Haringey is most complained about local authority for damp and mould

New data from Uswitch Energy has revealed that Haringey is the UK’s most complained about local authority when it comes to damp and mould. In 2023/24 Haringey received 31 complaints per 10,000 social housing units, far outstripping the vast majority of councils. Of the UK’s 317 local authorities, only 7 breached 15 complaints per 10,000 units - a level only half as bad as Haringey.

This comes barely a month since it was revealed that Haringey’s tenant satisfaction when it comes to complaint handling is the third worst in England, with only 17% of tenants satisfied with the council’s performance.

The new data is the latest in a litany of damning verdicts on Haringey’s housing services, including the Housing Ombudsman criticising “a culture of apathy and acceptance of poor practice”; “unreasonable delays in the landlord’s response to reports of disrepair”; and “clear evidence of service failure”; and the Social Housing Regulator revealing the council “put thousands of tenants at potential risk by failing to meet health and safety requirements for fire and electrical safety”.

Cllr Dawn Barnes, Haringey Liberal Democrats’ Opposition Spokesperson on Housing, said:

“I can no longer be surprised, but it’s still incredibly disappointing to see Haringey’s Labour Council once again hitting the headlines for its appalling record on providing liveable conditions for its tenants. Residents in council homes have suffered through years of empty promises, but nothing is improving. The lack of urgency from the council’s leadership is simply indefensible.”