Regulator hits five councils with C3 consumer standards grading

The councils graded C3 in the latest round of judgments are East Suffolk Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Leicester City Council, North Kesteven District Council and Redditch Borough Council.

Following “responsive engagement” with East Suffolk Council, RSH found:

Around 50% of its homes do not meet the Decent Homes Standard. 

Resolution of hazards and damp and mould cases had not been fully tracked.

East Suffolk had been handed a regulatory judgement in 2022, but the regulator is now satisfied that the council has addressed the earlier issues relating to the Rent Standard. 

Cllr David Beavan, East Suffolk’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “We are incredibly disappointed by the issues that we have uncovered by undertaking a comprehensive Stock Condition Survey. We are entirely committed to addressing issues and ensuring that the services we provide meet the needs of our tenants and enable them to live safely in their homes.”

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Also following inspections, RSH found:

Ipswich Council:

• Had gaps in its data, including in relation to the assessment of hazards in tenants’ homes in line with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), as required by the Decent Homes Standard. 
• Lacked comprehensive data about the diverse needs of its tenants.

Leicester City Council:

• Had not had an electrical safety test for around 70% of its homes.
• Had a lack of up-to-date information on the condition of most of its homes, with its last comprehensive stock condition survey undertaken in 2009, and those surveys did not include an assessment of HHSRS hazards in line with the Decent Homes Standard.

North Kesteven District Council:

• Is not meeting its targets for routine repairs or voids service.
• Only a third of its homes had a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessment in place as required by the Decent Homes Standard.

Redditch Borough Council:

• Had around 2,900 overdue fire remedial actions including around 800 high risk actions that had been overdue for more than 12 months.
• Had almost 3,000 overdue repairs.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: “Our programme of proactive inspections, alongside our ongoing responsive engagement, continues to bring issues to light around health and safety, knowing your stock at an individual level, as well as understanding your tenants’ needs.

“These issues outlined in the judgements published today need to be addressed promptly and we are working intensively with each of the landlords as they put things right for their tenants.

“Separately, strong governance enables robust board oversight for private registered providers and supports their ability to assess and respond to challenges, make informed decisions and manage risks.”

RSH also published regulatory judgements for 18 further landlords, which all earned satisfactory grades.

Curo Group (Albion), Empowering People Inspiring Communities Limited and the London Borough of Enfield received C1 gradings.

Enfield is one of only two London boroughs and four councils in England to receive that grading.

Cllr Ayten Guzel, Cabinet Member for Housing at Enfield, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this recognition. This is a testament to the commitment we have shown to Council Housing, and the dedication and hard work of our housing teams. The  strong relationships we have built with our residents puts us in a good position to drive further improvement. But, we are not complacent. A C1 rating is a landmark, not a destination. We know there is always more we can do, and we are committed to learning, listening and continuing to improve the services we provide to our residents.”

Harry Rodd