Three councils have each failed to meet objectives set by the Regulator of Social Housing, being told “there are serious failings that they need to address.”
After investigations by the regulator, the councils named are:
North Yorkshire Council:
- Self-referred to Regulator of Social Housing after identifying a range of issues. RSH’s investigation confirmed that the council does not have an accurate or up-to-date understanding of the condition of tenants’ homes;
- In addition, the council reported that around half of its tenants’ homes do not have an up-to-date electrical condition report. It holds fire safety information across different systems and, as such, it is difficult to identify the number of overdue fire risk assessments and outstanding actions;
- There was also a lack of information on water hygiene and asbestos. However the council has reviewed its approach to managing these issues and has plans in place to review all risk assessments and complete recommended actions.
Warwick District Council:
- Also self-referred to RSH because it has over 1,600 overdue fire safety actions which it must address promptly. It also could not evidence that it is meeting legal requirements for carbon monoxide safety;
- The council also reported that it had not carried out a full stock condition survey since 2016 and, though surveys have now restarted, inaccuracies have been identified by the council in the new data;
- RSH’s investigation found that the council did not have adequate systems in place to deliver an efficient repairs service for tenants, nor was it recording or responding to complaints effectively.
Castle Point Borough Council:
- Has not collected Tenant Satisfaction Measures, which all landlords are required to do annually. As a result, tenants are not supported to effectively scrutinise its performance in delivering landlord services.
Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, says: “It is the responsibility of the landlord to take a proactive approach to providing safe and decent homes for tenants. Health and safety must be a top priority and keeping up-to-date, accurate data is a key part of this . We are working constructively with all three local authorities as they put things right for their tenants.”
