14 Aug 24
Said Phil Turtle, director of compliance services at Landlord Licensing & Defence, “yet again a council gets let off with a slapped wrist for housing failures for which the very same council would fine a private landlord out of existence. Fines for not having an EICR are up to £30,000 and it’s the same for inadequate fire alarms/precautions and another up to £30,000 for damp and mould.
“If this was a private portfolio landlord where ‘professional means the highest fine’ they would be looking at the best part of £100,000 in fines per property. But the same council that inflicts these fines for their own revenue benefit just gets a slapped wrist and time to leave the tenants in mortal danger until they feel like getting round to the repairs and upgrades.
“It’s at best immoral. Some may say completely corrupt.”
Brighton and Hove Council has been blasted for “serious failures” by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
According to an RSH report, the council requires “significant improvement” after failing to provide evidence that it complied with smoke alarm requirements and electrical safety regulations.
The report also reveals a backlog of repairs with some dating back to 2021.
Homes without a current electrical report
According to the report, around 3,600 social homes owned by the council are without a current electrical condition report.
A further 600 properties require a water risk assessment and more than 500 water safety fixes are at least three months overdue but these are not urgent.
The report found 1,700 medium and low-fire-risk jobs that still need to be done, with most of them being overdue by over two years.
There was also a backlog of around 8,000 low-priority repairs – with some that dated back to 2021.
Council will not shy away from criticism
Councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing and new Homes, said: “The findings of this report are extremely serious, and we do not take them lightly.
“We have already introduced new measures to improve our work in each of the areas of concern identified by the Regulator of Social Housing.
“Clearly, however, there is still much work to be done and this council will not shy away from either the criticism within this report, or the urgent hard work needed to improve our services.”
Continue to improve social housing in the city
The council plans to invest £15 million in making improvements to the housing supply.
Brighton and Hove Council also intends to prioritise electrical checks on homes to ensure all wiring and installations are safe, conduct water assessments, and fast-track fire safety assessments, particularly in properties with communal areas.
Ms Williams adds: “Everyone deserves to live in safe, secure, affordable and high-quality housing and should expect nothing less. This council has not met that expectation. We deeply apologise to all those who have been affected.
“This report is a moment for our administration to make the essential changes required to meet the needs of our residents. We take this responsibility seriously and will continue to improve the social housing in our city.”
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