Use the council’s official complaints process today and ask for a written review of the inspection decision, attaching clear photos and dates. If nothing is done, the disrepair usually continues and the property condition often worsens while responsibility is disputed. Keep communication in writing and set a reasonable deadline for a response. If the council still refuses to revisit the decision, prepare to escalate to the council’s final stage and then to the Ombudsman route.
Focus on the inspection outcome rather than arguing about intent, and ask what standard was applied and what evidence was relied on. Where there is an immediate risk, report that separately as a safety concern so it is triaged correctly.
What the problem is
This issue comes up in UK housing when a council inspection has been carried out for disrepair, damp, mould, hazards, or poor conditions, but the council records the property as “passed” or “no further action” even though problems are still visible. It affects private tenants, social housing tenants, leaseholders in blocks where the council has a role, and sometimes owner-occupiers seeking help with a neighbouring hazard. It often appears after a tenant has already reported problems to the landlord or managing agent and then asked the council to inspect, only to receive a brief outcome email or letter that does not match what is seen day to day.
Commonly, the point of friction is after the inspection has happened and the resident has received either a short summary, a partial response, or a decision that the council will not take enforcement action. It can also appear after a missed follow-up date, or where the council says the landlord has “agreed to do works” but nothing changes. The practical problem is that the inspection result is treated as the end of the matter, leaving the resident unsure how to challenge it without starting from scratch.
Why this happens
In UK cases, this usually happens because the council’s housing or environmental health team is making an enforcement decision, not a general judgement on whether the home is comfortable. Officers often focus on whether a hazard meets a threshold for formal action, whether access was sufficient, and whether the evidence supports a specific notice. If the inspection is brief, if the worst areas were not accessible, or if the problem is intermittent (such as leaks after rain or mould returning after cleaning), the record can understate what is happening.
Another common cause is how councils prioritise workloads: cases that look like they can be resolved informally may be closed with advice to the landlord, while higher-risk hazards are kept open. Landlords and agents may provide assurances or planned dates that are recorded as progress, even when residents see no change. A typical organisational response pattern is that the first reply repeats the inspection outcome and offers general advice, while avoiding a clear explanation of the evidence relied on.
There can also be a mismatch between what the resident asked for and what the council assessed. For example, a report about persistent damp may be treated as a condensation and lifestyle issue, while the resident is pointing to a building defect or leak. Where the council believes the landlord is “engaging”, it may decide that formal enforcement is not proportionate at that stage, even if the home remains in disrepair.
Your rights or position
Practically, the strongest position comes from showing that the inspection outcome does not reflect the current condition, that the council has missed key evidence, or that the decision-making process was not properly explained. Councils are expected to run a fair complaints process, keep adequate records, and explain how decisions were reached. A request for a review is more effective when it is framed around specific points: what was seen, what was not inspected, what has changed since, and what risk remains.
Leverage usually improves when the council is asked to confirm, in writing, what standard was applied and what options were considered. If the council relied on the landlord’s promises, it helps to show the gap between those promises and what actually happened. If the council treated the issue as minor, evidence of impact (such as repeated cleaning, damaged belongings, or health-related concerns supported by a GP note) can shift the assessment towards urgency without needing to argue about blame.
Where there is a clear hazard, the practical aim is to get either a re-inspection or a written decision that can be escalated. Councils rarely reverse a decision based on a general complaint alone, but they do revisit when presented with dated evidence, missed access points, or a clear timeline showing the problem persists. If the council will not act, a well-documented complaint can still lead to service improvements, clearer reasoning, or a referral to the appropriate route for independent review.
Legal or official basis
The most useful official route for challenging a council’s handling of an inspection decision is the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) complaints process, which looks at whether the council acted fairly, followed proper process, and gave a reasonable explanation. In practice, the Ombudsman normally expects the council’s own complaints stages to be completed first, so the immediate focus is getting a clear final response from the council that addresses the evidence and the decision-making. If the complaint shows poor record-keeping, failure to consider relevant information, or unreasonable delay, the council can be asked to apologise, review the case, or improve how it handles similar reports.
Use the Ombudsman route after the council has issued its final complaint response, or when the council has taken too long to progress the complaint without good reason. The Ombudsman is not a fast emergency service, so urgent hazards still need to be raised as urgent safety concerns through the council’s normal reporting channels while the complaint runs in parallel. Practical details on complaining to the Ombudsman and what it can consider are set out here: GOV.UK guidance.
