At the end of January, the Independent Housing Ombudsman Service was shown to receive 91% of its income from the landlords. See Property People: Letters to the Editor. 29-1-04 . In a remarkable response, the deputy ombudsman, Mr. Rafael Runco, said that the figure was wrong; his office depended on the landlords to the extent of 100%. See Property People: Mr. Runco's reply. 5-2-04. It is odd that the ombudsman, Dr. Michael Biles, does not appear to have been involved in this interchange.
They have now changed their name from the "Independent Housing Ombudsman Service" to the "Housing Ombudsman Service". This honesty has to be welcomed. (Their web site has just been been updated).
The chronology of events:
January 29. Letter to Editor. IHOS charged with not being independent.
February 5. Letter to Editor. IHOS publishes a robust denial.
March 5. New name and logo officially registered. Click here
*** What happened in between Feb 5th and March 5th? *** Back to the Web Site