Councils' window repair wait times 'indefensible'

One resident in Fulham previously told the BBC she uses duct tape to try to make their windows safer

Several London councils have been accused of "indefensible" failures to fix broken windows in social housing by a watchdog, with some families waiting up to five years.

The Housing Ombudsman said more than half the cases involved children, warning delays had put health and safety at risk.

In one case described as "inexcusable", Harrow Council took more than two years to fix a faulty window in a baby's bedroom, despite knowing about the issue before the family moved in.

Councils including Harrow, Lambeth and Islington apologised, saying they had since improved repairs systems.

The watchdog's investigation found landlords were failing to consider the individual circumstances of residents, with some tenants left in unsafe or unhealthy conditions for years.

Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said some councils allowed repairs to "drag on" because of planned major works, but argued the conditions endured by residents were "impossible to justify".

"Crucially, we repeatedly see a failure to connect the circumstances of the household to the condition of the property," he said.

"Reports of the risk of falling, fire safety, and exposure to cold and damp and mould are not always heeded."

The report highlighted several cases:

• Lambeth Council took three years to address windows it knew were unfit, while the tenant was not told why the work was delayed

• Lewisham Council left a boarded-up bedroom window in a high-rise flat for four years, despite repeated concerns from a father about his children's safety and lack of natural light

• Hammersmith and Fulham Council was criticised for poor record-keeping and twice wrongly marking repairs as complete

• In Islington, a mother said her son's health was made worse because none of the flat's windows could close properly during winter and there was "no evidence the landlord assessed this risk", the Ombudsman said.

The findings were published in the same week the National Child Mortality Database reported 13 deaths of children who fell from social housing windows in the past six years.

In some cases, families had previously reported problems with broken windows.

Islington councillor John Woolf, executive member for homes and communities, apologised for delays which he said were linked to major works.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the council was improving reporting systems and had shared changes with the Ombudsman.

Lambeth Council also apologised, saying it had compensated residents, completed the necessary work, and carried out reviews to learn lessons.

A spokesperson added that window restrictors were now fitted in all empty properties above ground level.

Other councils said they were investing in improvements.

Hammersmith and Fulham, Harrow and Lambeth councils highlighted hundreds of millions of pounds spent on maintaining homes.

Lewisham said it was hiring more repairs staff and strengthening record-keeping, while Islington said it would use "more robust" temporary fixes where full replacement was not economical.

The LDRS said it had approached the other councils named for further comment.