By Native Democray Reporter, Charlotte Lillywhite
A watchdog has revealed weaknesses within the dealing with of repairs by three London councils, after tenants have been left dwelling with extreme disrepair.
The Housing Ombudsman Service mentioned investigations into Southwark, Newham and Wandsworth councils, together with housing affiliation Notting Hill Genesis, had provided important classes as they remodeled their housing providers.
The findings got here after the ombudsman slapped every landlord with a wider order requiring them to independently assessment housing procedures, after complaints from tenants raised considerations. Outcomes from the opinions included the introduction of a repairs coverage, clearer timescales for repairs by third events and system modifications.
SouthwarkThe ombudsman issued Southwark Council with a wider order after it paid £17,000 in compensation for failing to take care of a leak for greater than 5 years.
The couple’s dwelling was left coated with mould, whereas they struggled to prepare dinner for his or her children as their electrical oven had water injury. The couple mentioned the state of affairs affected their household to the purpose their kids would typically not need to come dwelling.
The next assessment of circumstances involving leaks in Southwark, ordered by the ombudsman, discovered the council wanted to publish a leaks coverage, introduce methods to evaluate whether or not residents have been proud of repairs and velocity up processes for residents to report points of their dwelling.
A Southwark Council spokesperson apologised to the household and mentioned it was already seeing constructive outcomes from the assessment – together with the introduction of a housing complaints workforce, improved escalation between repairs and tenancy colleagues and higher hyperlinks between the disrepair workforce and workers coping with leaks. They mentioned some actions associated to processes and IT techniques, which have been being fed right into a wider enchancment undertaking.
WandsworthWandsworth Council obtained a wider order after failing to take “decisive sufficient motion” to restore a leak from a leaseholder’s roof for 4 years. The investigation revealed the authority wanted to be clearer about timelines and communication protocols for repairs. Co-operatives managing blocks now have a complaints coverage that mentions the Housing Ombudsman and have educated workers, whereas the council has a brand new repairs system for residents to report complaints that wider upkeep workers can entry.
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson confirmed it had made “vital modifications” to stop the identical points occurring once more, together with modifications amongst housing workers, new software program to ship annual roof inspections and an agenda merchandise on the common co-operative discussion board to assessment grievance outcomes and classes discovered.
NewhamThe ombudsman additionally gave Newham Council a wider order after it delayed fixing leaks at a resident’s dwelling, and didn’t quickly transfer them. This left her with damp, mould, dripping water and no working bathroom for months. The council apologised for failing to fulfill its “excessive requirements” within the case, and confirmed it had accomplished all repairs to the property.
The broader investigation led to the council introducing a repairs coverage to enhance effectivity and transparency, with key timescales, the way it will maintain itself to account on efficiency and what it will probably repair. The council added it had arrange a method to ensure repairs have been accomplished adequately, together with extra opinions to evaluate the standard of repairs, a brand new case administration system to higher observe damp and mold circumstances and workers refresher coaching.
Notting Hill GenesisThe ombudsman ordered Notting Hill Genesis to assessment its repairs providers after it “unnecessarily extended” fixing damp and mold in a resident’s property, which left them with disrepair for “an unreasonable size of time”. A Notting Hill Genesis spokesperson acknowledged it had damaged its personal damp and mold coverage on this case, and that its dealing with of the repairs fell beneath the extent of service it aimed to offer.
The assessment led to residents having larger say within the procurement of latest repairs contractors for Notting Hill Genesis, together with extra strategic oversight of its response to complaints. It’s now logging extra interactions on its techniques to enhance document retaining.
A Notting Hill Genesis spokesperson added the assessment had led to “significant enhancements”, with motion to rapidly treatment any presence of damp and mold. It had additionally dedicated £770million to enhance the standard of its properties and launched a brand new devoted complaints division to supply larger independence from workers immediately concerned in any grievance.
Larger powersThe Social Housing Regulation Act, which got here into pressure in 2024, gave the Housing Ombudsman Service and Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) larger powers to drive social landlords to enhance providers and the standard of their properties.
Whereas the ombudsman’s opinions have been printed on Thursday (Could 15), they have been carried out earlier than the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) inspected every landlord’s housing inventory. The RSH printed the outcomes of the inspections in late 2024 and 2025, which noticed Newham Council obtain a ‘C4’ ranking for its efficiency in assembly client requirements – the bottom attainable rating. It slapped Southwark and Wandsworth councils and Notting Hill Genesis with a ‘C3’ ranking, which is the second lowest rating.
Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, mentioned: “Complaints are a beneficial device for landlords because the sector actively seeks to enhance providers. These circumstances pre-date inspections by the Regulator of Social Housing. Whereas points recognized in inspections won’t all the time be evident in particular person complaints, these complaints indicated considerations which have been then recognized within the inspection.
“The teachings from these impartial opinions supply vital insights for these landlords as they rework providers. It additionally underscores how complaints could be an early indicator of rising traits or unresolved points that the owner must grip.
“We all know landlords are doing extra to study from complaints. Nevertheless, this will nonetheless be inconsistent and solely in response to our choices slightly than landlords themselves asking if points may very well be wider than a person case.
“Proactive studying from complaints can forestall residents experiencing misery, present intelligence to the owner on its providers and assist landlords to ship outcomes towards regulatory expectations.”
PICTURE: Charlotte Lillywhite
