A North London mum with four children was housed in a studio flat 30 miles outside of her home borough after being made homeless.
The council has been criticised for telling the family to “wait for bailiffs to evict them” from their private rented home before being moved miles away from their home area, schools and caring roles.
An investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) found that Brent Council was “at fault” for housing the family in “unsuitable temporary accommodation” and for not being able to demonstrate that they made efforts to find alternative housing, as well as for leaving the family in their initial property until they were evicted by bailiffs.
The council acknowledged that the studio flat was not suitable in July 2024, however, it didn’t offer the family an alternative until the LGO investigated the case in March 2025. In the subsequent report, the investigator said it is not enough for the local authority to “simply say it will find alternative accommodation and wait for a property to become available”.
Brent Council pointed to “difficulties” finding temporary accommodation in the area but the law states the duty to provide suitable housing is “immediate”. The LGO also stated that the council should have provided interim accommodation before the bailiffs were sent, meaning the mother – referred to in the report as Mrs X – was forced to “experience the distress of eviction”.
The report states: “We are mindful of the difficulties in finding housing in London and nationally. However, the law says temporary accommodation must be suitable and the duty to provide suitable accommodation is immediate and cannot be deferred.”
It adds: “The Code of Guidance says a council should not require an applicant to remain in the property until a court issues a warrant or writ to enforce a possession order. The council should have provided interim accommodation to Mrs X before this happened.”
Mrs X and her four children had previously lived in a private rented home before being served with a Section 21 notice by the landlord in August 2023 as they were selling the property. The council told Mrs X to “not leave the property until she received a bailiff’s warrant”, according to the LGO report. The council accepted housing duty for the family and recorded that they needed a four-bedroom property.
In November 2023, Brent Council offered Mrs X the opportunity to join a list for housing outside of London, however, due to her children’s schools and her role as a carer for her parents and another child close to home she explained that this was not suitable. The council awarded Mrs X a band C priority in February 2024 and noted that a three-bedroom property was now needed as one of the children had moved out.
The family were ultimately evicted in June 2024 from their privately rented home and placed in temporary accommodation 30 miles away in the form of a studio flat. Mrs X appealed the decision and set out the amount she was having to spend travelling on public transport to and from the area for school and her caring role, which she stated was more than her income, according to the report.
Mrs X said the situation was impacting both her finances and the family’s wellbeing. In July 2024, the council determined that the property was not suitable for the family but still failed to move them. After providing further information, Mrs X was moved into Band B due to having a medical priority but would “not apply the five years backdating” as it “would not be fair to others”.
Mrs X then escalated the complaint on the grounds of her current living conditions. The council accepted the family had spent “more time in unsuitable accommodation than anticipated” and it would “keep trying to move her”. In response to enquiries by the ombudsman in March 2025, the council said that it has “now offered Mrs X a property in the area she wished” but it had been rejected “due to safety concerns”.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, the LGO determined that the council should apologise to Mrs X and pay her compensation for the faults identified in the case. They recommended a payment of £300 per month from July 2024 when it first assessed the property was not suitable and continue paying it until their homelessness duty is discharged – currently totalling £3,000 – and a further £300 for the “frustration, distress, and uncertainty caused”.
A spokesperson for Brent Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We sincerely apologise to Ms X for the distress caused by the delays in handling her homelessness application and the failure to take timely action following the service of a Section 21 notice. We recognise the significant impact this had on her and her family, and have offered financial compensation in acknowledgment of this.
“We have also reviewed our internal processes and made improvements to ensure that homelessness applications are dealt with promptly and that appropriate action is taken when residents are at risk of losing their homes. Our priority remains to deliver timely, fair, and compassionate support to all residents in housing need.”
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
