Scottish ombudsman faults council that offered vulnerable tenant a home with suspected mould
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman found the council did not get a formal dampness report or properly check the property against its own letting standards.
A council offered a vulnerable tenant a property that was not fit to let and then handled the complaint about it badly, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has found.
In a summary of the case published in August, the ombudsman says a carer raised a number of issues with the property, including suspected mould, before the tenancy began. The carer was acting for a tenant with visual, physical and severe mental health difficulties.
The tenant was given access to the property but never moved in. According to the ombudsman, the issues were still unresolved 12 weeks later and the tenant and carer did not consider the property habitable.
The investigation found the council had failed to follow its own processes. It did not make sure a formal dampness report was provided, and it failed to properly consider whether the property met its own letting standards.
The ombudsman also found shortcomings in how the complaint was handled, describing "inaccurate and inconsistent responses, particularly in relation to the issue of mould".
It has made recommendations intended to ensure the council confirms that properties meet the required standard before they are offered to prospective tenants, and that reports of mould are responded to appropriately.
The ombudsman's summary does not name the council in this case, which is recorded under reference 202408184. It describes it as the second housing case of its kind in recent months. In June it published a decision that The City of Edinburgh Council had failed to ensure a property was in a reasonable condition before a disabled tenant moved in.
The full decision is available on the ombudsman's website.
