Hackney Council Admits Restructure Caused 18,000 Homes Safety Backlog Hackney 2026

Key Points

• Hackney Council admitted its housing department restructure caused overdue electrical safety inspections to rise from 15,000 to 18,000 social homes
• More than 11,000 social homes in the borough still lack legally required electrical safety certificates, despite a regulator warning nearly two years ago
• Approximately 7,000 properties have never had any electrical safety inspection at all
• The council has agreed to spend £2.2 million on specialist contractors to carry out 5,000 checks over two years
• An additional 6,000 inspections will be outsourced, while in-house teams will complete the remaining 7,000 reviews
• Since 2024, Hackney’s internal teams have conducted only 1,300 checks per year – enough for the new five-year cycle but insufficient to clear the backlog
• The council has agreed a timeline with the Regulator of Social Housing to achieve full electrical compliance by the end of March 2027
• The restructure of the housing department has not yet been finalised
• The borough was put on notice by the Regulator of Social Housing in August 2024 over failings in gas, fire, asbestos, water and lift safety checks as well
• Over 200 communal areas also lack evidence of current electrical safety certificates

Hackney (East London Times) May 30, 2026 –Hackney, London – Hackney Council has formally admitted that its attempt to restructure its housing department directly led to a dramatic increase in overdue electrical safety inspections across its social housing stock. As reported by the Hackney Citizen on May 29, 2026, the council confirmed that the number of properties lacking legally required electrical safety certificates has risen significantly from 15,000 to a staggering 18,000 homes.

According to a council meeting report presented on Tuesday, May 26, officers revealed that the surge in overdue inspections was

“largely due to the restructure and the impact this has had on delivery”.

The local authority had previously self-reported that 15,000 of its 21,500 social housing properties were not certified as having safe electrics, with around 7,000 of these properties having never been inspected at all.

Why Have Thousands of Families Been Left Without Legally Required Safety Certificates?

The Regulator of Social Housing first put Hackney on notice nearly two years ago, in August 2024, over a “litany of failings” that included deficiencies in gas, fire, asbestos, water and lift safety checks alongside electrical safety.

At that time, the council disclosed that over 15,000 of its social homes lacked current electrical safety certificates, and more than 200 communal areas also had no evidence of compliance.

As reported by Inside Housing on May 27, 2026, more than 11,000 council homes in Hackney still have no electrical safety certificate, despite the issue being flagged in a C3 grading by the regulator. The Hackney Citizen described the situation as leaving

“thousands of families in social housing … living in homes without legally-required electrical safety certificates after a shambolic Town Hall restructure made a dangerous backlog even worse”.

Cllr Clayeon McKenzie, Cabinet Member for Housing Services, had previously stated that the regulator’s findings were “disappointing” when the initial report was published in August 2024.

How Much Will the Council Spend to Clear the Backlog and Over What Timeframe?

In response to the growing crisis, Hackney Council has agreed to spend an “eye-watering” £2.2 million on specialist private contractors to carry out 5,000 electrical inspections over the next two years. A further 6,000 inspections will be outsourced to external providers over the same period, while the council’s own in-house teams will complete the remaining 7,000 reviews.

Since 2024, Hackney’s internal teams have managed only 1,300 checks per year, which is

“barely enough to keep up with the new five-year inspection cycle, let alone tackle the mountain of overdue work”.

The Hackney Citizen noted that this rate is insufficient to clear the existing backlog, even as new inspections continue to become due under the mandatory five-year cycle.

A council spokesperson stated:

“We have agreed a timeline with the Regulator of Social Housing to achieve electrical compliance by the end of March 2027 and are looking to bring in a specialist contractor to help our in-house team to further speed up the carrying out of these inspections”.

Why Has the Housing Department Restructure Not Yet Been Finalised?

Despite the restructure being introduced partly to address gaps in safety compliance, the London Evening Standard reported that “the restructure has yet to be finalised”. The reorganisation, intended to improve delivery, has instead

“indirectly frustrated the council’s efforts to clear its backlog of routine checks”.

The Hackney Citizen described the shake-up as “bungled”, noting that the restructure has “sent the number of overdue electrical inspections soaring” while leaving tenants “potentially at risk in their own homes”. Yahoo News UK echoed this, reporting that Hackney Council has

“admitted its bid to restructure its housing department led to a stark rise in overdue safety inspections of its social homes”.

