Decision report 201100939

Summary
Mr C's mother told the council that repairs were required to gutters and to the seals around the bedroom window of her council house. When she asked the council about this over the next five months, she was told that the repairs were in hand.

When this did not happen, Mr C formally complained and new instructions were issued to repair both the guttering and the window sealants. Mr C also believed that, as a gesture of good will, the council should make a payment to his mother for the inconvenience. While dealing with the complaint, the council's director of housing had offered to redecorate but by then Mr C's mother had already done so.

We upheld Mr C's complaints that the council delayed unreasonably in carrying out repairs and in responding to the complaint. After Mr C contacted the council, the necessary works were put in place and the council apologised for the inconvenience caused to his mother, so we did not make any recommendations. We did not uphold his complaint that the council had unreasonably failed to make a good will payment to his mother, as they had already invited Mr C to submit a claim with details of the alleged loss.