Summary: The Council was at fault in its handling of Ms X’s case when she became homeless due to domestic abuse. The Council was also at fault for significant delays responding to her complaint. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay Ms X £1000 and act to improve its services.

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation of this complaint, about the Council’s handling of an allegation against the complainants from a housing provider. This is because it is late.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about events around an offer of housing. There is no direct connection between the Council’s alleged fault and Miss X’s main claimed injustice of living in an unsuitable property. The connection is only indirect.

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council dealt with his mother, Mrs Y’s homelessness and housing applications. The failings in the way the Council dealt with Mrs Y’s homelessness and housing applications amount to fault. This fault has caused Mrs Y and Mr X an injustice.

Summary: The Council delayed updating Miss B’s housing application, but it did not cause Miss B any significant injustice.

Summary: Ms X complains the Council did not make her a suitable offer of accommodation while she was in temporary accommodation. The Council was not at fault for failing to offer Ms X suitable accommodation. There was some fault with how the Council communicated with Ms X and the time taken to respond to Ms X’s complaint. This did not cause Ms X any significant injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council supported Miss X with her housing. That is because we do not consider her brother, Mr Y a suitable representative.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has refused the complainant’s application to join the housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the complainant’s priority on the housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and because part of the complaint is late.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a request for information. This is because the Complainant has complained to the Information Commissioner who is best placed to deal with the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s requirements for Mr X to contribute towards improvements to his flat as part of lease which he holds with the Council. We cannot investigate complaints about leasehold terms or services provided by a social housing landlord. We will not exercise discretion to consider Mr X’s claim that the proposed works were not explained when he completed the purchase in 2019. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.

Summary: We found fault by the Council on Mr J’s complaint about how it left him in unsuitable accommodation after accepting it owed a duty to house him as he was homeless. It accepts it left him in unsuitable accommodation and failed to fully support him during a stay in a hotel. He ended up street homeless for several weeks. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

Summary: The Council placed Miss B and her daughter in unsuitable accommodation when they were homeless. The Council failed to carry out a review of the suitability of the accommodation and failed to make proper efforts to move them to alternative accommodation. As a result, they remained living in unsuitable accommodation for over two years and nine months. The Council also delayed considering Miss B’s medical evidence and so she was not given sufficient priority on its housing register. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Miss B and to take action to prevent similar failings.

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s handling of her homelessness application and about various matters relating to the interim accommodation it provided. The Council was at fault for a significant delay in deciding her homelessness application, a failure to review whether the interim accommodation was suitable and poor communication in relation to repairs. The faults caused Miss X frustration and uncertainty, although she has potentially benefitted from the delay in making the homelessness decision. The Council should apologise and make a modest payment to remedy the injustice.

Summary: The Council was at fault because it did not allow the complainant to view potential temporary accommodation properties before accepting them, which contradicts the statutory guidance. This did not cause him an injustice, but the Council has agreed to ensure its policy is correct. There is no evidence of fault in the other aspects of this complaint. We have therefore completed our investigation.

Summary: The Council was not at fault for how it decided Mr X’s banding on its housing register. The Council was at fault for the time taken to process his housing register application but this did not cause Mr X injustice.

Summary: There was no fault in the way the Council decided that Miss B does not qualify to join the Council’s housing register.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that emergency accommodation the Council provided to a homeless man was in poor condition, and that it unreasonably refused to help him any further after he had to leave the accommodation. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council regarding these matters.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to allow Mr X a discount on a fee for a landlord licence as there is insufficient evidence of Council fault causing an injustice to Mr X.