Decision Report 201403887

Summary

Ms C complained that her housing association had failed to process her Right to Buy application properly. As a result, she had been charged four months' rent unnecessarily. The association had offered her a refund of two months' rent, in recognition of the delay in completing the Right to Buy process.

Our investigation found that the delay was due to a problem with the documentation of Ms C's property. This was unforeseeable and could not be attributed to a failure by any party. We also found that the association had kept Ms C's solicitors fully informed of the issue. The association had also suggested a way of mitigating any delays, however, Ms C's solicitors had refused to agree to this, which had extended the process. Ms C's solicitors had accepted the offer of two months' rent in recognition of the delay and it was, therefore, reasonable for the association to consider that Ms C was content with their offer. We found on the basis of the evidence available that the association had acted reasonably, and that there was no basis for Ms C receiving further compensation for the delay she had experienced.