"Serious failings" have been found in Kingston Council's homes by a government watchdog.

The condition of the borough's homes has been criticised by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).

A range of issues has been spotted and the council has been given a 'C3' rating, which means "significant improvement is needed".

RSH said: "Accurate, up-to-date information was unavailable for most properties and only 15% of homes had been surveyed under a new stock condition programme.

"While the local authority is meeting key health and safety legal requirements and has improved repairs performance, weaknesses remain in oversight of remedial actions, communal repairs and complaints handling."

RSH also identified gaps in Kingston's understanding of tenants' diverse needs.

The second C3 consumer grade has been given to Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council in West Yorkshire.

Speaking about Wednesday's results, Angela Holden, Director of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: "Both these cases highlight the importance of landlords having a clear understanding of the condition of their tenants' homes and delivering services that keep tenants safe.

"Where we find serious failings, we will engage intensively with landlords and expect them to take swift and effective action to address our concerns and improve outcomes for tenants."

In a statement released on Wednesday morning, Kingston Council said: "Kingston Council welcomed the visit from the Regulator for Social Housing and is pleased to have received positive feedback across many areas of the inspection, whilst accepting the identified areas requiring improvement.

"Inspectors recognised real strengths in the council's housing service. They highlighted its repairs service, noting that 100% of emergency repairs were completed on time. They praised its partnership work tackling anti-social behaviour, and the way tenants are treated with fairness and respect.

"They also reported on seeing clear evidence of good resident engagement and how feedback from tenants has directly shaped improvements in the service.

"The council has received an overall rating of C3. This grade relates to how we are delivering the outcomes for residents that are expected in the consumer standards for social housing; particularly in the Safety and Quality Standard where we need to further progress our programme of stock condition surveys.

"A C3 rating means that, while the council is meeting the majority of the required standards, it is not meeting them all and improvements are required to meet the full standards.

"The council recognises the seriousness of the judgement and has been prioritising activity to accelerate our survey programme which we expect to be completed over the next 18 months.

"With plans in place to address the weakness, no enforcement action is currently being proposed, and the council will continue working with the regulator to demonstrate progress and deliver better outcomes for our tenants."

Councillor Emily Davey, portfolio holder for housing, added: "Providing safe, warm, decent homes for council tenants is the highest priority for the council.

"I am pleased that the Regulator is assured we are delivering good quality services for our residents across many areas of the inspection, whilst also recognising further improvements are needed.

"Work is already underway to strengthen services in the areas identified. A full survey programme to improve our understanding of the condition of all council homes has started and will be completed within the next 18 months.

"We are strengthening how we manage and oversee our repairs service, as well as taking steps to speed up how quickly we respond to complaints.

"We are also working to enhance our understanding of our residents by improving the range of information we collect, so we can better respond to their different needs.

"We remain committed to listening to our residents and working with them to improve their homes and neighbourhoods.

This was Kingston's first inspection under the RSH's updated approach for all local authority landlords, which assesses how well providers meet the four national consumer standards. These cover:

• the safety and quality of tenants' homes
• transparency, influence and accountability
• neighbourhood and community work
• tenancy-related services, including allocations and tenancy management

The full RSH inspection report is available here.

As well as the property survey work already underway, the council says it is "now working on an improvement plan, as required by the regulator, to address all the recommendations in the report".

However, Cllr James Giles, leader of Kingston Independent Residents Group (KIRG) has labelled the report as "damming", telling Nub News: "This is a damning judgement on Kingston Council's management of its housing.

"Knowing the condition of the homes you own is one of the most basic responsibilities of any landlord. Residents are entitled to ask how the Liberal Democrat administration allowed the Council to fall so far short.

"Behind these figures are people paying their rent and expecting a decent home, properly maintained communal areas and a response when something goes wrong. Those are reasonable expectations, and the Council must meet them.

"The administration needs to explain why it has taken until now to establish a reliable picture of its housing stock.

"It must also explain what protection residents will have while the remaining surveys are carried out. An 18-month programme cannot become an excuse to leave existing problems unresolved.

"When residents make a complaint, they deserve a timely answer. Having to chase the Council adds frustration to whatever problem prompted the complaint in the first place."

He continued: ""The improvements identified in the report are welcome, but the overall finding remains a serious failure. The political leadership must take responsibility for putting this right.

"I am calling for a public improvement plan with clear deadlines, named responsibility for each action and regular progress reports that tenants can scrutinise. Residents should be told when their home will be surveyed and when any necessary work will follow.

"We will work with anyone willing to improve council housing, while holding the administration firmly to account. Tenants need to see the difference in their homes and in the service they receive."

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