An Ealing Council scrutiny panel has met to discuss the council’s strategy to address longstanding problems with its housing service after it was given a C2 rating by the Regulator of Social Housing in November 2025, with the regulator saying it had identified “some weaknesses” and that “improvement is needed”.
The Provider Improvement Strategy went before councillors at the Housing and Environment Scrutiny Panel last Thursday (16 July 2026), alongside a detailed improvement plan setting out the actions being taken to address the regulator’s findings and move the Labour-run council towards a C1 rating.
The regulator has four grades for how social landlords meet standards covering tenants and their homes, running from C1, the highest, through C2 and C3 to C4, the lowest. A C2 rating means some weaknesses have been identified and improvement is needed.
Inspectors found weaknesses in Ealing’s knowledge of the condition of its homes and assurance over safety data, as well as concerns over outstanding fire and electrical safety work, oversight of damp and mould and whether improvements in the repairs service could be sustained.
Criticism also extended to how tenants experienced the service. The regulator identified weaknesses in access to housing services, resident engagement, information provided to tenants and complaints handling, while further work was needed to identify and record the needs of vulnerable residents.
However, the regulator also found areas where Ealing was performing well. It said the council was providing an effective, efficient and timely repairs service at the time of inspection, had made significant improvements in building safety compliance and was meeting required standards covering neighbourhoods, antisocial behaviour and tenancies.
It also found tenants were treated with respect and recognised substantial improvements made in the six months before the inspection.
Concerns over Ealing Council’s housing services date back to 2022, when the council referred itself to the regulator after internal audits identified out-of-date fire risk assessments and insufficient evidence that remedial works involving gas, electrical, asbestos and water safety were being properly monitored.
A Voluntary Undertaking was put in place to address the concerns, but the council failed to satisfy it in May 2025. Its subsequent review identified underlying problems including weaknesses in oversight, staffing shortages, information being spread across different systems and the management of contractors, while improvements to safety compliance, repairs and complaints had not always been sustained.
But the latest figures show substantial progress in some areas. Overdue electrical remedial actions fell from 1,884 in July 2025 to 81 by May 2026, while overdue fire remedial actions dropped from 930 to 20.
Stock condition surveys had reached 90% of council homes, with 95% reported as meeting the Decent Homes Standard.
Further work is continuing on safety assurance, damp and mould, repairs, complaints, resident engagement and identifying vulnerable tenants.
The council’s aim is to reach C1, but there is no fixed timetable for a regrading. The council will need to show that its improvements can be sustained if it is to achieve the highest grade.
The Regulator of Social Housing continues to meet council officers monthly to monitor progress, while the Provider Improvement Strategy is expected to go to Cabinet for approval in September.
Cllr Andrew Walkley, Ealing Green Party councillor and a member of the Housing and Environment Scrutiny Panel, told EALING.NEWS: “The housing improvement plan is another reset for the council after allowing repair backlogs and unprofessional practice to develop within the service. The plan is good in theory and we acknowledge the real progress in prioritising electrical and fire safety repairs.
“However, there are ongoing concerns about how leaseholders are sidelined and if the council can make changes stick given ongoing staffing issues and reliance on contractors. And in that, it continues to be limited by a government that expects the market to solve the problem. We need far more investment and public control to build, own and maintain housing that people want in the places they want it.”
Cllr Julian Gallant, leader of Ealing Conservatives, told EALING.NEWS: “In 2022, Ealing voluntarily referred itself to the regulator to preempt sanction for its poor safety standards. In 2025, the regulator did not accept the level of improvement and awarded the Council a C2 grading.
“This is obviously unacceptable, and the Council’s failings are reflected in the poor quality of social housing provision across the Borough. There now needs to be total transparency and a corporate desire for improvement expressed in manageable timelines for completion and proper funding.”
Following the scrutiny meeting, an Ealing Council spokesperson told EALING.NEWS: “Ealing Council is committed to providing safe, high-quality homes and services for our tenants. Following the Regulator of Social Housing’s judgement, we undertook a comprehensive review of our housing services to understand the underlying causes of the issues identified and to ensure the necessary improvements are delivered and sustained. We are focused on strengthening our governance, data systems, capacity, service delivery and accountability.
“The judgement also recognised a number of areas where we are performing strongly, including our understanding of the condition of our homes, improvements in compliance and repairs performance, and our compliance with the Neighbourhood and Community and Tenancy Standards. The C2 grading reflects that, while there were areas requiring improvement, we were delivering a range of services effectively and had positive foundations on which to build.
“There is still more work to do and we are not complacent. Our focus is on embedding improvements into day-to-day operations, strengthening resident engagement and continuing to improve services. While our ambition is to achieve the highest possible regulatory standards, any future regulatory judgement is a matter for the Regulator of Social Housing. Our priority is delivering lasting improvements that give tenants confidence in the safety and quality of the homes and services we provide.”
