Nottingham City Council has launched its first comprehensive inspection of council housing in eight years, even though it requires private landlords to conduct property checks every four months. The city’s strict selective licensing rules, implemented in 2018, have imposed severe penalties on private landlords for even minor infractions.
The move to inspect council homes comes as the council faces the need to meet newly established mandatory social housing standards. Nottingham City Council acknowledges that significant efforts are necessary to update and improve its housing stock to comply with these standards.
This initiative is part of a broader effort following the council’s recent reclamation of control over Nottingham City Homes (NCH), its previous arms-length management organisation. This change was prompted by findings in 2021 that considerable funds had been mismanaged, with an estimated £51 million needed to address the misallocation. The council plans to conduct inspections over the coming months to assess and rectify the deficiencies within its housing units.