Local authority chiefs in South Tyneside have approved a revised repairs and maintenance policy to reinforce their commitment to safe, well-maintained council homes.

The policy, which was given the go-ahead at the latest meeting of South Tyneside Council’s ruling Cabinet, will ensure compliance with new consumer standards introduced by the Regulator of Social Housing.

These standards require landlords to ensure homes are safe and of good quality, respond promptly to repairs, and provide clear accountability to tenants.

placeholder image — South Shields Town Hall | LDRS

Under the policy, emergency repairs will continue to be prioritised, with make-safe attendance within four hours and urgent issues resolved within 24 hours.

Dedicated measures for tackling damp, mould and condensation are supported by the council’s healthy homes team, which surveyed thousands of homes last year to identify risks early.

The updated policy follows extensive consultation with council tenants and introduces a new tenants repairs guide to make responsibilities clearer and improve communication.

Councillor Jane Carter, cabinet member for housing and community safety, said the policy will ensure “tenants are safe, heard and that we act quickly to put things right.”

Speaking at the meeting (on Wednesday, December 3), the deputy council leader added the move will allow the council “to continue to deliver a modern, robust repair service, supported by clear concise tenant guidance that incorporates tenant feedback.”

She continued: “The policy and tenant guide were developed using sector benchmarking and likeminded registered providers of social housing, as well as using learning from our complaints handling and findings from Housing Ombudsman spotlight reports.”

Performance figures from the tenants’ annual report highlight the scale of the council’s work, with 91,051 repair requests handled in 2024/25 and 86% completed at the first visit.

There were 14,498 emergency repairs, including over 6,000 heating emergencies, with 99.98% completed within timescale.

Meanwhile the council invested £27 million in homes, delivering 1,264 heating and boiler installations, 275 kitchens and 188 bathrooms, alongside 12,390 building safety inspections and 4,000 fire door checks.

Gas safety compliance remained at 100% for the 14th consecutive year.

The 2025/26 council homes tenant satisfaction survey, presented to the housing and environment scrutiny committee in October, showed 77% of those who received repairs in the last 12 months were satisfied with the service, up from 71% last year.

This figure was above the national benchmark of 74%.

Meanwhile in South Tyneside 75% were satisfied with the time taken on the last repair, up from 67% the previous year, and again above the national figure of 70%.

The revised policy will now be formally adopted from April 2026, supported by a communication plan to ensure tenants understand their rights and responsibilities.