The latest report from the Housing Ombudsman, which presides over social landlords, has named 27 local authorities and social housing providers accused of maladministration.
Landlord’s responses to leaks, and the resulting damp and mould is a significant driver of complaints to the Ombudsman.
In one case, the Housing Ombudsman found a resident moved out of their home for nearly two years whilst the landlord failed to deal with a leak and in other cases, it was discovered that residents chased up landlords repeatedly with little to no action being taken. This resulted in ceilings collapsing or extensive damage to personal belongings and furniture.
A statement from the HO says: “The themes in this report are clear, including poor diagnosis, excessive delays and a failure to consider vulnerabilities. The sector should be handling leaks more effectively under obligations in the Landlord and Tenant Act and the introduction of Awaab’s Law will require proactive and timely resolution. This report is part of a series providing lessons to help the sector prepare for Awaab’s Law, in whatever form it takes.”
Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, comments: “Leaks can be complex and challenging. These cases show how leaks can also cause acute distress and disruption to families and the sector needs to be more consistent and robust in response.
“There are common strands of learning from these cases and various moments when the landlord could have taken decisive action to make things right for the resident and restore trust in its ability to resolve these issues.
“Too often the basics are not being done right in these cases and that compounds what is already a complex area to deal with. Landlords must identify these key touchpoints during the lifetime of these cases, and act appropriately to mitigate the impact on families and households.
“These cases also reveal in stark terms that some landlords are not ready for Awaab’s Law and how widely variable landlord policy and practice can be, which is neither desirable nor sustainable.”
The social landlords highlighted in the report are:
- Arhag Housing Association;
- Birmingham City Council;
- Clarion;
- Ealing Council;
- Gentoo Group;
- Hackney Council;
- Haringey Council;
- Homes Plus Group;
- Irwell Valley Housing Association;
- Islington Council;
- Lambeth Council;
- L&Q;
- Metropolitan Thames Valley;
- Milton Keynes Council;
- Newham Council;
- One Housing Group;
- PA Housing;
- Peabody;
- Platform Housing Group;
- Redbridge Council;
- Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council;
- Sanctuary;
- Shepherds Bush Housing Group;
- Southern Housing;
- Tower Hamlets Council;
- Wandle;
- Welwyn Hatfield Council.
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I wonder if they will have massive fines imposed? or is it just the PRS that have massive fines....one rule for Social housing providers etc.,
It's a disgrace, some of the most expensive places to live in London on there with selective licencing at £750 per unit for individual flats etc. Labour councils of course! So we pay for social housing failure to meet basic standards
Social housing doesn’t work because no one has their ‘ skin in the game’.
Every private landlord has a personal interest in their investment, which is precisely why the ‘PRS does it better’!
AJR - We will doubtless be better than the Corporates too who have to employ staff to administer their buildings.
Missed off Norwich City Council on that list, but in defence of social housing just look at the kind of people they rent to
Guaranteed not to have any consequences 🤷♂️ Unlike ourselves.
You can really see from this why the new government wants to clamp down on (by raising revenue from) the PRS
Gov tells LA’s to raise money to clamp down on ‘themselves and or their social housing buddies’ I can’t see that happening!
Excellent finding Landlord Today. Thank you!
Now try and get this article published in the Guardian. The Guardian loves publishing articles about "rogue landlords " regularly (but the private ones of course, all "filthy capitalists", not the lovely social landlords.
Ill buy you a magnun of Champagne if they agree!!
It will be ignored by politicians since it does not fit their narrative of “Social Housing good, PRS bad.” 😠
Guardian only publishes in favour of social housing or how good the labour politics and politicians are. It needs to published by telegraph or The Times ir another paper. Guardian will never publish it, even asked to do so.
Vibha - nor will the broadcast media!
These Councils are so busy chasing after landlords they don’t have time to look after their own properties!
You could not make it up. I say put your own house in order. Not so easy looking after rental property is it, especially where you have the sort of tenants who don't have any idea!!
Only 27 would have thought there would be more frankly.
LAs doing this is just a waste of tax payers money, get rid of them frankly and have a independent body if they are serious.
I wonder if this story will be broadcast by the BBC? NO, didn’t think so.
Social Housing is FAR worse than the majority of PLL’S properties. Been inside several. The Pits. Are a polite way to describe em.
A lot of that because of the kind of people that rent social housing
Many so called Housing Officers are overpaid incompetent amateurs but the Marxist ‘charitable’ trouble makers leave the Social Sector alone because they’re run by like minded Left Wing Nincampoops! They see private landlords as easier to hate & demonise despite them currently, quite literally, stopping the housing crisis!
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