London Borough of Croydon (21 004 683)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs B’s complaint that the Council has failed to repair one of its properties which has resulted in damage to her home. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by councils.
The complaint
- The complainant, who I will refer to as Mrs B, complains the Council delayed making repairs to one of its properties which is next to her home. Mrs B says this caused significant water damage to her home and she had to buy a new boiler. Mrs B says the Council has refused to pay her compensation or do the necessary repair work.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate complaints about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a registered social housing provider. (Local Government Act 1974, paragraph 5A schedule 5, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mrs B.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
Final decision
- We cannot investigate Mrs B’s complaint because it is about the management of social housing by the Council.
Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman