London Borough of Lewisham fails to meet RSH’s consumer standards
The council is not meeting the required outcomes of RSH's consumer standards.
In a regulatory notice published today, RSH found that the London Borough of Lewisham (Lewisham Council) is not meeting the required outcomes of the consumer standards.
Following a self-referral, RSH investigated the council and concluded that there were a range of issues with its homes and services.
Although the council has carried out fire risk assessments for all relevant blocks, over 5,000 fire safety actions were overdue.
The council also had a significant number of overdue repairs. Between April and December 2023, nearly half of all repairs had not been completed on time. In addition, the council had not correctly assessed the severity of reports of damp and mould reports.
The council has reported that more than 2,000 homes do not meet the Decent Homes Standard. It does not have complete data for its tenants’ homes and it is now carrying out a stock survey so it can better understand their condition.
Following RSH’s investigation, the council has put an action plan in place to address these issues.
Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said:
All social landlords need to provide good-quality homes and services for their tenants, underpinned by robust data. Lewisham Council has failed to do this.
The council referred itself to us when it found problems and is engaging with us constructively to put things right for tenants. We will continue to scrutinise the council as it carries out this work.
Notes to editors
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This regulatory notice is published in relation to RSH’s existing consumer standards. From 1 April 2024, RSH will introduce new consumer standards that apply to all social landlords. It will inspect larger landlords, including councils and housing associations, to check they are meeting these standards. This is a result of the landmark Social Housing Regulation Act that gives RSH a wider remit and powers to hold landlords to account. More information is available in Reshaping consumer regulation: our new approach.
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RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver more and better social homes. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if the outcomes of the standards are not being delivered.
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For press office contact details, see our Media enquiries page. For general queries, please email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk or call 0300 124 5225.