The Housing Ombudsman has called for the government to form a national tenant body and review the funding of social housing, as it reveals a sharp increase in complaints.
In its latest report, the Ombudsman revealed a 474% surge in increases around living conditions between 2019/20 and 2024/25.
Of this amount, 74% relate to poor practice with £3.4m in compensation ordered for poor living conditions in 2024/25 alone.
This is despite social landlords spending a record £9bn on repairs and maintenance in 2023/24.
The Ombudsman is now calling for a “transformative overhaul” of social housing, with the establishment of a national tenant body to give tenants a greater voice.
Repeated filings have been highlighted as creating this surge in complaints, including an absence of records on properties, physical and mental health needs being missed and a reliance on temporary fixes.
“The report shows a significant risk to the government’s vital housebuilding ambitions is the current unsustainable model for maintaining existing social homes,” said Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman.
“While it takes two years to build a home, this creates a 60-year maintenance need.
“Without change we effectively risk the managed decline of one of the largest provisions of social housing in Europe, especially in areas of lowest affordability.”
