Mr A complained about the action taken by Cardiff Council to address issues with pests from a neighbouring Council let property. Mr A said that these issues had been ongoing since November 2022, and he had not been assured that adequate follow-up work had either been completed or planned. He raised concerns that he had paid for work to be completed to try to resolve the issues due to the length of time taken for the Council to take the required action.
The Ombudsman found that, although the Council had completed some work, it had not fully resolved the issues at the property. Whilst work was underway, it did not seem that an action plan was in place to ensure that the pest control issues were fully resolved. The Council did not show that it had provided Mr A with the full information for how to submit a compensation claim. She decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Councils agreement to conduct a full follow-up investigation to ensure that all required works at the property let by the Council to manage pest control are completed. Following this, within 4 weeks, provide Mr A with a response outlining the findings of the follow up investigation and a plan if any further action is required. In addition, the Council agreed to provide Mr A with the information for submitting a compensation claim.