As I write Brent's Senior Staff Appointments Sub-Committee are meeting to interview applicants for the post of Corporate Director Residents and Housing Services. As can be seen above it is a demanding job, made all the more demanding by Awaab's Law that comes into force today and the preparation of the Action Plan that should give priorties and timeline for implementing the recommendations of the Social Housing Regulator.
The Council has already moved to improve its failing communication strategy with teants and leaseholders with a key meeting this Wednesday at the Civic Centre:
Tenant & Leaseholder Open Day - Wednesday October 9th Civic Centre 3-7pm
- Meet your Area Tenancy Manager
- Discuss what matters most to you
- Ask questions and get advice on housing issues
- Access support and useful services
- Discover local organisations
- Find out how you can get more involved in your local community
Pop in at any time that suits you - stay for a quick chat or for the whole afternoon.
Join the Resident Complaints focus group
We’re committed to improving Brent’s housing complaints process and are looking for residents to share their experiences.
Join a friendly group working to make the system fairer, quicker, and more effective. Your insights can help shape real improvements for everyone.
What’s involved?
- Attend meetings at times that suit the group (six throughout the year)
- Share your views on how complaints are handled and suggest ways to improve the process
Why get involved?
- Help build a complaints process that’s fair, transparent and easy to use
- Help make reporting and escalating complaints easier for all residents
- Work alongside other residents and officers to codesign and create improvements to how complaints are managed
- Learn more about your rights and how complaints are managed
- Make sure residents voices drive real change
- Gain skills in communication, problem solving and collaborative working
We’re looking for 10-15 residents to join. Places are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. As a thank you for your time and contributions, participants will receive LoveToShop vouchers.
Want to get involved? Register your interest by 7 November 2025 by emailing: HousingFeedback@brent.gov.uk or calling: 020 8937 2459.
💡 Reminder: If you’d like to raise a Housing Management complaint, please visit our website.
It is worth noting that two former officers in the Department at Brent are now working in Southwark!
Awaab's Law
The Regulations mean landlords must:
- Investigate any potential emergency hazards and, if the investigation confirms emergency hazards, undertake relevant safety work as soon as reasonably practicable. The investigation and the work must both take place within 24 hours of becoming aware of the hazard.
- Investigate any potential significant hazards within 10 working days of becoming aware of them;
- Produce a written summary of investigation findings and provide this to the tenant within 3 working days of the conclusion of the investigation.
- Undertake relevant safety work within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant hazard.
- Begin, or take steps to begin, any supplementary preventative work to prevent a significant or emergency hazard recurring within 5 working days of the investigation concluding, if the investigation identifies a significant or emergency hazard. If steps cannot be taken to begin work in 5 working days this must be done as soon as possible, and work must be physically started within 12 weeks.
- Satisfactorily complete supplementary preventative works within a reasonable time period.
- Secure the provision of suitable alternative accommodation for the household, at the social landlord’s expense, if relevant safety work cannot be completed within specified timeframes.
- Keep the tenant updated throughout the process and provide information on how to keep safe.
Upon becoming aware of a potential hazard, social landlords should use all available information to initially determine if the hazard is a potential significant or emergency hazard and take steps to complete relevant safety work within stated timeframes.
The timelines set under Awaab’s Law are the maximum statutory timeframes in which landlords must act. Landlords can and should act more quickly if circumstances require, especially in situations where other legislation requires a faster response and/or according to their policies and procedures.
