Council ordered to pay £3,700 to family left to live in 'unsuitable' temporary accommodation

The home was found to have a broken fire alarms and no fire door on the day the family began living there, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Barnet Council's Colindale offices — Barnet Council’s Colindale offices

Barnet Council has been ordered to pay £3,700 to a family left in a property with potentially life-threatening hazards for months.

This was the conclusion of a recent Local Government and Social Government Care Ombudsman report.

In its apology, the council said local authorities are not able to inspect each home before it is allocated due to “the high number of households being placed into temporary accommodation across London”.

The ombudsman’s decision followed a complaint made about accommodation offered to the woman and her family, who were facing eviction in 2024.

The woman, referred to as ‘Mrs X’, moved into a property offered by the council in November 2024 after she applied for homelessness support for herself and her family.

In mid-December 2024, a council inspection identified two ‘category one’ hazards. These are hazards which may cause extreme harm or death and require the local authority to intervene.

They included the absence of a fire door and alarms that were not working. The ombudsman found “no evidence the council properly assessed the suitability of the property before placing Mrs X and her family there”.

The ombudsman said “the property was unsuitable from the beginning” with the hazards evident before Mrs X and her family moved in.

Although the council did carry out some works to fix the property, one of the fire hazards remained “for a significant period”.

Despite Mrs X raising consistent concerns about the safety of the property, the council failed to complete a proper suitability assessment until March 2025 – at least four months after she informed the local authority of the issues.

The ombudsman said this “caused Mrs X distress and uncertainty”.

After the assessment, the council accepted that the property was unsuitable for the family and their medical requirements and “then owed an immediate, non-deferrable and unqualified duty to secure suitable accommodation,” according to the ombudsman.

But even by early April this year, the time of the regulatory body’s decision, the woman and her family remained in the same, unsuitable home. This, the ombudsman said, amounted to “ongoing fault”.

They added: “This is particularly concerning as the evidence shows that aspects of the property’s environment are having a significant negative impact on the family’s health and wellbeing.”

The ombudsman ordered the local authority to issue an apology and a payment of £3,700 to Mrs X “to recognise the time her family has spent in unsuitable accommodation”.

It also ordered the local authority to pay Mrs X £150 per month “until the council provides suitable alternative accommodation, otherwise ends its duty to Mrs X, or six months have passed”.

A spokesperson for Barnet Homes, the council’s housing arm, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the woman and her family have since been moved to “alternative accommodation”.

Explaining why Mrs X was placed in unsafe accommodation, they said: “The high number of households being placed into temporary accommodation across London means local authorities are not able to inspect each property before it is allocated.

“Local authorities are reliant on private providers to supply temporary accommodation which is of a good standard. On this occasion, the provider has fallen short, and we will be working with them to ensure this is not repeated.”

The spokesperson acknowledged that the council’s “response to the safety concerns raised was not of the standard we strive to deliver” and added: “We take learning seriously and are strengthening our processes to ensure staff provide accurate follow correct procedures, and that accommodation provided is safe and suitable.”

Barnet Homes says it has apologised to the family for its fault and the distress caused and has issued payments to Mrs X, including the £3,700 one-off payment.

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