After recently threatening private landlords with unrestricted fines and will “have control of their properties removed”, Newham council has been slammed for its ‘severe maladministration’.

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The Housing Ombudsman oversees social housing has just blasted Newham for its poor handling of a damp and mould case which took more than three years to resolve.

Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, says: “There were significant failings throughout this case which left the resident living with damp and mould for an unreasonable amount of time.

“On multiple occasions throughout the course of the complaint, a lack of proactive action and poor communication, both with the resident and internally, contributed to significant delays.

“Despite repeated issues with communications from its repairs team, the landlord [Newham council] did not change its approach and take ownership of the resolution of the issues. Whilst there were severe delays to the repairs, the landlord also took too long to arrange temporary accommodation and to respond to the resident about his damaged belongings.

“I welcome the landlord’s response to the lessons from this report and its extensive efforts to put in place a stronger and more proactive approach to addressing damp and mould.”

In light of the scathing Ombudsman report it is even more ironic that Newham has recently threatened landlords in a press statement warning them that they only have a few days left to apply for its new licensing scheme.

Any landlords failing to sign up for the compulsory Selective Licence by the end of August are told in the statement will “risk an unlimited fine or having control of properties taken away.”

The council’s latest Selective Licensing scheme started on June 1 and its press statement warns landlords that next month it will be intensifying up enforcement visits and inspections “to find and take action against unlicensed properties.”

At the end of February Newham’s previous licensing scheme ended which had 42,000 properties licenced, it claims 70 per cent came under audits or officer visits.

During the licence’s five year term over 2,620 breach of licence investigations were carried out and 387 penalty final notices being issued for fines between £5,000 to £30,000.

The council also sent 6,447 enforcement letters.