Croydon Council is grappling with a significant increase in housing complaints and a concerning rise in the time it takes to make empty properties ready for new tenants, according to a recent report from the Housing Assurance Board (HAB).
The HAB Complaints Update for April 2026 revealed a substantial surge in stage one complaints between the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26. The average void turnaround time has ballooned to 55 days, a stark contrast to the approximately four days recorded at the end of the previous financial year.
Delays in service have been identified as the primary driver for these complaints, accounting for 69% of all issues. The Tenancy and Caretaking departments are the most affected, making up 83% of all complaints.
Root Causes of Delays
The delays in service, particularly concerning void properties, stem from a combination of factors. These include efforts to consolidate void management under a single area to improve speed and efficiency, and a need for better contractor engagement to understand the urgency of turning voids around. Furthermore, the allocation process, especially after a shift to 80% of residents being offered tenancies, has become more manual due to the system not being fully automated, leading to additional processing time.
Specific issues contributing to void turnaround times include a lack of communication when a tenant passes away. If a family reports a death online, this information is not always reaching the tenancy officer promptly. This delay can impact not only the void turnaround but also the support provided to the family for house clearance and understanding their entitlements.
The use of subcontractors by some departments, particularly in relation to voids, has also raised concerns. Unmarked vehicles and a lack of clear identification for workers have been noted.
Additionally, there appears to be a disconnect in responsibility for estate inspections. Tenancy officers, who are the primary point of contact for residents' concerns, have limited involvement with caretaking or ground maintenance. The report suggests that estate managers and tenancy officers are effectively the same individuals, yet the coordination of estate inspections lacks clear overall responsibility, leading to confusion about who is accountable for addressing resident issues.
A specific example of a delay in service that led to formal action was a complaint handling failure order, which was issued due to a delay in completing an independent inspection ordered by the Housing Ombudsman.
Council's Plan for Improvement
In response to these challenges, Croydon Council is implementing a plan focused on consolidating void management, enhancing contractor efficiency, and refining allocation processes. The council is confident that these measures will begin to reverse the current situation by the end of the financial year 2026-27.
