Southwark will build 2,000 homes in six months to keep to their promise of being a “good landlord”.

The three-month-old Good Landlord Plan came after the Regulator of Social Housing gave Southwark Council a C3 rating, which indicates significant improvement is needed. The regulator said there were “serious failings”.

Michael Situ, Cabinet Member for Council Homes, said, “We want everyone in Southwark to have a decent home and we’re working to become a good landlord to everyone living in our homes.”

The plan promises better homes and repairs and a stronger voice for tenants and leaseholders.

By March end, the 2,000 new homes will have up to date electrical certification and smoke alarms, the Council has promised. By end April, the homes will be complete. The Council says it will invest £250m over the next three years to improve the safety and standards of homes.

Some concerns have been raised about the Good Landlord Plan, not least that it is too ambitious and that rather than just focussing on building new homes, Southwark should also work to improve problems with current homes, such as dampness and mould.

The Council claims the Good Landlord Plan is progressing well but residents’ complaints rose in the year from 2022. A Freedom of Information request by the Liberal Democrats revealed 602 complaints of damp and mouldy housing conditions in 2023, up from 498 the previous year.