‘Irresponsible councils’ criticised for their ‘major failures’ in housing management.
A top landlord law expert has strongly criticised two ‘rogue councils’ after the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) released harsh reports highlighting their ‘serious failings’ in managing social housing.
Newcastle City Council, which voluntarily referred itself to the RSH, faced severe censure for numerous issues, including over 1,800 overdue repair requests. The council was also criticised for more than 1,000 unresolved damp and mould cases, a significant backlog in fire safety repairs, and outdated property condition assessments. Additionally, the regulator pointed out a lack of comprehensive data on tenant needs and the absence of a domestic abuse policy.
Nottingham City Council also faced criticism from the RSH, with the regulator noting issues with the accuracy of data regarding property quality and condition. The council has nearly 1,000 unresolved disrepair cases and was also faulted for problems with data integrity, weaknesses in gas safety procedures, and inadequate tenant involvement in decision-making processes.
Phil Turtle, director at Landlord Licensing & Defence, remarked, “These councils, intent on squeezing private landlords, have demonstrated a complete failure in managing their own properties.” He highlighted the stark contrast in treatment, saying, “Private landlords would face enormous fines for these kinds of breaches—potentially up to £72 million for 3,800 property offences—but councils face little to no consequence.”
Turtle concluded, “This system is broken. Councils must be held accountable for their failures, just as private landlords are. Only then can we see real improvements in social housing standards and a more equitable system for all.”
