The key aspect of this case is that the Ombudsman found that the Landlord ought to have better consulted with tenants affected by the proposed changes before it decided to have a wider consultation on the issue of changes to parking.

The Complainant complained to the Housing Ombudsman Service over her Landlord’s refusal to install or allow her to install a cat flat to the communal front door of the block of flats in which she lived.

The complainants were secure tenants of the landlord when they completed the purchase their property under the Right to Buy. Before the right to buy process the Complainants reported a number of defects with the property to the Landlord.

The Complainant complained to the Ombudsman of a number of matters including that (i) the Landlord acted inappropriately during his purchase of the property in that it applied pressure on him to purchase the property, and (ii) the Landlord misled him about aspects of the property.

The Complainant and her partner became shared owners with the Landlord on 7 August 2003. They purchased a 40% share based on a £205,000 valuation. At the point of purchase the Complainant and her partner had a joint income of £32,500. The Complaint subsequently asked the Landlord to buy back her and her partner’s share of the property on the basis that they could not afford to live at the property anymore.

Paragraph 23c of the Housing Ombudsman Service Approved Scheme provides that the Ombudsman may at any time suspend or stop an investigation or formal inquiry if the member Landlord undertakes to make substantial redress to the complainant which the Ombudsman concludes resolves the complaint satisfactorily.