriate steps to remedy the uncertainty caused.

London Borough of Lewisham (25 008 738)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Private housing 25-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council has mismanaged his property. Part of his complaint is late without good reason to investigate it now. We cannot achieve a worthwhile outcome by investigating the other part of his complaint.

London Borough of Camden (24 021 011)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Nov-2025

Summary: Ms X complained about the way the Council handled her homelessness application. She said the Council placed her in unsuitable accommodation, delayed moving her, wrongly ended its housing duty, and failed to award her the medical housing points she was entitled to. We do not find fault in the Council’s decision not to award additional housing priority points. We do find fault in the Council’s handling of Ms X’s case, including significant delay in completing the suitability review, failing to move her promptly once accommodation was found unsuitable, poor complaint handling, and inadequate record-keeping. As a result, Ms X remained in unsuitable accommodation for several months longer than necessary and experienced avoidable distress, uncertainty, and frustration due to the Council’s poor communication and complaint handling. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Ms X.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 021 237)

Statement Upheld Allocations 24-Nov-2025

Summary: Mr X complained the Council did not properly consider supporting evidence for his rehousing application and delayed reviewing his medical priority decision. The Council’s delayed medical priority review decision is fault. It caused Mr X distress and uncertainty. On the balance of probabilities, there is no fault in how the Council or medical review panel made its decision on Mr X’s medical priority, so we cannot question the outcome. The Council agreed to apologise to Mr X for the delay, make a payment to recognise the distress caused and carry out the service recommendations.

London Borough of Lambeth (25 004 089)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Nov-2025

Summary: Mrs B complained that the Council had failed to properly assess her homeless application for over a year. We found fault in the Council’s actions which caused prolonged uncertainty to Mrs B. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs B and make a symbolic payment of £200.

London Borough of Camden (25 005 458)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 24-Nov-2025

Summary: The Council was at fault for delay in reviewing its decision on whether homelessness accommodation it offered to Mr X was suitable. It also failed to keep appropriate records of how it decided other accommodation was suitable for him. This caused Mr X avoidable frustration and uncertainty but we cannot say, even on balance, that it meant he missed out on housing he should have had. To remedy Mr X’s injustice, the Council will apologise and pay him £250. The Council will also identify what it needs to do to ensure it keeps proper records in future.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (25 011 476)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 24-Nov-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint the Council delayed in repairing a faulty boiler. The law says we cannot investigate the Council’s actions where it relates to the management of properties on a long lease.