Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of disrepair and an infestation at Mr X’s home. The law prevents us looking into the management of social housing.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council has delayed and failed to deal effectively with disrepair and an infestation in his home and did not move him temporarily on discovering the infestation.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and copy complaint correspondence from the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X lives in Council accommodation. The Council is his landlord. This means the Council’s actions about the matters complained of concern the management of its social housing a registered provider of social housing. Therefore the law prevents us considering the complaint, as paragraph 2 explained.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the law prevents us doing so.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman