The Regulator of Social Housing has issued a C4 consumer grading to Gosport Borough Council, meaning there are very serious failings and fundamental changes are needed.
During an inspection of the council, the RSH found that Gosport Borough Council had over 900 overdue fire safety remedial actions, with some that have been overdue since 2012. There was also evidence of over 300 overdue electrical safety checks and over 100 category 2 electrical safety remedial actions, some of which have been outstanding for up to seven years.
The RSH also highlighted a lack of accurate and up-to-date information on tenants’ homes, with a 20% sample of stock condition surveys last carried out in 2012. A third of its properties have no survey on record.
Gosport BC had also not used the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) to assess potential hazards in tenants’ homes.
The RHS said that the council had no planned improvement programme in place since 2023, and found serious failings in the council’s understanding of the diverse needs of its tenants, as well as serious failings in how it works to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents.
Finally, Gosport BC failed to provide assurance on the handling of complaints by its repairs contractor.
The RSH said that while Gosport BC has demonstrated a willingness to resolve these issues, it found limited evidence that it fully understands the scale and breadth of the issues due to poor monitoring, and limited evidence that it has the capability to effectively address them.
The RSH also released updated gradings for a number of other landlords, upgrading North West-based Great Places to C1 after it addressed weaknesses in its oversight of health and safety risks and improved its understanding of the condition of its homes.
Great Places also made changes to the way tenants can engage with the repairs service, having identified that this was a significant cause of complaints.
Sparrow Shared Ownership Limited received C1/G1/V1* gradings following an inspection.
Regulatory notices were removed for the Eldonian Community Based Housing Association , Haringey Council and the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, after the RSH concluded that all three landlords had addressed the issues previously identified.
RSH also published annual stability check outcomes for 52 landlords.
Aster Group Limited, Castles & Coasts Housing Association Limited, Industrial Dwellings Society (1885) Limited and Soha Housing Limited were regraded from V1 to V2, while Prima Housing Group Limited was regraded from V2 to V1.
Kate Dodsworth, chief of regulatory engagement at the RSH, said: “The breadth and scale of the failings we identified at Gosport Borough Council are unacceptable and we will be engaging intensively with them as things are put right as soon as possible for tenants.”
“Our inspection programme continues to root out issues and drive landlords to improve homes and services for tenants.”
