Latest Ombudsman case digests
Complaint reference 200901884 - Allocations, Repairs
09 Jul 10 - No maladministration | Assured 
A tenant complained about the landlord's response to her reports about the lack of gas supply or heating at the beginning of her tenancy.
Complaint reference 200902755 - Tenancy management, Tenant rent and service charges
09 Jul 10 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained that her landlord took possession action when her partner allowed his friend to stay in her flat.
Complaint reference 24696 - Allocations, Regeneration
10 Jun 10 - No maladministration | Assured
A complaint about two transfers by the landlord, and that the tenant had been misled on whether the moves were permanent.
Complaint reference 200801160 - Complaint handling, Repairs
10 Jun 10 - Maladministration | Secure
A tenant of a ground floor flat complained about the landlord’s responses to his reports about the condition of his home and its handling of his complaint.
Complaint reference 200805124 - Repairs
10 Jun 10 - No maladministration | Assured
The complainant sought compensation for a carpet that had been damaged by a water leak and needed replacing.
Complaint reference 200900545 - Allocations, Repairs
10 Jun 10 - Maladministration | Assured
A complaint about the landlord’s handling of repair and tenancy issues after the assignment of the tenancy.
Complaint reference 200902408 - Anti-social behaviour, Repairs, Tenancy management
10 Jun 10 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the neighbours' positioning of hanging baskets and vent from a tumble dryer.
Complaint reference 200903970 - Tenancy management
10 Jun 10 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained that he had been denied access to the rear of his home by a neighbour locking the gate between their homes.
Complaint reference 200800438 - Anti-social behaviour, Estate services
21 Apr 10 - Not upheld | Home owner 
The complainants lived directly opposite the entrance to a commercial property operated by a local business and experienced damage to their property, and disturbance from the regular arrival and departure of heavy goods vehicles at the business.
Complaint reference 09001059 - Adaptations
14 Apr 10 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant 
A complaint that the Council delayed in dealing with an application for a disabled facilities grant for adaptations.
Complaint reference 09005422 - Repairs
14 Apr 10 - Maladministration causing injustice | Secure
The Council’s delay in repairing a ceiling leak meant that a young woman was unable to use her bedroom for 18 months.
Complaint reference 07A10429 - Sheltered housing, Tenancy management
12 Mar 10 - Maladministration no justice | Unknown
A sister complained that failings in her brother’s care and treatment at A&E, the changes to his psychiatric medication and a lack of support at the sheltered housing all contributed to his death, and that sheltered housing staff should have informed her about what was happening.
Complaint reference 09001262 - Homelessness
13 Jan 10 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
Failure to consider taking a homelessness application from a pregnant woman when she left her accommodation.
Complaint reference 00282 - Repairs
06 Jan 10 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about a warning she received concerning her behaviour to a contractor, and that the landlord did not refurbish her bathroom in accordance with the recommendations of the Occupational Therapist.
Complaint reference 03446 - Repairs
01 Dec 09 - No maladministration | Ex-occupier
A fomer tenant complained about the level of compensation offered in response to the difficulties and delay in carrying out repairs to his former property.
Complaint reference 05305 - Repairs
01 Dec 09 - Maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained that the landlord did not carry out replastering works and would not compensate her for the cost of having carried out the work herself.
Complaint reference 01288 - Anti-social behaviour
01 Dec 09 - Maladministration | Assured
Tenant complained about the landlord’s handling of a dispute with her neighbour and its subsequent response to her request for a transfer.
Complaint reference 00477 - Repairs, Tenancy management, Tenant rent and service charges
01 Dec 09 - No maladministration | No relationship
Mrs M complained about the management of her Co-op, specifically that she was not provided with information about the proposed transfer of properties to another Co-op and that it had not set its rents at the correct level.
Complaint reference 03002 - Housing benefit, Tenancy management
01 Dec 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the tenancy enforcement action taken against him while he was on holiday.
Complaint reference 200800711 - Allocations, Homelessness
18 Nov 09 - Maladministration | Applicant
A complaint about data protection issues, the Council's arrangements to uplift and store personal belongings on being made homeless, and the way in which the Council dealt with a mainstream housing application.
Complaint reference 200801344 - Repairs
18 Nov 09 - Partly upheld | Home owner
The complainant raised a number of concerns about the administration of works instructed in consequence of statutory notices.
Complaint reference 200800352 - Renewal grants, Repairs
18 Nov 09 - Not upheld | Home owner
The complainant raised a number of concerns relating to the issue of a Certificate of Completion for works undertaken to her flat.
