York councillors have launched a fresh investigation into the state of housing repairs for thousands of council tenants. The People Scrutiny Committee approved a new Task and Finish Group on 8 July, which will take a forensic look at maintenance and repair services across the council’s roughly 7,430 homes.
The review, requested by Councillor Waller following a decline in tenant satisfaction, will examine senior management changes, the appointments service and how contractors operate. Work runs through summer and autumn, with a final report and recommendations scheduled for December 2026.
This internal push comes just months after the Regulator of Social Housing handed the council its first ever consumer grade of C2 in April, flagging “some weaknesses” in safety, quality and transparency. At the time, 79 per cent of all repairs and 90 per cent of emergency call‑outs were completed on time, but the regulator noted “significant challenges in staff recruitment and retention” that have hit performance.
The new group will consult tenants, residents’ associations and independent living projects, drawing on post‑repair satisfaction scores and the regulator’s required actions. Council leaders have already reintroduced estate walkabouts, set up a neighbourhood caretaker team and put extra money into local improvements as part of an action plan to reach a C1 rating at the next inspection.
The meeting took place at West Offices on Station Rise. A separate remit document for the review spells out its full terms of reference.
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