Regulator of Social Housing criticises five social landlords – including four councils – for failing to meet standards

Alongside this, Cambridge City Council has not met RSH’s rent standard and as a result overcharged around 3,600 tenants.

According to RSH, Bristol City Council:

• could not evidence that it is meeting carbon monoxide safety requirements for over 22,000 homes (out of 26,700 total homes)
• reported 1,900 open damp and mould cases, more than 16,000 overdue repairs and 3,000 overdue fire safety actions, and
• in addition, the council does not have up-to-date data about the condition of tenants’ homes.

Guildford Borough Council meanwhile:

• has around 1,700 homes without an up-to-date electrical condition report (out of 5,200 total homes)
• could not provide evidence that it has completed around 1,300 fire safety actions, and
• has not collected Tenant Satisfaction Measures from tenants, which all social landlords are required to do.

Octavia Housing:

• currently has 1,200 overdue fire safety remedial actions across its 5,000 homes, and
• it was unable to provide evidence that it is meeting other health and safety requirements and it does not hold complete and accurate records for safety inspections.

Sheffield City Council:

• had around 10,000 outstanding repairs across its 38,500 homes and, between January and April 2024, more than 90% of disrepair cases were outstanding for extended periods, and
• RSH also found evidence that the council does not have an accurate record of the condition of tenants’ homes.

RSH said Cambridge City Council had previously overcharged around 3,600 tenants (half the total number) as a result of rent-setting errors over a prolonged period. The overcharge is estimated to be around £3.2 million.

Cambridge first noticed the errors in late 2023 and has estimated that it will cost more than £4.3m to rectify the two historical errors in how it set rent and service charges. The council has said that RSH acknowledged that the council was proactive in reporting the breach and in efforts to address it. The Regulator has held several meetings with the council and continues to meet with officers bi-monthly.

Bristol City Council, Guildford Borough Council, Octavia Housing and Sheffield City Council have each been given a C3 grading by RSH, which means there are serious failings and they need to make significant improvements.

This is the first time RSH has published consumer gradings for social landlords, following the changes to its role in April 2024.

Cambridge was not given a grading as RSH does not give gradings in relation to the rent standard.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said “Landlords must provide safe and decent homes for tenants, have an effective complaints process, and put things right when there are problems. The judgements we published today show that each of these landlords have issues which they need to address promptly.

“All landlords need to make sure they deliver the outcomes in our standards and inform us when there are material issues. Our new approach to regulation, which started in April, gives us new tools to scrutinise landlords’ performance and, where there are issues, drive them to deliver long-term improvements for the benefit of tenants.” 

Harry Rodd