Surrey council slammed with lowest housing grade after safety failings uncovered
A Surrey council has been handed the lowest possible rating by the housing watchdog after inspectors uncovered “very serious failings” in the way it manages its homes.
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) gave Tandridge District Council (TDC) a C4 grade – a judgement reserved for cases where urgent and fundamental change is needed.
Cllr Jeremy Pursehouse, who chairs the housing committee on the council, admitted the findings were “disappointing” but insisted officers are working hard.
She said: “Our tenants’ safety and the quality of their home is our priority.”
Inspectors found more than 1,000 overdue fire safety fixes, nearly 400 homes without an electrical safety check, and no clear records of stock surveys since 2016.
They also flagged serious gaps in repairs data, tenant engagement, and how the council tackles hate incidents.
Despite this, the regulator has stopped short of taking enforcement action – for now – but says it will be “engaging intensively” to make sure the council puts things right.
Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: “We cannot accept tenants’ safety and wellbeing being put at risk.”
She added: “We expect the council to urgently develop a comprehensive improvement plan that recognises the scale and breadth of the issues, and that drives fundamental change across all the areas identified.
“This should be shared with tenants.”
The watchdog’s damning verdict raises big questions about how the council allowed safety standards to slide for so long.
The report states: “Although Tandridge DC has indicated a willingness to address these failings, we have not yet seen evidence to sufficiently assure us that it understands the potential risks to tenants and of its ability to put matters right, including taking prompt action to gain assurance that tenants are safe.”
TDC said it has accepted the ruling and says it has already begun work to turn things around.
Approximately £425,000 has been set aside to fund the improvement plan for around 2,600 council homes Tandridge looks after.
In a housing committee meeting last week officers announced a new improvement plan which included commissioning a fresh stock survey, tightening up on repairs, and reviewing how complaints are handled.
The regulator is inspecting all large social landlords over the next four years, as part of a tougher regime introduced after the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023.