Overview
The complainant (Ms C) raised a number of concerns that the City of Edinburgh Council (the Council) failed to carry out works which, under the tenancy agreement, they were obliged to do. This resulted in her grandmother (Mrs D)'s home being broken into and both her grandmother and herself suffering racial abuse. Additionally, Ms C feels the Council failed to respond appropriately to her complaints about their treatment. Ms C states that her grandmother was forced to give up her tenancy as a result of the racial abuse and has lost monies she had spent in renovating the house prior to giving up the tenancy.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that the Council:
- (a) offered Mrs D a house which was not habitable (not upheld);
- (b) failed to carry out works which they are required to do under the Tenancy Agreement (partially upheld);
- (c) failed to take action to address racial harassment Mrs D was experiencing, in particular, they failed to promptly remove racist graffiti (not upheld); and
- (d) failed to provide details of their Racial Harassment procedure when requested to do so (upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Council:
- (i) highlight to officers the importance of maintaining written records of contacts with tenants and potential tenants, in particular in respect of missed appointments;
- (ii) review their adherence to their documented repairs policy;
- (iii) highlight to staff the importance of ensuring good communication between staff and members of the public; and
- (iv) ensure that sufficient training has been carried out to ensure that staff are familiar with their responsibilities under the Council's Racial Harassment procedure.
The Council have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.