Decision Report 201700499

Summary

Miss C complained about the council regarding the allocation of a previous tenancy. She told us that she had repeatedly made clear to the council that she could only accept offers in one specific area very close to her family due to threats of violence from friends of her ex-partner. She said that the council insisted that she expand her areas of preference and this resulted in an offer in an area where she felt unsafe but that she felt forced to accept, as the council had told her she would not receive another offer if she refused. However, she had to leave this property after ongoing disputes with one of her neighbours, a friend of her ex-partner.

On investigation, we did not find any evidence that the council had applied pressure to Miss C to extend her area preferences. It was clear from the documentation, which Miss C had signed to confirm her agreement, that the property offered was in an area she had initially requested, before adding further areas. The council was also able to evidence that they had given due consideration to the suitability of the offer before approaching Miss C and do not appear to have held any information to suggest it was unsuitable. Finally, there was evidence that the council had provided clear information on Miss C's right of appeal, which confirmed that she would receive a further offer if her appeal was successful or be able to accept the original offer if it was not. However, Miss C chose not to appeal the offer. For these reasons, we did not uphold the complaint.