Housing Transformation: Board agrees next steps to speed up re-lets
Work to get empty council homes back into use faster has moved into a new phase, with a series of changes agreed to accelerate re-letting times and improve the experience for incoming tenants.
The Housing Transformation Board reviewed progress and agreed next steps across Housing and Building Maintenance services, noting a significant 20% improvement in void turnaround times over the past year and a clear ambition to go further.
A key area of discussion was early access - an approach that allows housing and repairs teams to assess and, where possible, begin work on a property while the outgoing tenant is still in residence.
By understanding what a home needs before it becomes vacant, teams can reduce the gap between one tenancy ending and the next beginning, and in some cases carry out repairs before the keys are even handed back. The Board agreed to progress a pilot where tenants will be offered incentives to allow early-access from June, subject to governance and legal considerations.
Incentive options being explored include free bulky waste uplift and financial support aligned with existing disturbance and downsizing frameworks. Clear communication and direct tenant engagement will be central to the pilot's success.
The Board also agreed to move forward with a refresh of the lettable standard, which sets out the condition and quality a property must reach before it can be let to a tenant. A draft will be shared with Board members by mid-May, followed by tenant consultation and staff engagement sessions across Housing, Building Maintenance and the Contact Centre.
To reduce avoidable delays, the Board heard how a new process for checking on the quality of the repairs undertaken in empty homes, will be in place shortly. The existing process of double checking 10% of properties will be replaced with high-quality videos of completed works, while retaining in-person checks for higher-value voids. This change is expected to save one to three days per property, while maintaining quality and value for money.
Updates were also provided on improved electrical compliance checks. There are now just 2% outside the five-year electrical safety cycle, with numbers continuing to reduce weekly. A new digital EICR system will go live in June, reducing administration and supporting a return to a full five-year cycle for most properties.
The Board welcomed proposals to pilot a more proactive cyclical maintenance programme over 12 weeks that would see £79,000 invested over the period, targeting 1,600 properties across the authority. This will primarily be focussed on the external fabric of homes, including gutter and down pipe cleaning, minor roof repairs as well as gully cleaning.
Pending the success of the pilot, consideration will be given to widening the scope of the programme to include the proactive maintenance of doors and windows, to maximise their lifespan.
Karen Algie, Director of Transformation, Communities and Corporate Services, said:
The progress teams have made over the past year is significant, and this meeting was about how we build on that momentum. By streamlining processes, making standards clearer and focusing on delivery, we can reduce delays, improve the experience for tenants and make better use of our housing stock at a time when demand is exceptionally high.
Progress on staff communications was also noted. The Housing Transformation web page and Viva Engage channel are both live, and TV screens are being installed in depots and working areas to keep frontline staff connected with the latest updates.