RSH issues regulatory judgements on landlords

In a recent announcement, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) disclosed a series of regulatory judgements stemming from its inspections of social landlords and ongoing responsive work. The regulatory body identified serious issues with three councils that have not met the consumer standards, signalling the need for significant improvements in their operations. Each council has been assigned a C3 grade, which indicates the necessity for substantial enhancements to meet the required standards for tenant safety and service delivery.

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets was particularly highlighted for its inadequate understanding of tenants’ homes, with only 47% of individual property surveys completed in the last five years. Additionally, a staggering 23% of its approximately 11,000 homes fail to meet the Decent Homes Standard. The council has also been found lacking in fire safety responsibilities, with around 2,500 overdue fire safety actions, alongside 1,400 overdue communal electrical safety actions and 750 overdue water safety actions.

Meanwhile, Reading Borough Council has struggled to provide an effective and timely repairs service, with approximately 1,600 overdue repairs at the time of inspection. The council's effort to engage with tenants has also been deemed insufficient, as it has only surveyed half of its tenants' homes over the past five years. Tenants were not provided with meaningful opportunities to scrutinise the council’s performance or access a fair complaints process.

Winchester City Council was likewise pointed out for failing to keep up-to-date information on the majority of its tenants’ homes, with its last stock condition survey dating back over a decade. The council is unable to assure completion of required health and safety checks for all homes and communal areas, casting further doubt on its governance and transparency.

RSH's findings also involved Mid Devon District Council, which self-referred after admitting to discrepancies in rent charges – overcharging 1,200 tenants and undercharging another 1,600. The council has pledged to investigate these discrepancies and confirm refunds to affected tenants.

Beyond local councils, RSH highlighted weaknesses in two housing associations: the Community Housing Group and Richmond Housing Partnership. Both were downgraded to G2 for governance due to inadequate management of strategic risks. RSH holds all housing associations to high standards, expecting them to maintain G1 governance grades. In positive news, Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association and Watmos Community Housing received upgrades to G1 for improvements made in governance.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, voiced the organisation's commitment to enforcing standards, stating “We continue to take action on a wide range of issues when landlords fail to meet our standards." She further emphasised that RSH's judgements underline the significance of robust governance in enhancing tenant outcomes.

Furthermore, RSH announced the removal of a previous regulatory notice for the London Borough of Croydon, as the landlord has successfully implemented required improvements. In total, RSH published 18 regulatory judgements, consolidating its efforts to foster a better social housing sector characterised by good governance and financial viability for the benefit of tenants.