In 2023 we were instructed by an elderly Spanish speaking client after she received a notice seeking possession from her landlord on the basis of rent arrears. Our client had previously shared the tenancy with her husband but following his death in 2021, she had applied to become the sole tenant. Strangely, the notice seeking possession was in our clients husbands name and the rent statement indicated that our client was not in receipt of housing benefit despite being eligible. We wrote to our clients landlord asking that they withhold from issuing possession proceedings and that they provide our clients complete housing file.
Upon review of the clients housing file, there had been clear maladministration by her landlord. Our client had been made liable for significant arrears accrued prior to her succeeding the tenancy, a principle wrong in law. The landlord had also failed to update their records to remove the clients husbands name from correspondence or provide her with any support claiming housing benefit, despite knowing she did not speak English . We made a formal complaint to the landlord but did not receive a substantive response. We then escalated the complaint to the Housing Ombudsmen who, after unfortunate processing delays, prompted a substantive response from our clients landlord. The landlord accepted accountability for the maladministration and agreed to write off our clients arrears. Our client was also awarded £1500 compensation by the landlord for their handling of her matter.
