'There's water running down the walls': Social housing complaints soar by 162% as council repairs costs quadruple

28 October 2024, 07:38 | Updated: 28 October 2024, 16:29

An investigation by LBC has found local councils are experiencing a surge in the number of complaints concerning the condition of social housing and, as a result, facing ever-increasing repair bills.

Figures from 120 councils across England, Scotland and Wales, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show the number of complaints in 2021/22 was 14,611, but, in the two years since has risen to 38,248 - an increase of 162%.

The data also reveals the cost to councils of carrying out remedial work has quadrupled from £13.8m in 2021/22 to £53.4m in 2023/24.

The figures relate to social housing stock that is in local councils' possession, rather than stock which is run by Housing Associations, but gives a snapshot of the challenges being faced.

Jonathan Carr-West heads up the Local Government Information Unit, and told LBC: "These numbers don't tell a bad story.

"They tell a story about a sector that is trying to get to grips with a problem that wasn't recognised sufficiently.

"There were too many people living with damp and mould which was often blamed on the tenant's lifestyle, but that is no longer allowed.

"Government has introduced new legislation, councils are trying to respond to that, but it's also a massive cost for councils, and this goes to the heart of the financial challenges councils are facing.

"Half the councils in the country tell us, if nothing changes, they'll go bust over the next five years.

"These costs arising for remedial repairs on damp and mould, these don't even feature in the top three of councils' most pressing financial pressures.

"Layer this on top and it's just additional pressure, and this is what the Chancellor will have to get to grips with in the budget."

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The issue of damp and mould is in sharp focus following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale in 2020.

He died as a result of exposure to damp and mould conditions and his death prompted a change in the law.

Despite that, residents on an estate in Middleton, Greater Manchester, have told LBC they are facing a constant battle with damp, mould and rats, and that repairs carried out by Riverside Housing Association are not up to scratch.

"My son was really, really poorly, hospitalised seven times for his breathing and it turned out there was massive structural damage to the property which was causing rising damp.

"It's been really bad to the point where we had to move out for four months, making out that I'm lying, telling me there's no mould or damp in the property. We could have lost him.

"There was mould growing on the bed, mattresses, school bags, toys, anything you can think of.

"The work they do is not how it should be done, it's done in a less expensive way, they left the word "die" on my wall which was nice to come back to, not much was said about that on their part other than it must mean something else."

Karen lives on the same estate, and told LBC: "Damp, mould, rats, plaster falling off the walls, I've been fighting Riverside for the past ten years.

"I suffer with COPD and the bedroom is all full of damp.

"It's not sorted out, there's water running down the walls.

"There's been issues with rats for seven or eight years, in the walls and ceiling.

"Repairs are not being done properly, I've had to move out for a week and a half.

Kirby suffers with bad asthma and told LBC: "My son's room started showing mould above the window.

"I got somebody out and they said "Just wipe it. You can go to Tesco and get some mould spray and just wipe it yourself."

I went to the doctor and showed him my photos because he was questioning why I was needing an inhaler so much.

The steroid inhaler he was giving me just wasn't doing it. We thought it was just asthma but clearly there was a root cause.

Caroline told LBC: "I've had rats in my loft which Riverside refuse to come out and deal with.

"I've had damp spots which I didn't know was damp, the surveyor came out and said they didn't know what it was.

"That still hasn't gone, I have mould in my bathroom, they refuse to take the tiles off and have a look.

"I suffer with COPD and my son is needing an operation on his nose due to breathing difficulties and I'm at my wits end."

Daniel Isaac is from the Middleton Tenants Union and told LBC: "New legislation and policy is pointless if there's no enforcement from local government.

"All of our members' children have asthma, that can't be a coincidence.

"We currently have 13 active disputes, 52 people coming forward from the estate alone, and through door-knocking we have found a further 30, so the situation is much bigger than we thought it was in the beginning.

Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, has introduced a 'Good Landlord Charter' designed to hold housing companies to account.

He told LBC: "The whole point is to set standards. The interesting point comes now where we assess all of our housing providers across the city region, and what it means is where they're not performing properly they will have to up their game or they won't be accredited.

"We've had a situation where housing in Greater Manchester hasn't been sufficiently accountable to local people including people in Middleton, and we saw situations in Rochdale with a different housing provider.

"The whole point is to give local residents a voice and challenge that practice more effectively."

A spokesperson for Riverside said: “We have acknowledged previously that we had let some of our customers down, but we are continuing to put things right by carrying out remedial works as are needed. We have offered fair and appropriate compensation which a number of customers have accepted.

“We however believe the majority of these cases mentioned are historic and have already been dealt with. That said, we are meeting regularly with our customers and GMTU (Greater Manchester Tenants Union), working together to resolve matters as and when they arise.

“The GMTU have raised further concerns, and we are awaiting further information regarding these and will investigate and resolve as required.”  

A spokesperson for the Regulator of Social Housing said: “All social landlords must meet the outcomes of our standards, including our new consumer standards, and that means listening to tenants and dealing with complaints effectively and promptly. 

“Our data shows that social landlords are spending record amounts on repairs, including fire safety remediation, damp and mould, as well as other key issues.”

A spokesperson for the Housing Ombudsman said: “These figures are a sobering reminder of the need to invest in existing homes, ensuring they meet the standards of safety and comfort that all residents deserve.

"The Housing Ombudsman has observed a significant rise in complaints, which not only reflects the growing challenges people face with disrepair but also indicates an increased accessibility to complaints procedures.

"It is essential for landlords to view the increase in complaints as a valuable opportunity to identify, address and learn from underlying issues, leading to meaningful improvements.

"Our statutory complaint handling code serves as a supportive framework, encouraging landlords to cultivate a positive culture around complaint handling”.