A disabled woman has been awarded £5,000 after a North London council housed her in 'unsuitable' temporary accommodation in a basement room of a hotel for more than two years.
Complaint and Investigation
The resident, referred to as Miss X in a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO), complained that there were no windows in the room and she had no access to a fridge to store her medication. The LGO investigation found that Brent Council was at fault for delays in processing the woman's homelessness application and for providing unsuitable accommodation.
The LGO report states that these failures caused Miss X 'avoidable distress' and meant she lived in the hotel room longer than necessary. Miss X claims the living conditions had 'a harmful impact' on her health.
Timeline of Events
The local authority first provided emergency accommodation to Miss X in May 2023 as she was due to be evicted from her supported housing property. She was given a basement room at a hotel but claimed it was unsuitable due to her disability: she found it difficult to walk down several flights of stairs, had no access to a fridge for medication, no windows, and was not allowed visitors, including her carer.
Miss X said she 'repeatedly raised the issues' with the council but 'no action was taken,' according to the report. She made a formal complaint in March 2025, citing the suitability of the accommodation and the length of her stay. In response, the council accepted the room was not suitable 'due to her medical needs' and referred her case to a panel for a direct offer of social housing. The panel approved the referral, and the council arranged a suitability assessment and medical form.
Miss X escalated her complaint in April 2025, with the council admitting delays in processing her homeless application, caused by her case officer leaving and the case not being reallocated. The council apologised and offered compensation of £5,000 but initially credited it to her rent account due to outstanding arrears, which the LGO criticised.
Ombudsman's Findings and Remedy
The Ombudsman stated: 'This amount is in line with our guidance on remedies and I consider it represents a reasonable and proportionate way to remedy the injustice caused to Miss X from the avoidable distress and living in unsuitable accommodation for longer than necessary. However, the council has applied this amount to arrears on Miss X's rent account which is not in line with our guidance on remedies above... That payment should not be offset against any debts as this would stop the remedy from working as intended.'
Miss X was eventually provided with alternative accommodation in June 2025, a self-contained ground floor studio with access to a fridge. The council has been ordered to remove the £5,000 applied to her rent account and pay it directly to her, and to waive any outstanding charges created by this payment.
Council Apology and Actions
A council spokesperson said: 'We're sorry for the mistakes we made and for the distress Miss X experienced while living in accommodation that did not meet her needs. We accept the Ombudsman's findings and we have taken action to put things right. We will pay the £5,000 compensation directly to Miss X, we will remove any charges linked to the unsuitable accommodation, and we will make sure staff follow the Ombudsman's guidance on compensation payments in future. We've also improved the way we manage and hand over cases when staff leave, so we can provide a better, more consistent service and reduce delays for residents.'
