'Defensive' council fails on 92% of housing issues

Lewisham Council was investigated by the housing ombudsman

A south London council has widespread failings in its accommodation, with a "poor culture" in danger of being "defensive" the Housing Ombudsman has found.

In 92% of cases managed by Lewisham Council, there were "serious issues" including major delays in tackling hazards that could be detrimental to residents' health.

The ombudsman also found nearly a quarter of homes in the borough fell below the Decent Homes Standard as of September 2024 – more than double the London average.

Lewisham Council has acknowledged "the significant impact" its failings had on residents and said it had "taken decisive steps" to address the issues raised.

The most severe issues related to leaks, damp and mould

The investigation reviewed 28 cases between July 2024 and October 2024, which revealed nine incidents of "severe maladministration", with the main cause relating to leaks, damp and mould.

A total of 3,295 cases were open as of the end of September 2024, according to the special report, which have since fallen to 1,794 at the end of July 2025.

In one case, a resident with three vulnerable children, including one who had a life threatening brain tumour, had repeatedly contacted the council after it had failed to fix ongoing issues with damp and mould in the property.

The report found that the local authority took over 32 months to complete some of the extensive list of repairs needed, with follow up works on damp being "abandoned without explanation".

In May 2024 Melesia Howard told BBC London her experience of being a council tenant in Lewisham was like "living in a horror film".

Lewisham Council was investigated by the housing ombudsman

The report identified a "poor culture" within the council's housing service, reflected in the "tone of correspondence, a failure to prioritise repairs, provide updates on complaints or the landlord's attitude".

In response to the findings, Lewisham Council set up a Complaint Handling Improvement Plan (CHIP), which included guidance for staff.

However, the ombudsman suggested some of these guides "may make the organisation appear defensive" by alluding to residents "making up" complaints or the council "not being at fault".

Lewisham Council said: "Our repairs teams are completing more jobs per day and we have strengthened quality assurance processes, including post-repair inspections and regular contractor reviews.

"Waiting times for residents contacting us have fallen significantly, and we have recruited additional staff to improve responsiveness.

"We have also reduced open cases of damp and mould and improved our stock condition data through a survey of over 80% of the homes we manage."

The council acknowledged that "rebuilding trust takes time and sustained effort" and it was committed to learning from complaints and was preparing for new legal standards.