A council has revealed that it sells off its housing stock that is too expensive to repair – but it deliberately avoids selling to private landlords.

A report in West Midlands local media says under Dudley council’s housing policy any council-owned empty home which needs over £10,000 of repairs is sold in a a job lot by estate agency Savills.

Decisions to sell come after a survey of all properties – also by Savills – to see if they meet the Decent Home Standard for social housing.

However the Express & Echo quotes Councillor Ian Bevan – council cabinet member for housing and communities – as saying: “Our ten-year housing asset management strategy, which was approved in 2019, sets out our vision for our housing stock, including the maintenance, disposal or requisition of stock.

“We have recently disposed of 132 homes and have a further 86 homes, two sheltered housing schemes and 15 void garage plots on the market.

“The homes are sold in groups … to commercial investors to avoid them being brought and sold by private landlords who could choose to re-let them in a poor condition.

“To balance the disposal programme, we are looking to buy new homes with ring fenced Right to Buy receipts. Since December 2023, the council has bought 50 homes.”

However a council officer was asked at a committee why some homes are resold by developers immediately without any renovation.

The official claimed a small number of properties were sold on to raise funds for the renovation of the remainder, and those sales were monitored by the council’s legal team.

She also admitted that the purchase of newer properties meant paying higher prices but claimed there would be future savings because those homes would not require maintenance for three to seven years.

You can see the local report here.