The Scrutiny Homes Sub-Committee of Croydon Council met on Tuesday 14 July 2026 to review the financial performance of the Housing service for the 2025/26 financial year and to consider the proposed work programme for 2026/27. The meeting also included discussions on the Private Rented Sector (PRS) licensing scheme and the Temporary Accommodation Charging Policy.

Financial Performance Overview for 2025/26

The committee was scheduled to receive an overview of the financial performance for the Housing service during the 2025/26 financial year. The report indicated an overall underspend against the budget of £3.29 million for the Housing General Fund, with key underspends noted in Temporary Accommodation (TA) and staffing costs due to vacancies. Conversely, there were overspends in areas such as Concord, Sycamore & Windsor, and service running costs, which included a one-off expenditure for the acquisition of Red Clover as a TA block.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) showed an underspend of £1.6 million, primarily attributed to increased income collection. This underspend meant that the drawdown from the HRA reserve was £1.6 million lower than budgeted. Disrepair claims were highlighted as an ongoing concern, and the impact of legislative changes, including Awaab's Law¹ coming into effect from October 2025, remained a priority.

In terms of the HRA Capital programme, there was an underspend of £13.1 million. This was largely due to lower than anticipated expenditure on acquisitions (£5.8 million), the Regina Road project (£3.0 million), and gas/fire servicing (£3.3 million). The reduction in gas and fire servicing expenditure from capital to revenue costs was noted.

Private Rented Sector (PRS) Licensing Scheme

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to an update on the Private Rented Sector (PRS) licensing scheme, presented by Mark Baigent, Strategic Lead. The discussion was scheduled to cover the types of landlord licensing and enforcement powers available, including mandatory HMO licensing, Additional HMO Licensing, and Selective Licensing, all of which were set to commence on 25 September 2026. Enforcement powers extend beyond licensing under various acts, with potential consequences including civil financial penalties, criminal prosecutions, and court fines.

The strategic policy objectives for the PRS included improving housing conditions and management standards, increasing tenant awareness of their rights, reducing anti-social behaviour, and creating a sustainable regulatory framework. Progress to date included the approval of Additional and Selective Licensing by Cabinet in March 2026, with the Judicial Review period having expired. A communications plan was in place to inform landlords, affecting approximately 35,000 homes, and recruitment of additional enforcement and advice staff was underway. Procurement for a licensing IT system and administration services was also planned. The committee was also to consider a stand-alone combined Housing Enforcement Policy, scheduled for Cabinet approval in July, which would outline a proportionate approach to enforcement for failure to license and non-compliance with improvement notices, as well as breaches of the new Renters Rights Act.

Work Programme 2026/27

The Sub-Committee was scheduled to consider additions, amendments, or changes to its draft work programme for the 2026/27 municipal year. The proposed work programme included items such as an overview of the Service & Improvement plan, focusing on out-of-borough placements, demand management, and the landlord function's support for homelessness. A financial performance overview for Homes and updates on the Private Sector Licensing Scheme and Temporary Accommodation Charging Policy were also listed. Future items for deep-dive scrutiny included the General Fund Budget and the Housing Revenue Account Budget/Business Plan. The committee was also invited to suggest additional scrutiny topics and identify individuals or groups to assist in future meetings.

Temporary Accommodation Charging Policy

The agenda indicated that the committee was scheduled to discuss the Council's charging policy for temporary accommodation.

Housing & Housing Improvement Tracker

An overview of the Housing and Housing Improvement Tracker was also listed on the agenda, though details of what this would entail were not specified in the provided documents.