Rugby told to improve after report finds ‘significant failings’

More than 600 social homes managed by Rugby Borough Council do not have smoke alarms installed, while a further 800 lack up to date electrical inspections, a government report has revealed.

The local authority has now been told it has to improve, after inspectors from the government’s social housing regulator found “serious failings” with its social housing service, including issues with repairs, and gaps in the information held by the council regarding the condition of its properties.

However the regulator says the council has been “engaging constructively” as it seeks to rectify the failures, adding that it does not plan to use its enforcement powers for the time being.

Inspectors visited the council earlier this month, after it made a self-referral over concerns about the accuracy and completeness of its housing repairs data last year.

In a report published following the inspection, the regulator told the council it needed to make significant improvements in order to meet the required standards in safety and quality, as well as with transparency, influence and accountability.

Social housing landlords are required to keep accurate records of the condition of individual properties, to ensure that all the homes it manages meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard, a benchmark which indicates that houses are maintained to adequate levels.

However, inspectors found that while Rugby Borough Council believed 99.54% of its properties met the standard, it did not hold enough information from surveys carried out by external contractors to properly analyse the results.

The report added that the council was unable to demonstrate it had an accurate understanding of how its repairs service was performing, with systems issues hampering the accuracy of records for repairs made at its properties.

In addition, hundreds of homes were without a smoke alarm or an up to date electrical certificate – although inspectors said the council was in the process of addressing the most serious concerns.

“Overall, we have assurance that Rugby BC is meeting the legal requirements that relate to the health and safety of tenants in their homes and communal areas, although there are some identified weaknesses, which it is addressing,” the report said.

“Rugby BC identified 800 homes with Electrical Installation Condition Reports over five years old and has implemented an accelerated inspection programme to complete these. There are also 600 homes without a smoke alarm, and Rugby BC is using a range of initiatives to gain access and complete installation.

“We also identified a weakness in its approach to tracking and reporting safety remedial actions. Rugby BC has plans to address this through the implementation of a new asset management system. We will continue to engage with Rugby BC as it completes these improvements.”

In response, the council said it “welcomed” the findings of the report, which it said had found strengths in the council’s work to tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents, and confirmed that homes are allocated in a fair and transparent way.

The authority says a stock condition survey has now been 87% completed, with an additional £850,000 of funding allocated for repairs, alongside investment a new asset management system, due to go live in 2026/27. It adds that a strengthened performance management framework and new tenant engagement framework, “Have Your Say and Make a Difference”, has also been introduced.

“It is important that we are open about where services need to improve,” said Cllr Noreen New, Rugby Borough Council spokesperson for communities, homes, safety, and regulation.

“The regulator’s findings set a clear benchmark for the standards our tenants should expect, and work is already underway to ensure those changes make a tangible difference.

“We will continue to provide transparent updates on progress and ensure that tenant voices are central as these changes are delivered.”

The full judgement and report for Rugby Borough Council can be found on the Regulator of Social Housing website.