Council tenants in Newham are becoming happier with their homes, according to a town hall survey – despite a rise in complaints.
A tenants satisfaction survey carried out by Newham Council found that 71 per cent of people who responded said they were happy overall with the service they received – up from 59 per cent the previous year.
However, the number of complaints the council received also increased.
Newham mayor Rokhsana Fiaz said the results were a “welcome sign that the council’s housing service is resolutely focused” on improving its housing service.
She said: “While noting the progress we have made so far, we are not complacent and there is more progress to come. I want to ensure that every resident living in a council home has the confidence in our housing services and that they live in a decent and safe house.”
The figures come after the council’s housing service was given a C4 grading – the lowest possible – by the Regulator for Social Housing in October 2024.
The inspection found “very serious failings” including thousands of overdue fire safety remedial actions and repairs.
Now the new figures show that the proportion of council tenants who are satisfied that their home is safe has increased from 71 per cent to 77 per cent.
The proportion of respondents who say they are satisfied that their landlord listens to them increased from 54 per cent to 63 per cent.
However, the number of complaints the council received increased to 174 per 1,000 homes – up from 84 the previous year.
A council spokesperson said they believe this is because tenants have been encouraged to report issues and raise complaints by the Regulator for Social Housing and the Housing Ombudsman.
The figures also show that all fire and gas safety checks were completed in the 2024/25 financial year – up from 98 per cent for each in the previous year.
Newham Council carried out the survey in a standard way set by the Regulator for Social Housing, to show how it is meeting the regulator’s tenant satisfaction measures.
Blossom Young, cabinet member for council housing improvements, said she was pleased improvements had been reflected in the survey, but admitted that the council still has “a long way to go on our journey of change”.
