Lambeth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Lambeth Council has been heavily criticised for ‘neglect’ and ‘disregard’ in managing social housing, sparking anger among residents and campaigners.
The council was criticized in an independent study that, according to opposition council members, “shows a pattern of neglect, incompetence, and a complete disregard for the wellbeing of… residents.” Lambeth is once again in hot water over housing conditions in the borough.
Lambeth was the first local government to come under intense examination by the Housing Ombudsman in 2023 due to what the watchdog referred to as “maladministration” and abuse of council tenants.
Lambeth has now been listed as one of the worst offenders in a recent report by the home Ombudsman due to its repeated failures to perform necessary home repairs.
Windows-related complaints were the focus of what the Ombudsman refers to as its “learning from severe maladministration” report.
The Ombudsman stated that the study “discusses dozens of cases where social landlords across England left tenants living in unsafe and degrading conditions.”
In one instance that the report highlighted, a mother’s concerns about the risks to her children prevented her from closing windows for three years.Another situation involves youngsters who were unable to complete their studies due to extreme weather and a burglary that left repairs unfinished for two years.
Clarion, L&Q, and Notting Hill Genesis are among the housing associations mentioned by Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway in the study.
The report does not include Croydon or Sutton, but it does include Lambeth, Lewisham, and five other London boroughs.
Streatham is part of the Lambeth constituency that is currently represented by Croydon MP Steve Reed, who was the Environment Secretary in Keir Starmer’s administration (shown right). Reed served as Lambeth Council’s leader before being elected as an MP.
One instance in Lambeth where a child’s bedroom window was boarded up for over three years is highlighted in the most recent Housing Ombudsman’s report. Despite acknowledging that the windows were rotten and could cause a fall, the council did nothing. The child’s bedroom had “no light in, but a draught was coming in” due to the window, according to the report.
According to the Ombudsman, the council “failed to effectively communicate with the resident to keep them informed” and provided “conflicting information” regarding the work that would be done.
In a different instance, Lambeth did nothing for three years about windows that it had determined were unsuitable, claiming that they would be fixed in larger projects that would be done later. Although council contractors measured the windows twice, they never replaced them. The tenant had to purchase additional electric heaters since the draughts rendered the house unusable.
In another Lambeth case, despite several reports, the council neglected to fix deteriorating windows for three years. For two and a half years, another tenant was unable to open the majority of the windows in her house, which hindered airflow and made the mold and dampness worse.
In another instance, Lambeth closed the case without providing an explanation, preventing a ground-floor resident from closing her windows for two years.
Since Lambeth has been under scrutiny for “severe maladministration” for two years, the council claims it has “invested hundreds of millions of pounds” into improving its housing stock.
But Donna Harris, the leader of the LibDem opposition at Lambeth Council, told BrixtonBuzz.com:
“This report is damning. It shows a pattern of neglect, incompetence and a complete disregard for the wellbeing of Lambeth residents.
Lambeth Labour cannot hide from this – they have presided over years of housing mismanagement, leaving some of our most vulnerable residents in dangerous and degrading conditions.
When I asked about Lambeth’s approach to Awaab’s Law – important new protections on damp and mould coming into effect this autumn – I was told that residents should just continue to report problems in the normal way.”
What specific failings did the Ombudsman highlight about Lambeth housing?
The council repeatedly failed to carry out urgent housing repairs, particularly regarding rotting and unsafe windows causing draughts and uninhabitable conditions lasting years. Lambeth was found to have provided conflicting information to residents, failed to effectively communicate with tenants, and often ignored or inadequately addressed complaints about housing conditions.
Cases include children living in bedrooms with boarded-up windows for years, excess cold impacting schoolwork, and homes suffering from damp and mould with little or no remediation.
The council took years to act on problems it had identified, such as unfit windows, forcing tenants to buy extra heaters and enduring poor living environments.