What Other Safety Failings Has Hackney Council Been Cited For?

The electrical safety backlog is part of a broader pattern of safety failings across Hackney’s social housing stock. In August 2024, the Regulator of Social Housing highlighted deficiencies in multiple areas, including gas safety, fire safety, asbestos management, water safety and lift inspections.

GOV.UK records from August 2024 also noted that LB Hackney reported almost 1,800 overdue repair orders dating back to October 2023, attributed to “a lack of an effective system to manage these repairs”.

The council’s internal reporting acknowledged almost 1,800 overdue repair orders as part of its regulatory judgement.

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What Timeline Has the Council Set to Achieve Full Electrical Compliance?

Hackney Council has committed to achieving full electrical safety compliance across all its social homes by the end of March 2027, according to an agreed timeline with the Regulator of Social Housing. This deadline comes nearly three years after the regulator first flagged the council’s failings in August 2024.

The council’s plan relies on a combination of specialist contractors, outsourced inspections and enhanced capacity from in-house teams.

The £2.2 million investment in specialist contractors is expected to deliver 5,000 checks within two years, while an additional 6,000 checks will be outsourced.

Are Tenants Currently at Risk in Their Own Homes?

The Hackney Citizen explicitly stated that the backlog leaves “tenants potentially at risk in their own homes” due to the absence of legally required electrical safety certificates.

With 7,000 properties never having been inspected and 18,000 inspections overdue, thousands of families are living in homes where electrical safety cannot be guaranteed.

Under current regulations, social landlords are legally required to ensure that electrical installations in their properties are safe and inspected at least every five years.

The failure to meet this requirement means that many tenants are in breach of their landlord’s legal obligations, though the tenants themselves are not at fault.

Background: How the Housing Department Restructure Developed and Led to the Backlog

Hackney Council’s housing department restructure was initiated after the Regulator of Social Housing issued a C3 grading in August 2024, highlighting serious failings in the council’s management of social housing safety. The regulator’s report found that over 15,000 of the council’s 21,500 social homes lacked current electrical safety certificates, with approximately 7,000 properties never having undergone any electrical inspection.

In response, the council launched a restructure of its housing department, partly to address gaps in safety compliance and improve overall service delivery. However, the reorganisation has not yet been finalised, and officers reported in a council meeting on May 26, 2026, that the restructure had

“indirectly frustrated the council’s efforts to clear its backlog of routine checks”.

The local authority self-reported that 15,000 properties were not certified as having safe electrics, and following the report, the council attempted to clear the backlog. Instead, the overdue inspections “risen significantly” to 18,000, “largely due to the restructure and the impact this has had on delivery”. Since 2024, in-house teams have conducted only 1,300 checks per year, which is sufficient for the new five-year inspection cycle but inadequate to address the existing backlog.

The council has now agreed to spend £2.2 million on specialist contractors to accelerate inspections, with a clear timeline set to achieve full compliance by March 2027.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Hackney Social Housing Tenants and the Local Community

This development can significantly affect Hackney social housing tenants in several concrete ways. First, the continued absence of electrical safety certificates means thousands of families remain in homes where electrical safety cannot be guaranteed, potentially exposing them to fire and electrocution risks. With 7,000 properties never having been inspected, many tenants may be unaware of hidden electrical faults in their homes.

Second, the delay in clearing the backlog could erode trust between tenants and the council. As reported by the Hackney Citizen, the situation has been described as a “shambolic Town Hall restructure” that has left tenants “potentially at risk in their own homes”. Tenants may increasingly question the council’s ability to manage their homes safely and deliver basic services.

Third, the £2.2 million expenditure on specialist contractors represents a significant diversion of public funds that could otherwise be used for repairs, improvements or tenant support services. While this investment is necessary to clear the backlog, it highlights the cost of the restructure’s disruption.

Fourth, the timeline to achieve compliance by March 2027 means that some tenants may wait up to nearly three more years before their home receives a mandatory electrical safety inspection. During this period, tenants remain in a legal grey area where their landlord is not meeting statutory obligations.