Southwark Council is set to improve housing standards after approving a new 'Good Landlord' plan during a Cabinet meeting on Monday, 7 July 2025.
The plan aims to address shortcomings identified by the Regulator of Social Housing and deliver better homes, estates, repairs, and customer service for tenants and leaseholders.
The Regulator of Social Housing's C3 grading in November 2024 highlighted issues including electrical condition testing, smoke alarm installation, a lack of up-to-date information on stock condition, a need to review the allocations policy, and inconsistencies in repairs and complaints handling services. The key findings from the inspection and Southwark's response are set out in Appendix A of the Public reports pack.
Councillor Sarah King, Cabinet Member for Council Homes, outlined the plan's key objectives:
- Better homes
- Better estates
- Better repairs
- Better customer services
- A stronger voice for tenants
- New council homes
To achieve these objectives, the Good Landlord Plan outlines specific actions. For 'better homes,' the council will invest over £250 million in the next three years, conduct a full survey of all homes and estates, and strengthen the management and maintenance of homes. For 'better estates,' the council will improve communal repairs, undertake more thorough monthly estate inspections, and respond more effectively to anti-social behaviour. For 'better repairs,' the council will improve the repairs service so repairs are done on time and right first time, introduce booked time slots for repairs, and further improve damp and leaks services.
The plan is a direct response to the Regulator of Social Housing's C3 grading, which indicated serious failings in the council's landlord services. The council has committed to communicating the plan to tenants and leaseholders and providing regular updates on its progress.
The Good Landlord Plan is a key commitment under the Council's Southwark 2030 strategy, with the goal to ensure decent homes for all residents. It sets out the council's ambition to provide consistently high-quality housing services and be a landlord that residents trust and value. The plan is part of the broader work to make Southwark a fairer, more inclusive borough where everyone lives in a safe, well-maintained home.
