Housing regulator finds failures in Wandsworth safety standards, demanding swift improvements to protect tenants.
A housing regulator audited the council and found significant failures in safety standards. The council must improve its housing management, and the regulator gave them a low rating.
The council stated they are fixing these problems and will work with the regulator to improve. The council manages about 17,000 properties.
The council had 1,800 overdue fire safety tasks, but none were currently high risk. Other safety tests were done just before the audit; this includes water, asbestos, and lifts.
Many homes lacked electrical safety tests, nearly 80% of shared areas. Also, 40% of individual properties lacked tests. The council says testing is improving.
The council lacked current info on home conditions. They also need to consider what tenants think. Inspectors praised the council for handling bad behavior well and are good at giving tenants proper housing.
Complaints were handled fairly and quickly, yet tenant satisfaction needs improvement. A program is fixing these failures. The council is surveying 20% of its homes yearly, and they aim will be to assess property conditions.
38,000 fire safety jobs got done before the audit. A council member said they invested in housing teams. The council wants better tenant involvement. The audit will show where improvements are vital, and they look forward to working with the regulator.