Summary: Mr B complained the Council failed to properly consider his housing need and the supporting evidence he provided for his housing application. We find the Council was at fault for failing to address all the points from the evidence Mr B provided in support of his application. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

Summary: Mrs X complained about how the Council dealt with her son’s housing situation. We have found no fault with the Council’s actions which were in line with its Housing Allocation Scheme.

Summary: There was fault in the way the Council decided that Miss B did not qualify to join its housing register. This delayed Miss B moving to permanent accommodation. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Miss B and to take action to prevent similar failings in future.

Summary: The Council delayed assessing Mrs X’s housing application and reviewing its decision. These delays did not cause Mrs X any significant injustice. There was no fault in the way the Council decided that Mrs X did not qualify to join its housing register.

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council managed his homelessness application. We find the Council was at fault for failing to consider whether it should have provided Mr X with interim accommodation in November 2022. The Council has already accepted fault and offered Mr X a financial payment. The Council has agreed to our further recommendations to remedy the injustice caused to Mr X.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council closing Mr X’s housing application. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council refusing to waive repayment of a ‘right to buy’ discount. This is because the Council has agreed our invitation to reconsider its decision. That is a suitable remedy.

Summary: The complainant (Mrs X) said the Council failed to consider the review request for her housing register application. She also complained about the way the Council handled her complaint. We found fault with the way the Council dealt with Mrs X’s complaint. This fault caused her injustice. We also found fault in the way the Council carried out a review of Mrs X’s housing register application but this fault did not cause her injustice. The Council agreed to apologise to Mrs X, make a payment to recognise her distress and time and trouble spent on complaining and carry out some service improvements.

Summary: The Council was at fault for delays in making decisions on Ms X’s homelessness application, for not taking sufficient steps to protect their belongings, and for not discussing the case with her by telephone or in person at the review stage. The Council will apologise, pay Ms X £500 to remedy the uncertainty caused and the damage to/loss of belongings. It will give guidance to relevant staff.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the level of priority given to Mr X’s housing application. The substantive issues that Mr X complains about are late and there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council from July 2022 onwards.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council failing to consider its homeless duties towards her. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s actions related to her friend, Mr Y’s, former private housing tenant. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s actions and we cannot achieve the outcome she wants.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to end its housing duty towards her. This is because Ms X had a right of appeal to court and it was reasonable for her to use it.

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Mr X’s housing applications from 2009 to 2022. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mr X could not have complained to us sooner.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council taking further action under an Improvement Notice for a private landlord. We cannot investigate complaints about matter which have been subject to court proceedings.

Summary: The Council housed Ms X and her two young children in unsuitable bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation or failed to book her any accommodation at all, for eleven months. Several times during this period, Ms X and her children were asked to leave the hotels with nowhere to stay. The Council’s records regarding what Ms X owes the Council for these periods in hotels are also unclear. In recognition of the Council’s poor record keeping, the Council has agreed to write off the arrears owed for the period Ms X was homeless due to fleeing domestic abuse. The Council has also agreed to pay Ms X £4,350 in recognition of the time she and the children spent in unsuitable accommodation and the frustration and distress caused by its poor communication.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of his homeless application and about sharing his personal information with third parties. This is because it is reasonable for him to use his right of review and then appeal to the County Court. In addition, there is another body better placed to deal with his complaint about the Council’s handling of his personal data.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to award Mr X a higher housing priority banding. This is because we would be unlikely to find fault with the Council’s actions.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision Miss X is not eligible for a three bedroomed property. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s advice about eligibility for the housing register and temporary accommodation to Miss X in 2021. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Miss X could not have complained to us sooner.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mrs X’s housing application. The complaint about waiting time priority is late without good enough reason to investigate it now. It is also unlikely we could reach a clear enough view now about the matter. There is no fault so far in the Council not moving Mrs X’s application to a different list. It would be disproportionate to investigate the Council’s complaint-handling and communication in isolation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Miss X’s complaint. It is reasonable for her to have her case priority reviewed by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to end the main housing duty it owed to Miss X when she refused a final offer of accommodation. It would have been reasonable for Miss X to use her statutory rights of appeal to court.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council delaying in allocating a suitable property to Miss X and her family and its failure to communicate with her. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decisions and the Council has already apologised for any communication problems.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to respond to Ms X’s complaint regarding a notice to seek possession in 2021. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by councils.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the suitability of accommodation offered under the Council’s homeless duty to Mr X. It was reasonable for him to challenge the decision non suitability by way of an appeal to the County Court.