According to Inside Housing, South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) has breached the Home Standard on fire, asbestos and electrical safety and has fallen short on safety of heating appliances, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has found.

It has been reported that in 2017, The English regulator found that more than 1,000 fire safety remedial actions had not been completed. Further evidence showed that inspections and maintenance of fuel heating appliances and electrical inspections had not been completed within the regulated time frames within some of the 6,000 properties the district manages. With a further 300 surveys of communal areas for asbestos safety, being overdue since 2019. The many overdue maintenance issues, led to the East Midlands council to refer themselves to the regulator, confirming the breach of the Home Standard as a consequence.

Although there has since been a reform for seniors to increase capacity and works to begin, the strains of Lockdown in conjunction with the housing maintenance issues; this will of had a dramatic effect on the quality of lives more so during this period; with works being put on hold due to lockdown measures and the overdue works constantly being pushed back and overlooked. The health and safety of both tenants and structural means have been disregarded in this instance for a long period of time.

It is not the first time that a council has breached the Decent Home Standard. This includes Gateshead Council, which has recently decided to shut its 19,000-home ALMO, which was found in breach after serious fire, asbestos and electrical safety failings were found among its housing stock in 2019.
Lambeth Council was also found in breach of the standard in November 2019 after a “significant number of overdue remedial actions arising from fire risk assessments” were found.

We understand that heating and electrical maintenance is a very important part of ones home, in order for it to fulfill the tenant and also comply with the legal standards outlined in both The Landlord and Tenancy Act 1985 and The Fitness for Habitation Act 2019. Failure to meet the credentials within both guidelines, guarantees tenants to pursue a Housing Disrepair claim with ourselves, to recover the losses endured fulfilling the claim by bring the property up to the correct legal standards for habitation in the UK.

If you or someone you know has been affected by the recent let downs from the councils outlines above; please reach out to us so we can assist you with a Housing Disrepair claim.