Brighton & Hove City Council: the register
Ruling 24 002 393
Folio 207
Finding: Fault found
- Finding recorded by the ombudsman
- Upheld
- Service
- Housing: Homelessness
- Council
- Brighton & Hove City Council
- Body
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
- Decided
- Summary
-
Mrs X complained the Council failed to advise her correctly of the rent she should have paid in her temporary accommodation. She says the Council informed her in November 2023 she had historic rent arrears and falsely claimed to have previously alerted her. Mrs X said this caused her distress and placed her in financial difficulty. She would like the Council to remove the debt. There was fault in the way the Council did not monitor the rent account and communicate this with Mrs X. This distressed Mrs X. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a financial payment and review the property affordability.
Summary as published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Remedies
Words in quotation marks are quoted from the ombudsman’s decision.
States worked out on 9 October 2026.
The ombudsman publishes no entry for a remedy.
| Ordered | Outcome publishedThe ombudsman publishes no entry for a remedy. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | What was ordered | Deadline | Payment | Date | Entry | Payment |
| 1 | ApologyApologise to Mrs X for the fault identified in this case. This apology should be in accordance with the Ombudsman’s guidance Making an effective apology.Deadline as worded: within 4 weeks of my final decision |
Deadline passed 12 February 2025. Outcome not published. | None | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 2 | PaymentPay Mrs X the £500 it offered to recognise the distress it caused.Deadline as worded: within 4 weeks of my final decision |
Deadline passed 12 February 2025. Outcome not published. | £500.00 | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| 3 | Action for the personComplete an affordability assessment for the family.Deadline as worded: within 4 weeks of my final decision |
Deadline passed 12 February 2025. Outcome not published. | None | No outcome published by the ombudsman | ||
| Stated payments ordered | £500.00 | Outcomes published by the ombudsman: none | ||||