Complaint references 07C01269 and 07C09724 - Adaptations
14 Oct 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
A disabled man was without suitable improved bathroom facilities for three years as a result of failures by two Councils.
Complaint reference 07C03887 - Adaptations
14 Oct 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
A family including two seriously disabled children spent three years in unsuitable accommodation as a result of failures by the Council.
Complaint reference 08017330 - Homelessness
12 Oct 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
A pregnant woman with mobility problems sleeping on her mother’s floor was caused injustice by the Council’s handling of her and her partner’s homelessness application.
Complaint reference 07B09106 - Home ownership and leasehold, Tenancy management
28 Sep 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Leasehold
The Council failed to inform tenants that it had bought the freehold of their property.
Complaint reference 200802763 - Repairs
23 Sep 09 - Upheld | Home owner
The complainant raised a number of concerns about the issue and administration of statutory notices that were served on owners.
Complaint reference 200602375 - Anti-social behaviour
23 Sep 09 - Not upheld | Home owner
A complaint about the Council's failure to take effective action in response to complaints of alleged anti-social behaviour by neighbours.
Complaint reference 08004517 - Anti-social behaviour, Complaint handling
17 Sep 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Home owner
The Council failed to fulfil a previously-agreed settlement to a complaint.
Complaint reference 00036 - Complaint handling, Repairs
01 Sep 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the level of compensation offered for damage to her carpets following central heating upgrade works.
Complaint reference 00205 - Anti-social behaviour, Complaint handling
01 Sep 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the Association’s handling of her reports of noise nuisance from the tenants of the flat above her.
Complaint reference 03814 - Complaint handling, Repairs
01 Sep 09 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Assured
A tenant complained about the landlord's handling of a flood from an upstairs flat.
Complaint reference 03946 - Complaint handling
01 Sep 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the financial management and operation of his local Residents’ Association.
Complaint reference 04699 - Staff and customer services
01 Sep 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about her landlord’s refusal to remove an allegation of rudeness to staff from her tenancy record.
Complaint reference 17808 - Complaint handling, Repairs
01 Sep 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the landlord’s handling of her reports of a noisy extractor fan and also about the compensation offered by the landlord in relation to the matter.
Complaint reference 07B10865 - Housing benefit, Tenancy management
27 Aug 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Secure
The Council wrongly evicted a vulnerable tenant for rent arrears while a housing benefit appeal was pending.
Complaint reference 08001152 - Estate services
25 Aug 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Assured
The Council took away and destroyed a man’s car with no proper legal basis or justification.
Complaint reference 200802077 - Repairs
19 Aug 09 - Not upheld | Home owner
The complainant raised concerns about administration of the accounts for works done under two statutory notices served on the owners of the building in which his flat is situated.
Complaint reference - 200702358 - Anti-social behaviour
14 Aug 09 - Maladministration | Secure 
Tenant complained hat she had been subject to anti-social behaviour including amplified music and threatening behaviour from a neighbour for a period of six years.
Complaint reference 08007395 - Allocations
10 Aug 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
Failure to consider the medical circumstances properly when a couple applied for a housing transfer.
Complaint reference 08006663 - Homelessness
10 Aug 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
The Council's mishandling of a vulnerable young man’s homelessness application deprived him of the opportunity to be rehoused in permanent accommodation.
Complaint reference 08012476 - Estate services
23 Jul 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Unknown
Ombudsman finds that council wrongly destroyed a woman’s car that was in a car park outside her home.
Complaint reference 200800154 - Housing benefit, Tenant rent and service charges
22 Jul 09 - Upheld | Assured
The complainant raised a number of concerns regarding the Council's administration of housing benefit for one of his tenants.
Complaint reference 200800803 - Repairs
22 Jul 09 - Partly upheld | Secure
The complainant raised a number of concerns regarding the response of the Council to repairs problems that she reported.
Complaint reference 200801931 - Homelessness
22 Jul 09 - Not upheld | Applicant
The complainant, the mother of four children, was made unintentionally homeless from her home in a village some distance from Perth.
Complaint reference 200602628 - Repairs
17 Jun 09 - Upheld | Secure
The complainant raised a number of concerns regarding her new tenancy, in relation to the internal and external condition of the home and garden.
Complaint reference 200602882 - Anti-social behaviour
17 Jun 09 - Upheld | Secure
A complaint that the Council had failed to respond appropriately to complaints made about the alleged anti-social behaviour of a neighbour.
Complaint reference 08005922 - Allocations, Housing benefit, Repairs
16 Jun 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Secure
The Council let out a flat that had major gas leaks in the system and no heating or hot water, and then delayed two months in addressing the problems.
