The dad, who feared his children’s health was at risk, had been urging Brent Council to move his family
Grant Williams Local democracy reporter
12:21, 04 Feb 2026
The family had complained of damp, mould, leaks, a mice infestation, and stairs and windows that could not be secured(Image: Getty Images)
A North London council has been ordered to pay a family more than £5,000 after they were left in a ‘mouldy and mice infested’ accommodation for more than two years. The dad also complained that the property had stairs and windows that could not be secured, which was particularly dangerous for their child with special needs.
An investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) was launched after the dad – referred to in the report as Mr X – complained about Brent Council housing him, his wife, and their three children – one of whom has autism – in “unsuitable temporary accommodation” and its lack of action in fixing disrepair issues.
The Ombudsman found that the council “failed to properly consider” whether the temporary accommodation it offered the family was suitable and didn’t provide “any meaningful response” to complaints about the state of the property – which included leaks in the kitchen and bathroom, mould, a mice infestation, and stairs and windows that could not be secured.
The father, who feared his children’s health was at risk, had been urging Brent Council to move the family(Image: Google Maps)
In September 2023, Mr X and his family were moved from interim B&B accommodation into a new property – a second-floor maisonette with two double bedrooms, 22 steps to the communal front door and 18 steps inside the accommodation.
This was despite advice from a medical officer that a second-floor maisonette “would not be suitable” for the family, according to the report. The Ombudsman noted that they “had not seen any information” showing if, or how, the council considered this before deciding whether the property was suitable, nor whether Mr X was told that he could review the decision.
The accommodation meant that the five family members, including the three children all under the age of 10, were sleeping in two bedrooms. Mr X reported that this was unsuitable as the child with autism – who the report states “lacked any sense of danger and required constant supervision” – needed their own room.
There were also concerns about safety as the windows could not be secured and the child “threw objects out of the windows and climbed walls”, according to the report.
The Ombudsman found further evidence that, despite Mr X continuously raising concerns about significant disrepair and safety issues at the property between September 2023 and February 2025, the council didn’t provide “any meaningful response”.
Brent Council carried out a review in February 2025, where it concluded that the accommodation “was not ideal” and would return the case to the housing resolution team to seek alternative housing for the family. The local authority advised Mr X that it would contact him when a property had been found but “could not say when this would be”, according to the LGO report.
Mr X heard nothing further from the council about the move and eventually complained to the Ombudsman in April 2025. As of the date of the Ombudsman’s decision – December 15 2025 – the family were still living in the property.
The Ombudsman concluded that the family had lived in “unsuitable accommodation” for more than two years. They ordered the council to apologise to Mr X “for its failures” and pay him a total of £5,200 for the 26 months they were there. An additional payment of £200 a month will also be paid – for a maximum of six months – until the council finds the family a more suitable property.
Brent Council was approached for comment but did not respond ahead of publication.
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