East Suffolk Council rated 'C3' by regulator for social housing over serious safety and quality failings
Multiple homes were found with Category 1 Hazards—the most serious health and safety risks
East Suffolk Council has been handed a C3 regulatory judgement—the lowest compliance rating—by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) after serious shortcomings were found in the safety and quality of its social housing stock.
The judgement follows a self-referral by the council, prompted by comprehensive Stock Condition Surveys which revealed that a significant number of council-owned homes fail to meet the government's Decent Homes Standard.
This standard ensures that social housing properties are safe, in good repair, and provide adequate thermal comfort.
In its report, the RSH concluded that East Suffolk Council is failing to meet its obligations under the Safety and Quality Standard, with significant improvements required. The C3 grading reflects what the regulator called “serious failings” in the delivery of housing services to tenants.
Currently, of the Council's 4,345 social housing properties, four have been identified with Category 1 Hazards—the most serious health and safety risks. An additional 200 are classified as Category 2. Tenants living in Category 1 properties have already been contacted regarding further inspections or urgent repair work.
Despite the shortcomings, the regulator acknowledged the council's ongoing efforts to address the issues.
The judgement stated: “East Suffolk Council has been engaging constructively with us and has put in place an improvement plan to rectify these failures... including completing its current stock condition survey programme, developing a fully costed investment plan to address non-decency, and implementing a new compliance management system.”
Further steps taken by the council include new procedures for managing damp and mould, and the development of a tracker system for managing hazards.
The regulator also considered East Suffolk Council’s progress since a previous Regulatory Notice was issued in May 2022. That notice highlighted serious health and safety compliance gaps—including failures in fire risk assessments and gas and electrical servicing—as well as the incorrect charging of rent and service fees.
Since then, the Council has refunded over £8 million in overpayments to tenants and the Department for Work and Pensions and confirmed that all rent and service charges have been accurately calculated since April 2023.
Councillor David Beavan, Cabinet Member for Housing, expressed disappointment at the findings but reaffirmed the council's commitment to making urgent improvements.
“We are incredibly disappointed by the issues that we have uncovered by undertaking a comprehensive Stock Condition Survey. We are entirely committed to addressing issues and ensuring that the services we provide meet the needs of our tenants and enable them to live safely in their homes,” said Cllr Beavan.
He added that the council has begun recruiting additional staff to key roles and is focused on completing the remaining surveys, launching a Capital Investment Plan, and rolling out new digital systems to support housing management.
The regulatory judgement will be published in full today (Wednesday 30 July) on the Regulator of Social Housing’s website, providing transparency for tenants and the wider public.