Complaint reference 07A10617 - Allocations
27 May 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Secure
A family has lived in overcrowded and unacceptable conditions since 2001 due to failures by the London Borough of Ealing to deal properly with their housing transfer application.
Complaint reference 200602445 - Repairs
20 May 09 - Partly upheld | Secure
Tenants' complained that their property sustained damage, and that the surrounding area was excessively disrupted by renovation work.
Complaint reference 200701713 - Complaint handling, Repairs
22 Apr 09 - Partly upheld | Secure
The complainant said that a faulty boiler in her kitchen caused soot damage to her property requiring redecoration, and the replacement of blinds and curtains.
Complaint reference 07A14216 - Homelessness
14 Apr 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
Hounslow Council delayed offering a homeless couple temporary accommodation after it had accepted a homelessness duty to them.
Complaint reference 200602104 - Adaptations, Allocations
25 Mar 09 - Upheld | Applicant
The complainant raised a number of concerns that the Council failed to arrange the provision of appropriate housing to meet his and his family needs.
Complaint reference 200603518 - Repairs
25 Mar 09 - Upheld | Unknown
The complainant approached the council about problems of dampness he was experiencing in his property.
Complaint reference 07A03275 - Homelessness
23 Mar 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Applicant
Ombudsman finds council failed to take sufficient account of a man’s hearing disability when dealing with his homelessness application.
Complaint reference 24756 - Complaint handling, Home ownership and leasehold
01 Mar 09 - Maladministration | Leasehold
A leaseholder complained about the level of consultation when the landlord suspended the local leaseholder's forum.
Complaint reference 23676 - Complaint handling, Home ownership and leasehold
01 Mar 09 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Assured
A tenant complained about the landlord’s handling of her RTA application and about how her complaint was dealt with.
Complaint reference 27394 - Complaint handling, Repairs
01 Mar 09 - Maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the landlord's response to his reports of damp in the property and decisions of the panel reviewing the complaint.
Complaint reference 01164 - Allocations, Complaint handling
01 Mar 09 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Assured
A Co-op’s application of its allocations and complaints policies.
Complaint reference 01415 - Complaint handling, Repairs
01 Mar 09 - Maladministration | Assured
Tenant complained about delays in dealing with disrepair.
Complaint reference 01923 - Allocations, Complaint handling, Regeneration
01 Mar 09 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Assured
Tenant complained about her landlord’s decision that she was not eligible for a Home Loss Payment.
Complaint reference 03297 - Complaint handling, Home ownership and leasehold
01 Mar 09 - No maladministration | Shared owner
Shared owner complained that she had been overpaying rent.
Complaint reference 03573 - Tenant rent and service charges, Complaint handling, Home ownership and leasehold
01 Mar 09 - No maladministration | Leasehold
A leaseholder complained about landlord’s decision to add a 10% administration charge and not to collect a service charge on its untenanted warden’s flat.
Complaint reference - 200800969 - Allocations, Tenancy management
11 Feb 09 - Maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained that she (and her family) had been on the Council’s housing waiting list too long and overcrowding was affecting the family's health.
Complaint reference 06A14057 - Repairs
22 Jan 09 - Maladministration causing injustice | Secure
Failure to remedy dampness in flat caused woman's health to suffer.
Complaint reference - 200701993 - Anti-social behaviour, Complaint handling
12 Jan 09 - Maladministration | Assured
Tenants complained about intimidation, abuse and racial harassment from neighbours.
Complaint reference 17480 - Complaint handling, Tenancy management, Repairs
01 Jan 09 - Maladministration | Assured
A complaint about the landlord's handling of a leak and its decision to expel the tenant from membership of the Co-op.
Complaint reference 20450 - Estate services, Tenancy management
01 Jan 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A complaint about enforcement action taken on new parking restrictions.
Complaint reference 22968 - Anti-social behaviour, Staff and customer services
01 Jan 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A tenant complained about the landlord's handling of a neighbour dispute and a parking related incident involving the Scheme Manager.
Complaint reference 23831 - Complaint handling, Tenancy management
01 Jan 09 - Maladministration | Assured
Accepting a notice to quit from a joint tenant and how a landlord's complaints handling can make a bad situation worse.
Complaint reference 23944 - Complaint handling, Repairs, Staff and customer services
01 Jan 09 - No maladministration | Assured
A breakdown of relationship between landlord and tenant following mediation and disrepair, with an expectation of acceptable behaviour by a resident.
Complaint reference 24225 - Tenant rent and service charges
01 Jan 09 - No maladministration | Assured
Tenant complained about the landlord's handling of her rent arrears and subsequent NSP.
Complaint reference 24237 - Allocations, Staff and customer services
01 Jan 09 - Maladministration | Applicant
An applicant for rehousing complained when the landlord rejected her application because of former arrears and abusive language.
Complaint reference 24914 - Sheltered housing, Staff and customer services, Tenant rent and service charges
01 Jan 09 - No maladministration | Assured
Tenant in sheltered scheme complained about the landlord’s decision to withdraw resident warden service.
Complaint reference 06B05370 - Complaint handling, Repairs
18 Dec 08 - Maladministration causing injustice | Secure
Failure to repair defects causing cold and damp conditions in home for seven years.
Complaint reference 200703152 - Sheltered housing, Tenancy management
17 Dec 08 - Upheld | Secure
A complaint about the decision made by the Council to remove warden provision from sheltered housing.
Complaint reference - 200702044 - Homelessness
11 Dec 08 - Maladministration | Applicant
Homeless applicants complained that the Council did not do enough to assist them and that they were offered unsuitable temporary accommodation at the last minute.
Complaint references 07B02080, 07B02381, 07B02738, 07B06901 and 07B10339 - Renewal grants
26 Nov 08 - Maladministration causing injustice | Home owner
North Devon District Council's systems for dealing with the interest generated in Government funds for home improvements were simply not good enough.
Complaint references 06A16993, 06A16997, and 06A17360 - Travellers and gypsies
12 Nov 08 - Maladministration causing injustice | Unknown
Refusal to remedy injustice to three families caused by the publication of sensitive information about children.
Complaint reference 06A10428 - Allocations
31 Oct 08 - Maladministration causing injustice | Secure
Failure to consider housing needs and human rights of an elderly disabled woman.
Complaint reference 10111 - Complaint handling, Home ownership and leasehold, Tenancy management
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Shared owner
Landlord acknowledged poor information and consultation about the provision of parking places.
Complaint reference 10112 - Estate services, Sheltered housing, Tenancy management
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Assured
Landlord did not properly consider the complainant’s situation or explain its decision when allocating parking places.
Complaint reference 10113 - Anti-social behaviour, Complaint handling
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Assured
A neighbour dispute with good management of the complaint
Complaint reference 10115 - Home ownership and leasehold, Repairs
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Shared owner
Clarifying the responsibilities of a shared owner.
Complaint reference 10116 - Home ownership and leasehold, Repairs
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Leasehold
Role of landlord in liaising with contractors and informing leaseholders.
Complaint reference 10114 - Anti-social behaviour, Complaint handling
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Assured
Complaint about noise nuisance and various acts of anti-social behaviour on his estate.
Complaint reference 10117 - Home ownership and leasehold
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Shared owner
A shared owner of a flat with post-purchase defects.
Complaint reference 10118 - Home ownership and leasehold
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Leasehold
A leaseholder disputed the landlord's decisions to lease a piece of land adjacent to his property and grant permission for an extension.
Complaint reference 10119 - Tenancy management
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Ex-occupier
Landlord disposed of tenant's goods after eviction.
Complaint reference 10120 - Tenancy management, Repairs
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Assured
A disabled tenant complained about alternative access or accommodation arrangements during lift breakdowns, and landlord leased property to another housing association.
Complaint reference 10121 - Regeneration
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Assured
The landlord failed to consult on demolition of tenant's home.
Complaint reference 10122 - Allocations
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Assured
The granting of a tenancy on death of the tenant.
Complaint reference 10124 - Home ownership and leasehold, Repairs
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Secure
Landlord’s repair responsibilities after the exercise of the Right to Buy
Complaint reference 10123 - Home ownership and leasehold
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Assured
Clarification of Right to Buy when siging a tenancy.
Complaint reference 10125 - Anti-social behaviour, Complaint handling, Tenancy management
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Assured
Landlord required to balance its responsibilities to staff and residents.
Complaint reference 10126 - Complaint handling, Repairs
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Assured
Tenant requested compensation after removal of asbestos.
Complaint reference 10127 - Complaint handling, Repairs
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Assured
Appropriate use of discretion by landlord in awarding compensation.
Complaint reference 10128 - Complaint handling, Homelessness
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration | Unknown
A landlord’s proportionate response in dealing with a complaint over confidentiality.
Complaint reference 10129 - Complaint handling, Sheltered housing, Staff and customer services
27 Oct 08 - No maladministration (recommendations) | Assured
Tenant complained about the service she received from the scheme manager and the way the landlord handled her complaint.
Complaint reference 10131 - Repairs
27 Oct 08 - Maladministration | Assured
Landlord’s failure to inform the complainant about cyclical works.