Tower Hamlets Council's housing performance presents a mixed picture, with improvements in some areas offset by ongoing challenges in others, according to a report presented to the Housing Management (Cabinet) Sub-Committee.

The Housing Management Performance and Compliance Report for April 2026 revealed that while 10 out of 16 key performance indicators (KPIs) showed a positive trend compared to the previous month, 10 measures remained below their agreed targets.

A dashboard displaying the compliance status of various housing management checks, categorized by area such as Gas, Lifts, Electrics, Fire Safety, Water, Asbestos, and Other Checks. The status is indicated by colored rings (green for 100% compliance, yellow for high compliance, and red for below target) and percentages.
Compliance Dashboard

Key areas of concern include:

  • Stage 1 complaints: Performance decreased in April, falling significantly below the 90% target. Mitigations, including temporary resource reallocation and weekly performance meetings, are being implemented to address vacancies in the complaints and repairs teams. The root causes of these vacancies are staff departures, long-term sickness, and planned annual leave in the repairs team. The housing complaint sides are currently being filled, with a projected completion by September. Two repairs posts have been appointed, and they are expected to start in August.
  • Call answer rate: The Housing Service Centre's call answer rate improved to 76.4%, but remains below the 85% target. Issues with a new telephony system, described as bedding in issues including advisors not being able to log on and calls cutting off, are being addressed. While specific resolution timelines are not stated, improved results are expected from April onwards with the end of winter pressures. However, a significant uplift in performance will require investment in key projects such as online repairs reporting and new technologies like workforce management.
  • Repair response times: Emergency and non-emergency repair response times marginally fell, with no contractor meeting the emergency repair targets in April. This was attributed to underperforming contractors during April. Measures to improve contractor accountability include closer working with the Housing Service Centre and contractors to reduce emergency work orders, providing performance reports and feedback, and holding monthly meetings with Mears' commercial director to improve subcontractor management and delivery of general build repairs. Repairs completed correctly on the first visit and overall repair satisfaction were also slightly below target.

A donut chart illustrating the top 7 complaints, with 'Repairs' accounting for 71% of the total.
Top Complaints

  • Landlord compliance: While overdue fire risk assessment actions reduced, there was an increase in overdue Legionella remedial actions and a marginal increase in overdue passenger lift inspections. For Legionella, there was an increase of over 250 actions in April, bringing the total to 402 overdue actions. The department is reviewing these actions. For passenger lift inspections, there has been a marginal increase to 31 overdue actions, up from 22 in March. A Compliance Programmes Officer will be speaking with engineers to list and track these remedials. Domestic electrical inspection performance also fell, with an increase in 'no access' properties. The number of 'no access' properties increased to 620 in April. Strategies to improve resident access include sending a final letter to some properties informing them of potential legal action following door knocks by Neighbourhood Officers.

Bar chart showing the number of fixed wiring domestic inspections that were overdue or had no access, from March to April.
Fixed Wiring Domestic Overdue Inspections

Councillor Karen Swift noted that performance figures from April have since improved, highlighting that failure demand – calls chasing up repairs due to contractor issues or missed appointments – accounted for around 30% of contacts. Efforts are underway to improve contractor management and introduce greater visibility of appointment scheduling. Beyond these measures, the council is focusing on developing an online reporting system for repairs, which residents have indicated they would prefer for convenience. Additionally, outbound SMS messaging is being used to inform residents of block outages, which helps reduce incoming calls.

Councillor Shafi Ahmed raised concerns about repair satisfaction and communication with residents regarding appointment changes. He also requested information on contractor contract end dates and termination clauses, particularly concerning Mears. A paper on the procurement of the Mears contract is due to be presented to Councillor Ahmed next week at the lead member meeting. The specific contract end dates and termination clauses were not detailed, but it was mentioned that Stephen has until August 19th to respond to petitioners regarding the Mears contract.

Positive developments include:

  • Rent collection: Remained strong at 99%, with current tenant arrears within target.
  • Leasehold collections: Marginally below target but still above 99%.
  • Damp and mould works: Performed well, with 99.6% completed within target timeframes.

A person wearing a mask and gloves cleans a tiled surface with mold.
Damp and Mould Remediation

  • Communal electrical remedial actions: Reduced to 74 overdue, with none being high-risk.

The full report can be found in the Public reports pack 30th-Jul-2026 Housing Management Cabinet Sub-Committee.