The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has warned Wandsworth Council that it needs to fix “serious failings” in electrical and fire safety in its properties across the borough.
There are nearly 1,800 overdue actions for fire safety across Wandsworth that should have been completed over a year ago, the regulator has warned – slapping the borough with a C3 rating. That rating indicates “serious deficiencies requiring and substantial improvements.”
RSH conducted an inspection of Wandsworth’s approach to electrical safety, attending meetings of several relevant housing committees, and found significant shortcomings in the council’s adherence to standards.
The report was published on 26 February and you can read it here.
The report made three key findings:
• Electrical Safety: Approximately 80 per cent of communal areas and 40 per cent of individual homes have not undergone electrical safety tests. Historically, Wandsworth only conducted these tests when properties became vacant. Since 2021, efforts have been made to address this backlog, resulting in 75 per cent of communal areas and 70 per cent of homes being tested by the inspection date. The council claims a plan is in place to complete the remaining tests.
• Fire Safety: There were nearly 1,800 overdue fire safety remedial actions, all pending for over 12 months. While none were categorized as high risk by the council —two-thirds were deemed either of no severity or best practice. Wandsworth claims it has a plan to address these actions.
• Property Condition Assessments: Wandsworth lacks up-to-date information on the condition of most of its properties. The last comprehensive survey was over a decade ago in 2012, with a recent sample survey in 2022-23 covering just under 6.5 per cent of homes and 275 blocks. This limited data raises concerns about the borough’s understanding of its housing conditions and its ability to meet the Decent Homes Standard. Although Wandsworth reports that 5 per cent of its homes do not meet this standard, that assessment is based on the limited available information. Wandsworth again claims plans are underway to survey the remaining properties, and the RSH has said it monitor this progress.
Due to these serious failings, the RSH assigned Wandsworth a consumer grading of C3, indicating that significant improvements are necessary to meet the required standards.
The person responsible for the situation, Wandsworth’s cabinet member for housing, Aydin Dikerdem, said in response to the damning verdict: “Delivering the highest quality service to our council tenants remains an absolute priority for this council. Since we took control of the council over two years ago, we have invested significant new resources into our housing management teams and reforming our tenant participation structures.
“While it is not what we hoped for, this report will help us in targeting where we need to improve and the areas of the new housing regulatory framework we need to adapt to. We look forward to working with the regulator to make this happen.”
