London boroughs launched new plan to improve social housing standards

Boroughs in the capital city have announced a new shared vision for delivering high-quality landlord services for council tenants.  

Led by the London Housing Directors’ Group with support from the cross-party group, London Councils, the new vision, known as ‘Delivering for Tenants: The Foundations of an Effective Local Authority Landlord Service’, set’s out best practice principles on how boroughs can go beyond their statutory and regulatory responsibilities to deliver the highest possible housing standards.

The report, which was announced yesterday and can be accessed in full here, acknowledges instances of poor practice and the massive challenges facing the social housing sector.

Recent research has discovered that more than one in every 10 homes in the capital is let by a local authority, however research from London Councils suggests tenant satisfaction levels are lower than the rest of the country.

The capital accounts for 19% of England’s social housing stock, but between April 2019 and March 2021, 57% of all damp and mould maladministration cases – a formal decision against a social landlord – reported by the Housing Ombudsman were in London (across all types of social housing providers).

Cases of damp and mould in social housing have become more of a cause for concern and restrictions for landlords who let houses with those dangerous conditions have been tightened ever since the tragic death of Awaab Ishak.

Boroughs have highlighted that a key factor in driving these figures is the poor state of London’s housing stock – it is generally older than stock elsewhere in the country. There are a higher proportion of flats which makes maintenance more complex; and London’s severe housing pressures mean the capital has high rates of overcrowding.

Against this backdrop, boroughs point to the impact of worsening pressures that have come as a result of inflation. London’s local authorities’ Housing Revenue Accounts – through which all income and spending related to council housing must be recorded –  are forecast to be almost £600m worse off over the next five years as a result of the 7% rent cap that was introduced by the government on the social housing sector in 2023-24.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, said: ‘Boroughs are proud social landlords. Social housing is a vital part of London’s infrastructure that provides affordable homes for hundreds of thousands of Londoners.

‘However, the social housing sector is under massive pressure. Too often we have seen examples of tenants living in poor-quality housing and receiving a substandard service. Our tenants deserve better. Everyone should have a home that they can be proud of. This report will help us make that ambition a reality and I am grateful to everyone – especially tenants – who contributed to putting it together.

‘When it comes to deciding the future of social housing in London, national policy and investment decisions remain fundamental factors. Boroughs will continue to work with ministers on this important agenda and push for the funding required to support our shared goals.’

Image: Tim Himmelsbach