East Devon District Council welcomes findings from first housing regulatory inspection

The inspection, carried out May-July 2025, assessed the council’s housing operations against four consumer standards. These standards, established by the Regulator of Social Housing, are designed to ensure tenants across the country receive high-quality homes and services.

The council received a consumer grade of “C2” (the highest possible grade being C1), with inspectors acknowledging several key strengths and initiatives designed to enhance services and deliver good experiences for tenants.

While some weaknesses were identified, the grading shows that the council is performing well in these areas:

• Housing quality

By completing a comprehensive physical assessment covering 90% of its properties, the council now has an accurate understanding of the condition of the housing stock. This insight is already shaping a new investment plan to ensure every home meets the Decent Homes Standard.

• Health and safety compliance

The council is broadly compliant and has, by working alongside the UK Health Security Agency, actively addressed areas of elevated radon risk. Improvements are also underway to enhance health and safety oversight and reporting.

• Tenant engagement

The council continues to support tenant involvement through its Housing Review Board and Tenant Scrutiny Panel, plus accessible communications including a recently launched Resident Engagement Hub and associated ‘digital confidence’ skills workshops.

• Complaints handling and learning

Revised procedures for dealing with complaints and reporting data (for instance, themes identified and actions taken to improve) to tenants and the council’s political leadership team demonstrate a strong commitment to transparency and continuous learning.

The Regulator of Social Housing’s judgement aligns with the recently published results of the council’s stock condition survey, which confirmed that:

• 93% of homes meet the Decent Homes Standard – above the national average.
• Only 1.27% of homes had serious safety issues, all of which have been addressed.
• £311 million has been allocated for long-term investment over the next 30 years.

The council is moving forward with a comprehensive improvement plan aimed at raising standards and strengthening services. Key actions include:

• Conducting rolling physical surveys of all homes.
• Modernising tenancy policies to better meet current needs.
• Enhancing performance reporting and streamlining complaint resolution.
• Expanding tenant engagement, with a focus on underrepresented groups.

Councillor Dan Ledger, Portfolio Holder Sustainable Homes and Communities, East Devon District Council, said: “We’re proud of the work our teams and tenants have done to get us to this point. This inspection confirms the progress we’re making, from investing in better data to engaging tenants and addressing areas for improvement. The Regulator of Social Housing’s judgement provides a strong platform for further progress and helps us focus on where we can do better. We’ll continue working closely with the regulator as we move towards meeting C1 standards, while keeping our tenants at the heart of everything we do.”