Hammersmith and Fulham Council has been praised for the maintenance and condition of its social homes after receiving the highest rating from the industry watchdog. The Regulator of Social Housing issued a C1 grade to the West London council, making it one of only a small number of local authorities in the country to secure top marks.
Regulator's Findings
The regulator's findings, published this week following an inspection earlier in the month, described the council's repairs service as "effective, efficient and timely". Its approach to tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB) across its estates was also highlighted. The watchdog noted that the local authority has "an accurate record of the condition of its homes through physical stock condition surveys" with a plan to complete all surveys by June.
The findings state: "LB [London Borough of] Hammersmith and Fulham's 'Behind Every Door' approach means that compliance visits, repairs and home visits support hazard identification. LB Hammersmith and Fulham reports that 99 per cent of its homes meet the Decent Homes Standard, with plans in place to address non-decency and maintain safe and decent homes."
Repairs and ASB Management
On the council's repairs service, the regulator wrote it received "assurance" that works are carried out efficiently and quickly. It added that the local authority has learned lessons from complaints and other feedback to improve the service. Other areas touched on included work alongside partners such as the police to tackle ASB. The regulator wrote: "LB Hammersmith and Fulham makes effective use of its full range of tools and legal powers, evidenced by the homes it has returned to use through court orders. LB Hammersmith and Fulham has strengthened its oversight of antisocial behaviour and hate crime, including improved performance monitoring and outcomes."
Major Turnaround
Hammersmith and Fulham Council's recent history regarding its management of social housing stock has not always been so positive. In October 2021, a Housing Ombudsman report found that, based on maladministration findings per 10,000 homes, the council was the worst social landlord in the country when it came to damp and mould issues. The Ombudsman later launched an investigation specifically into Hammersmith and Fulham over concerns of "systemic failure", which reported issues with the council's approach to responding to and resolving complaints.
Last September, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) published an article looking into the council's housing to see what progress had been made. The LDRS found that, based on updated Housing Ombudsman data, there was a reduction in findings of fault in Hammersmith and Fulham between 2023/24 and 2024/25. The local authority's own data also hinted at improvements, with 97 per cent of damp and mould repairs reported to have been completed on time and cases down by more than 73 per cent since April 2023. A council spokesperson said at the time the local authority was spending £1 million a week to refurbish and modernise its owned homes over the next decade, and that it had introduced an "enhanced repairs team" to cut its backlog.
Political Reaction
Cllr Frances Umeh, who before the recent elections was Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, said the rating "is a proud moment for our housing service and for the borough". She added: "This highest rating from the regulator is a proud moment for our housing service and for the borough. It reflects the hard work of the residents and housing teams that have helped shape the service improvement plan over the last four years. My thanks to Sharon Lea, Chief Executive, Richard Shwe, Executive Director of Housing, the leadership team and everyone who has worked tirelessly with a commitment and determination to improve the service. I'm grateful to everyone for all their hard work. We welcome the Regulator of Social Housing's findings which show the real progress made by listening to residents and acting on their concerns. But we know there is more to do. We will continue to work closely with residents, strengthening our communities and investing in homes to ensure they are safe, warm and well-maintained. Our ambition is clear: to make Hammersmith and Fulham the best place in Britain to live in a council home."
