Overview
The complainant (Mrs C) raised a number of concerns regarding the response of West Lothian Council (the Council) to problems that she had reported with regard to her home.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
(a) the Council failed satisfactorily to address persistent problems of water ingress and dampness in the house (not upheld);
(b) the Council failed to take the opportunity to carry out necessary repairs when the family temporarily vacated the property (partially upheld to the extent that the Council did not immediately let Mrs C know that repairs could not be undertaken when the family were absent);
(c) although dehumidifiers were supplied by the Council to dry out the house, Mrs C was not reimbursed for additional electricity consumed (partially upheld); and
(d) Council workmen attending to carry out repairs, damaged Mrs C's flooring and, thereafter, misrepresented the extent of that damage to the Council's insurers (not upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommended that the Council:
(i) revisit the repairs history of the particular house in comparison with similar houses in the immediate vicinity to establish whether there are recurrent problems;
(ii) review the arrangements for carrying out repairs where there is a risk to the health of a tenant with a known medical condition; and
(iii) review the adequacy of the advice given on the Council?s policy with regard to reimbursement when they supply dehumidifiers to tenants.
The Council have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.