Lambeth Council paid out more than £133,000 in compensation to tenants over six months after failing to carry out urgent housing repairs, a council report has revealed.
Compensation and case numbers
From October 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, the council paid £133,339 in Housing Ombudsman compensation. During this period, it received 108 cases, up from 98 in the first half of the financial year. At least 19 cases resulted in severe maladministration findings, the most serious determination by the Housing Ombudsman, involving issues such as outstanding repairs, damp and mould, blocked toilets, and pest infestations.
Impact on council resources
The council report noted that the high compensation levels reduced the council's ability to invest in maintaining its housing stock, as fewer resources were available. In 2024/25, Lambeth had the highest number of Housing Ombudsman determinations (121) and maladministration rates (92 per cent) among 11 London boroughs.
Council response and improvements
During a General Purposes Committee meeting on July 23, Janet Sharpe, Director of Housing Operations, outlined improvements to address the complaints. She said: "We are doing a significant amount of reaching out to customers and engagement to hear their concerns around the service and also to provide regular information, including pulse surveys on repairs so we can see that we are moving in the right direction."
Ms Sharpe added that the council is training teams to reduce the number of stage one complaints escalating to stage two and then to the Housing Ombudsman. Other improvements include an SMS service for residents to confirm contractor attendance, work completion, and satisfaction. The council also conducts multiple visits for the same repair and works with contractors to resolve issues.
Future plans
Ms Sharpe said: "There is a lot of work to do and there are more improvements to make, but I would hope that by the time we come back to the committee we will be able to demonstrate and see that we are moving in the right direction." She emphasised that the council is open to challenge and introducing measures to improve engagement with tenants.
During the meeting, Cllr Sacha Takyi-Berko, Chair of the Committee, questioned the compensation amount, asking what the money could have funded. Ms Sharpe said the council will provide clear information on the cost of repairs and what the sum would have funded at the next General Purposes Committee meeting.
