London Borough of Croydon (202518995)

Background

1. The resident lives with her 3 children, including an infant with Down’s syndrome and respiratory problems, and another child with asthma. From October 2024 onwards she reported persistent damp and mould throughout the home and said it was affecting her children’s health. The resident complained as the remedial work was not done, and the damp and mould continued.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s:
   1. Reports of damp and mould.
   2. Complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. After considering the evidence, we have found the complaint is outside our jurisdiction. As a result, we have not investigated it.

Reasons

4. We are not free to investigate all complaints referred to us. What we can and cannot consider is set out in the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). The Scheme says we cannot consider complaints which concern matters that are the subject of court proceedings or were the subject of court proceedings where judgement on the merits was given.
5. The resident’s complaint concerns matters that are the subject of court proceedings. She has issued a disrepair claim in court. We have seen a copy of the sealed claim form stamped by the court on 19 November 2025. The particulars of claim show the claim covers the same issues and time period raised in the resident’s complaint. As such, we have no jurisdiction to investigate this.