What evidence matters
The evidence that tends to change outcomes is evidence that is dated, specific, and tied to what the council inspected or failed to inspect. Photos and videos are useful when they show scale and location, and when they are taken over time rather than as a one-off. A simple timeline that links reports, visits, and changes in condition helps the council see that the issue is ongoing and not resolved by advice alone.
Collect the council’s inspection outcome letter or email, any notes left by the officer, and any reference numbers. Keep copies of all messages to the landlord or agent, especially where repairs were promised. If the issue is damp, mould, or leaks, keep evidence of recurrence after cleaning or after rain, and note ventilation and heating patterns without turning it into an argument about fault. If there is a safety issue (electrics, gas, structural movement), keep any professional reports already obtained, but avoid commissioning expensive surveys solely to “prove” the council wrong unless there is a clear plan for how it will be used.
One thing not to do yet is to send a long, emotional account to multiple departments and councillors at once, because it often slows triage and leads to fragmented replies.
Useful checklist
- Dated photos or short videos showing the same area over time
- The council’s inspection outcome and any case reference
- A timeline of reports, visits, and promised repair dates
- Copies of landlord/agent messages and any contractor no-shows
- Notes of access issues (rooms not inspected, loft not checked, leak not visible that day)
Common mistakes
Three common mistakes are relying on undated photos that cannot be linked to the inspection period, focusing only on discomfort rather than the specific defect or hazard, and stopping landlord communication entirely so the council records the case as “no ongoing issue”.
What to do next
Start with the council’s official complaints process, because that is the route that produces a reviewable decision and a final response suitable for escalation. The complaints link is normally on the council website under “Complaints” or “Feedback”, and the housing/environmental health page often shows the correct team name and reference format. Prepare a short complaint that asks for a review of the inspection decision, lists what was missed, and attaches a small set of the clearest evidence rather than a large dump of files.
Write the complaint
Ask for the inspection notes, what standard was applied, and why the visible disrepair did not lead to further action. State what has happened since the inspection, including any worsening, recurrence, or missed repairs. Request either a re-inspection or a written decision that addresses each point raised, and ask the council to confirm how it will monitor any landlord promises it relied on.
Report urgent risks
If there is an immediate hazard (for example, exposed wiring, a dangerous ceiling, or severe water ingress), report it separately through the council’s normal reporting channel for urgent hazards so it is not buried inside a complaint. Keep that report factual and include photos and the exact location. If the council gives an emergency reference number, keep it and link it back to the complaint later.
Set a deadline
Ask for a written response within the council’s published complaint timescales, and if none are stated, request an update within 10 working days. Many councils aim to respond at the first stage within a few weeks, but delays are common when teams are stretched. If a holding reply is received, ask for a specific date for the full response and what action will happen in the meantime.
Escalate properly
If the first-stage reply repeats the original decision without addressing the evidence, escalate to the next complaint stage immediately and state that the key points were not answered. If there is no response by the promised date, chase once in writing, then escalate to the next stage and note the missed deadline. After the council issues its final complaint response, escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman using the Ombudsman’s online complaint route referenced on GOV.UK, attaching the final response and the evidence timeline.
Change approach
If the council’s position is that it will not enforce but the landlord is still responsible for repairs, shift focus to documenting the landlord’s failure and using the landlord’s own complaints route or tenancy repair process alongside the council complaint. If the council says the issue is “lifestyle” but the evidence shows building defects, ask for the decision to be reviewed by a senior officer and request that the inspection record is corrected to reflect the observed defects. If access was limited on the inspection day, offer specific dates and confirm in writing which areas need to be inspected.
In many UK cases, the issue is usually resolved when a re-inspection is arranged and the council records a clearer action plan that the landlord then follows to avoid further scrutiny.
Preparation checklist
- Council complaint reference and the inspection outcome document
- Five to ten dated images showing persistence or deterioration
- A one-page timeline with key dates and missed repair appointments
- Any medical or vulnerability note if relevant to urgency
- Preferred access dates and areas that must be inspected
Related issues nearby
If the council’s “passed” decision is tied to damp and mould being treated as condensation, it can help to compare the situation with patterns seen in damp and mould the landlord won’t fix, especially when the problem returns after cleaning. If the inspection was triggered by a repair request that the landlord keeps delaying, the approach in landlord ignoring repairs can fit better once the council route has stalled or the council says it will not enforce.
Get help with the next step
Contact UKFixGuide — Share the council’s inspection outcome wording and the dates of any follow-up promised so the complaint can be framed around what was missed.
