Gove names and shames three more landlords

Michael Gove has named and shamed three landlords for not responding to complaints and allowing tenants to “suffer in disgraceful conditions”.

Orbit Housing, Lambeth council and Birmingham city council have been put in the spotlight by the housing secretary after the ombudsman found “severe maladministration” in the handling of complaints.

It comes ahead of the introduction of the new Social Housing Bill, due to become law early this year, which will include new powers allowing the regulator to enter properties with 48 hours notice and make emergency repairs which will be billed to landlords.

Lambeth council failed to repair damaged windows in a fifth-floor flat that fell out of their frames onto the ground below, leaving a resident with boarded up windows during winter which caused internal mould damage.

Orbit Housing was ordered to pay a resident £5,000 after damp and mould went untreated, while Birmingham city council failed to respond to a resident’s complaints of boiler faults and rotten floorboards.

Gove said: “Each of these landlords have failed their tenants, letting people suffer in disgraceful conditions while refusing to listen to complaints or treat them with respect.”

He said housing providers would have “nowhere to hide” once the Social Housing Bill becomes law.

In a letter to the Law Society, Citizens Advice and the Housing Law Practitioners Association, Gove also urged lawyers to direct tenants to the free services of the housing ombudsman when bringing complaints, instead of risking costly and lengthy legal proceedings.

“I’m urging everyone offering advice, from solicitors to voluntary organisations, to always direct social housing tenants with complaints to the Housing Ombudsman. Every tenant deserves a decent home, and landlords must not use legal cases as an excuse to delay making repairs or act on complaints,” he said.

The naming and shaming of the three landlords brings the total of housing providers publicly criticised by Gove over the last 12 months to 14, while the total amount of compensation that the ombudsman has ordered landlords to pay tenants now stands at £574,000.

Others include Clarion, Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, Johnnie Johnson Housing, Hackney council, Housing Plus Group, Habinteg Housing, Shepherd’s Bush Housing, Southern Housing, Onward Homes, Catalyst and PA Housing. 

Clarion did not repair severe leaks in a tenant’s room, and Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing which failed to resolve a silverfish infestation. Johnnie Johnson Housing paid £1,800 in compensation after a resident suffered verbal abuse, threats and intimidation from neighbours.

Gove announced last month that he will block government funding to any housing provider that breaches the social housing regulator’s consumer standards until they can prove they are a responsible landlord, with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing the first provider to be sanctioned. That actioned followed the death of a toddler, Awaab Ishak, after black mould went untreated in his home.

The government is also launching a £1m public information campaign early this year explaining tenants’ rights and publicising the services of the ombudsman.

The deepening focus on housing standards is seen as likely to put further pressure on housing associations to focus their capital spend on their existing stock rather than new build.