Croydon Council has paid out over £18,000 in compensation to tenants during the 2023/24 financial year, according to the latest annual report from the Housing Ombudsman.

This represents a significant increase from the previous year when the council paid just £1,800 in compensation.

The findings were revealed in the recent Housing Ombudsman’s report for 2023/24.

The report assesses the performance of landlords across the country.

Alongside its increased compensation numbers, Croydon Council’s maladministration rate – effectively meaning the council hasn’t done something it should have done – experienced a rise in the last year.

It currently stands at 81 per cent, a significant increase from 67 per cent the previous year.

When it came to severe maladministration, the council’s performance was notably worse than other landlords of a similar size and type, a 12 per cent rate compared to 8 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.

Croydon Council’s housing issues have been under close scrutiny since 2021, when it was reported that tenants in the Regina Road estate in South Norwood were living in poor conditions, with ongoing problems such as mould and leaks.

An independent report at the time pointed to significant management and staffing issues, which had compromised the safety and wellbeing of residents.

Work is now under way to demolish the three tower blocks, along with other nearby council-owned properties, after it was concluded that the condition of the flats was beyond repair. In response to these concerns, Croydon Council established a Housing Improvement Board, which meets bi-monthly.

The Board is tasked with monitoring the council’s progress in addressing the issues outlined in the independent report, and provides feedback to the council’s cabinet on the delivery of housing improvement works.

The board aims to ensure the council meets the targets set out in the report and improves the quality of housing for residents.

Lib Dem Councillor Claire Bonham, who represents Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “There are clear signs that Croydon Council is still failing tenants and there is room for much improvement.

“I know from my own casework locally that tenants still struggle to get timely and consistent responses from the council and that getting repairs done is a struggle.

"In one case recently an urgent enquiry that I raised via the Member’s Enquiry System went ‘missing’ and was only dealt with when I escalated the issue.

“Cases being referred to the ombudsman and requiring compensation should be a rare occurrence, if at all, and the Tory Mayor should apologise to tenants for this poorly performing service.”

A Croydon Council spokesperson said: “We take the findings in the Housing Ombudsman’s report very seriously and are sorry for the areas where we fell short.

"We believe all residents have the right to live in safe, secure, and warm homes. Our main focus is to fix these issues and keep building on the progress we’ve made over the past year.

In 2021, following years of lack of investment, we recognised significant failures in our housing services.

After a self-referral to the Regulator for Social Housing (RSH) we have worked to address the issues.

In December 2022, we launched a transformation plan with a focus on improving our service for residents over the next three to five years.

Like many social housing landlords across London, we have seen an increase in complaints and referrals to the Housing Ombudsman Service during 2023–24.

We have already taken significant steps to strengthen our housing services, by introducing a new in-house contact centre and are working with three new repairs contractors.

We continue to work with our residents and our contractors as part of our transformation plan.

We are beginning to see better handling of complaints and continue to strengthen resident engagement to resolve concerns effectively and have been working with residents on the key areas where we need to improve our complaints management.

We have also made changes to how we deal with damp and mould, by setting up a dedicated team, reviewing how we handle these concerns, and training staff to offer better support.

Our goal is to ensure residents receive a service they can trust and a home they can feel proud of.

“While the report highlights areas for improvement, we are committed to learning from it and making sure our housing services meet national standards. We remain focused on listening to residents, spending wisely, and building trust within the community.

"While there is more to do, we are on the path to a stronger, more reliable housing service.”