Lambeth Council tenants and leaseholders will have the final say on whether housing repairs are completed to their satisfaction, following a successful motion passed by the council.
The Liberal Democrat motion, which was agreed upon without amendment, aims to give residents more control over the repair process and improve accountability for contractors. This significant shift comes in the wake of severe maladministration findings by the Housing Ombudsman against Lambeth Council, which described its failures on damp and mould as persistent and systemic.
Tenant satisfaction with repairs is reportedly among the worst in the country, with Lambeth ranking 349th out of 353 social housing providers.
Councillor Doug Buist, who put forward the motion, highlighted the frustration residents experience with incomplete repairs. He stated, A repair is not finished because a contractor says it is finished. A repair is finished when the resident living with it says it is finished.
The motion proposes that a repair is only considered complete when the tenant or leaseholder signs off on it. The criteria for satisfaction are subjective, based on the resident living with it says it is finished.
This empowers tenants and leaseholders to have a real voice in the way our housing service runs,
with the understanding that If a repair has genuinely been completed, the resident will sign it off. If it hasn't, it shouldn't disappear from the system.
If a repair is not deemed satisfactory, the contractor will be required to return and rectify the issue. The repair will remain open until the resident is satisfied. If problems persist, ward councillors will be alerted, and the council will have to account publicly for its performance.
This process also implies that ward councillors may be involved in mediating disputes if a resident refuses to sign off on a repair that the contractor believes is complete.
Councillor Annie Gallop of the Labour Group acknowledged previous improvements, including the introduction of an SMS survey system for tenants to sign off repairs, stating, This measure was the latest step in our administration, looking into improving the accountability of our contractors.
The existing SMS survey system already incentivises some contractors to ensure the repair is completed successfully the first time around or otherwise face penalties,
suggesting potential consequences for those who repeatedly fail to meet resident satisfaction.
Councillor Viktor Westerdahl of the Green Group supported the motion, suggesting amendments to address vulnerable residents and formally acknowledge past failings. However, these amendments were not carried. The original Liberal Democrat motion was then agreed upon by the council.
The success of this new policy will be measured by resident satisfaction, with the aim to improve services, deliver better value for money and put residents at the centre of housing. That's real accountability.
