Council criticised by regulator for failing housing standards

A council with more than 800 fire safety checks outstanding and which failed to track damp and mould cases has been criticised by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

It has handed Swindon Borough Council a C3 grading – which means there are ‘serious failings’ in the landlord’s service delivery – after an inspection revealed significant shortcomings in meeting consumer standards.

The assessment, prompted by the council’s self-referral over concerns about health and safety and its repairs service, highlighted multiple areas of concern.

Landlords must understand tenants

The RSH’s chief of regulatory engagement, Kate Dodsworth, said: ”We take health and safety very seriously and expect all landlords to make sure tenants are not at risk in their homes.

“We also want to see better data management from landlords, to demonstrate they understand their homes and tenants.

“Self-referrals are a good indicator that a landlord not only understands our requirements, but that they are taking accountability.”

She added: “Lastly, our scrutiny of housing associations’ governance and viability remains vital for delivering more and better homes for tenants.”

Failed to monitor electrical checks

The RSH inspection uncovered that the council struggled to provide accurate data on the installation of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

It also failed to monitor or address faults identified during electrical safety checks.

Also, more than 800 fire safety actions remained unresolved, with most overdue by more than a year.

While the council effectively followed up on damp and mould reports, it lacked systems to actively track or report these cases.

There was also no evidence that tenant views were factored into decision-making or that efforts were made to involve under-represented groups.

Working to fix problems

Despite these failings, the council has shown awareness of the issues and is implementing measures to address them.

The RSH says it will maintain close oversight to ensure improvements are delivered.

In separate findings, three housing associations – Housing 21, Torus62 and Sovereign Network – were assigned C2/G1 gradings.

These organisations met governance standards but exhibited weaknesses in consumer standard outcomes, requiring enhancements.