Labour councils accused of ‘double standards' in war on landlords
The Housing Ombudsman found that 11 housing providers, including four Labour-run councils, were guilty of failing to make emergency repairs in a review of 'severe maladministration decisions'.
Tenants were found to have been left battling broken ceilings, mould and broken heating systems by councils, despite those same local authorities fining private landlords tens of thousands for similar reasons.
It comes as the controversial Renters' Right Bill makes its way through Parliament towards Royal Assent.
From October, landlords will be required to carry out essential repairs within fixed time periods, such as dealing with damp and mould, under an element of the Bill known as 'Awaab's Law'.
Last year, the Ombudsman recorded a three-fold increase in complaints about mould and damp in council homes. Local authorities were ordered to pay out a record £1.7m in compensation to tenants as a result.
At the same time, councils have raked in some £300m in fees from licensing schemes as cash-strapped local authorities look to private landlords to balance their books.
Councils named in the more recent report included the Labour-run Brent, Hackney and Lambeth in London, as well as North Tyneside in the North East and Conservative-run Harlow.
Lambeth Council was singled out for leaving a mould complaint unresolved for four months, and for neglecting to inspect the property until it was contacted by the tenant's MP.
Nonetheless, in 2018, the council fined a landlord £10,000 for cramming nine tenants into a five-bedroom property with an 'unsatisfactory' fire alarm system.
In 2023, the council was found to have paid out £120,615 in compensation to tenants, the highest amount out of any local authority in England.
A Lambeth Council spokesman said: 'We have fully accepted and complied with the Ombudsman's findings; we have apologised to the tenant and paid them compensation – including for the cost of replacing her floor – in recognition of the inconvenience and frustration this had caused her.'
Brent Council, meanwhile, was found by the Ombudsman to have left five children in a house with a broken ceiling for six weeks.
Last year, a private landlord in the borough was fined £50,000 for charging a family of eight £3,500 a month to live in a 'house of horrors' that included a rat infestation, a leak and a broken toilet.
The Ombudsman said landlords falsely claimed 'no access' to avoid making repairs, 'despite sometimes limited evidence that the landlord notified the resident it would be attending'.
Other common failures highlighted by the Ombudsman included record-keeping, communication and the wrong trades being sent to do work. In one case, a plumber was sent to fix a roof leak.
The report said: 'This matters because there is a power imbalance, with most residents having limited choice over their landlord.
'So, it is unfair for neighbours living in similar properties with similar problems to experience different service levels.'
Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, told trade publication The Negotiator that the law would mean 'the same local authorities that currently enforce housing standards against private landlords will themselves be accountable to their tenants, who will be able to take them to court'.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils across England and Wales, was approached for comment.
Brent, Hackney, North Tyneside and Harlow councils were approached for comment.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal intervention in potential Air Canada strike would be 'troubling': labour prof
Labour experts say if Ottawa meets Air Canada's call for government intervention in a contract dispute with its flight attendants' union, it could further erode collective bargaining rights in future negotiations. The airline has requested government-directed arbitration through Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, however Ottawa has not indicated whether it will intervene. The move comes as roughly 10,000 flight attendants for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge are poised to strike Saturday around 1 a.m., with the company also planning to lock them out if an eleventh-hour deal can't be reached. In a statement Thursday morning, federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu acknowledged Air Canada's request, adding she has asked the union to respond to it while urging both sides to return to the bargaining table. Brock University labour professor Larry Savage says Air Canada is using its lockout notice "as a pressure point on the prime minister," as the Mark Carney-led Liberal government faces its first major work stoppage of federally regulated employees. While Savage says there is "a long tradition" in Canada of government intervention in labour disputes, he calls the increasing reliance on minister-directed action "troublesome." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2025. Companies in this story: (TSX:AC) Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Conservatives plan national campaign against federal electric vehicle mandates
OTTAWA — Pierre Poilievre is planning to swap his fight against the carbon tax this fall for a new battle against what he's calling the "Carney tax." The Conservative leader says his party will launch a national campaign to call on the Liberals to scrap their electric vehicle mandate. The policy requires 20 per cent of all light-duty vehicles sold in Canada next year must be zero-emission vehicles, rising to 100 per cent by 2035. Manufacturers that do not meet the target can be hit with a $20,000 penalty, which Poilievre is calling a tax. The vehicle manufacturing industry says that with U.S. tariffs and the end of government sales incentive programs, it will be impossible to hit the 20 per cent benchmark next year. Poilievre says the mandates are ideological and the Tories plan to push for their termination through public events and motions in the House of Commons. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2025. Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Council forced to back down on graves ‘fat tax'
A council has been forced to back down on plans to implement a 'fat tax' on bigger burial plots following local backlash. Wolverhampton councillors had faced criticism for a 'lack of empathy' after they proposed charging hundreds of pounds more for bigger plots. The Labour-run town hall confirmed to the BBC that a 20pc premium on 6ft-wide spaces had been agreed in May. It would have cost a family £2,700 as opposed to £2,250 for a standard plot. A council spokesman had told reporters that the higher price reflected 'the increased costs incurred in providing them, including disposing of the additional soil'. But when contacted by The Telegraph, a spokesman said it had decided 'not to proceed with the plans'. The council had failed to consult Wolverhampton residents on the changes, instead only speaking to local funeral directors. Ross Hickton, of Hickton Family Funeral Directors in the West Midlands, said the decision was a 'win for the people of Wolverhampton and a dose of common sense'. 'It's a great relief for funeral directors not having to have difficult conversations with families. It's a shame that the council didn't listen to our advice originally [in the consultation] as they would have saved themselves a lot of trouble. 'Other local authorities should take heed of what's happened here.' 'If you've paid into the system your whole life, through council tax and income tax, you shouldn't be forced to pay an additional 20pc tax,' Mr Hickton added. 'The 'fat tax' would 'push more people into funeral poverty. If you live in Wolverhampton, you have the right to be buried here without extra costs. You shouldn't be paying a premium for a basic right. It shows a lack of empathy for what a family goes through.' The decision to introduce the extra charge was made after an increase in demand for larger graves, the council previously told the BBC. The city has higher than normal obesity rates of 33.3pc, compared with the national average of 25.9pc, according to a 2021 survey. The proportion of households that are overweight is gradually increasing, according to government data. In 2023-24, 64.5pc of adults in England were overweight or living with obesity. This is higher than the previous year, 64pc, and follows an upward trend since 2015, when the figure was 61.2pc. The average coffin width has increased in the past decade, from around 20-22 inches to 22-24 inches, according to the National Association of Funeral Directors. One of the first councils to introduce higher fees for larger graves was Houghton Regis Town Council in 2009. On its website, the Bedfordshire town hall said: 'Where the coffin width is such that the burial encroaches into the next available burial plot, such that it cannot be used, the above fees will be increased by 50pc.' It would take the cost from £364 to £728. Local authorities in Telford, Birmingham, Walsall, Coventry and Staffordshire also charge extra for wider coffins. The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors asked its members if their council charged more for bigger plots. Out of 165 respondents, 25pc said yes. The BBC found that a third of 27 local authorities in the West Midlands charged more for wider graves. A City of Wolverhampton Council spokesman said: 'No formal decision was ever taken on plans to charge more for larger burial plots. 'This is a common practice taken by councils around the country where higher charges cover the costs of providing a larger plot. 'However, while under consideration, we have decided not to proceed with the plans.'
