Croydon Council Continues to House Residents in Unsuitable Housing

Despite no longer being in ‘special measures’, more than 800 homes owned by Croydon Council have unresolved damp and mould problems, leaving residents at risk of ill health.

The South London borough of Croydon is home to just under 400,000 people, with around 18% living in social housing. The council owns around 14,000 social homes, and like many other areas around the country, waiting lists for social housing are growing. Between 2016 and 2021, the average waiting time to get into social housing was almost six years. Such a demand on housing stock means there is often nowhere for tenants to move to when significant repairs are required.

Coming out of ‘special measures’ means Croydon Council has significantly improved its social housing management, but a recent news article has highlighted that its problems have not entirely gone away. A Freedom of Information request has revealed that at least 824 properties in Croydon still have unresolved damp and mould issues. With the introduction of Awaab’s Law in October 2025, the Council admits there is “more to do” to make sure they can support residents effectively.

Regina Road scandal

A national scandal emerged in 2021 when residents of high-rise flats in Regina Road, Croydon, were found to have been living in “slum-like conditions of dangerous squalor”. The risk to health and the likelihood that other buildings under Croydon Council’s management were also affected led to an independent investigation by ARK Consultancy.

The ARK report highlighted that:

• A mains water leak at 1-87 Regina Road went undiagnosed and unrepaired for four years, becoming a significant problem that presented a health and safety risk and impacted residents’ quality of life
• Systemic problems across the Council’s repairs, asset management and tenancy management teams were to blame
• There was a failure to deliver “even basic core housing services effectively”, caused by a lack of capacity and competence, a poor operating culture, poor communication and bad management
• A further 26 blocks of flats should be surveyed for similar maintenance issues

The Council fully accepted the investigation’s findings and vowed to “address immediate issues highlighted at Regina Road”. It introduced an improvement programme to “transform housing services across the board so that they are fit for purpose”. It also self-referred to the Regulator of Social Housing, the government-backed body responsible for setting standards in the social housing sector.

The Social Housing Regulator’s responsibilities include regulating social landlords, including local authorities, to ensure they are “well-governed, financially viable and offer value for money”. Since 2024, the Regulator has been given additional powers to conduct regulatory inspections of social landlords.

Special measures

Croydon Council was placed in special measures in early 2023, following a series of “bad investments and governance failings” which pushed it into “effective bankruptcy”. This term is used when a local authority has run out of money and can no longer meet its current or future spending commitments. All management decisions, particularly in its finance and housing departments, were tightly monitored by independent commissioners and a “government-appointed improvement panel”. Services were cut and assets sold off to help improve the financial position, and predictably, council tax bills rose by record levels in subsequent years.

It was announced in April 2025 that, after four years of monitoring and £30 million spent on improvements, the Housing Regulator was satisfied Croydon Council’s social housing provision could be removed from special measures. The funds had been used for essential upgrades and repairs to social housing and for training staff in damp and mould awareness, fire safety, and customer care. During that time, the blocks of flats on Regina Road were deemed to be so poor that they should be demolished and replaced with new social housing.

Croydon Council and Awaab’s Law

Commenting on the 824 homes still awaiting repair, a spokesperson for Croydon Council said:

“While this data suggests that we have a large number of works in progress, the number is proportionate to the size of Croydon borough – the most populous of all London boroughs – and reflects the number of social homes we have.

“Fixing damp and mould is a top priority, and we’ve made a lot of changes to improve how we deal with cases that are reported to us. Since 1 April 2023, we record damp and mould cases using a separate repair category, with targets aligned with the requirements of Awaabs Law. By recording damp and mould cases in this way, this supports us to monitor cases and make sure they are followed up properly.

“Over the last two years, like many other local authorities, we have seen an increase in the number of cases of damp and mould, owing to widespread media on the issue and our improved communications with residents about the importance of reporting damp and mould.

“We have a dedicated team to focus on damp and mould, made our repair processes faster, and trained staff to better support residents. We also give advice to help prevent damp and carry out repairs, like adding extra ventilation. We invested £32m to improve our homes during 2024/25 and plan to spend a further £42m during 2025/26.

“We are continuing to prepare for the introduction of Awaab’s Law, making sure our approach meets the new requirements and supports faster, more consistent action. We know there is more to do, but we are working to make our housing service better and support our residents more effectively.”

The introduction of Awaab’s Law – named after the two-year-old boy, Awaab Ishak, who tragically lost his life as a result of untreated black mould in his family’s social housing flat –  means social landlords have a legal responsibility to carry out housing repairs across a range of issues, including damp and mould, in a satisfactory and timely manner.

Housing disrepair compensation claims

Tenants who have complained to their landlord and have not received a satisfactory resolution to the problem can escalate the complaint to Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS) for free or consult a solicitor for legal advice.

The Housing Ombudsman Service reviews the circumstances of a case and investigates whether a social landlord’s actions were fair and reasonable. The HOS website explains what findings it may reach, including maladministration (or not), service failure or redress. Redress can mean ensuring repairs are carried out, apologies are made, or financial compensation is awarded.

Claims can be brought for a number of different reasons, including:

• Mould, fungus or damp
• Leaks, flooding or water damage
• Cracks and structural damage
• Defective roofing or gutters
• Defective brickwork
• Insect infestations
• Faulty plumbing, heating and broken boilers
• Vermin infestations (rats/mice)
• Electrical faults
• Broken doors, windows, and locks

Premier Legal Assist can help

At Premier Legal Assist, we work alongside a team of specialist solicitors with vast experience in housing disrepair law cases. These cases involve various housing associations and local authorities across the UK.

Our team of solicitors is committed to delivering the best possible outcome for our clients, providing support and guidance throughout the process.
To find out if you may be eligible to make a housing disrepair claim, contact us through WhatsApp or complete this form.