Housing Matters – June 2026
Friday, 26 June 2026
Read the June 2026 edition of Housing Matters.
Interview: A tenant and a trusted voice
Joanne shares her experience of joining the Landlord Assurance Board
Joanne has been a Central Bedfordshire Council tenant for 28 years, living in both Houghton Regis and Dunstable. Like many residents, she hadn’t initially considered getting involved in shaping housing services, but a visit to a local event changed that.
At a tenants’ day at Houghton Regis Leisure Centre, Joanne spoke with a member of our Tenant Involvement Team, who encouraged her to put her name forward for the Landlord Assurance Board. After completing an application form, she was invited to a short online interview and later received confirmation that she had been successful.
“At first, I didn’t really think much of it,” says Joanne. “But since joining in November last year, I’m 100% behind it.”
Having now attended several meetings, Joanne describes the experience as a real eye-opener. Sitting alongside senior staff and service directors has given her a new perspective on how decisions are made and the challenges housing teams face.
“It’s made me see the human side of the housing team,” she explains. “You start to understand why certain decisions are made and the volume of work they’re dealing with. I’ve got a newfound respect for what they do. I probably didn’t have the best view before, but now I have more understanding.”
The Landlord Assurance Board brings together tenants and senior officers to review performance, discuss key issues, and explore where services can improve.
For Joanne, one of the most important aspects has been feeling heard. “I’ve never really felt like the council listened before, but they do listen here. Being able to have your say is actually quite therapeutic. It’s still early days, but I do feel like it’s making a difference.”
Her involvement has also shifted her overall outlook, giving her a better understanding of how and why decisions are made, as well as a greater appreciation of the challenges housing teams face. She now encourages other tenants to consider getting involved, especially those who are open-minded and enjoy discussion.
For Joanne personally, the role has brought additional benefits too. “I’ve had to stop working due to MS, so this helps keep my brain active. It’s good for me, as well as helping improve services for others.”
Joanne hopes to continue her involvement and would encourage others to take that first step, because having your voice heard can make a real difference.
Find out more about the Landlord Assurance Board
Members of the Landlord Assurance Board recently visited Oakley Green
Tenant members of our Landlord Assurance Board recently visited Oakley Green in Leighton Buzzard to see first-hand some of the work our Neighbourhood Operations team has been carrying out in the area.
During the visit, board members looked at the new bin stores and improved signage we have introduced to help residents recycle more easily and reduce fly-tipping. They also heard about new approaches to cleaning communal areas and saw improvements that have been made to outdoor spaces.
Upcoming home visits and safety inspections
We'll always contact you in advance before any planned visit or inspection.
Throughout the year, we carry out a range of visits and inspections in our council homes. Some help us understand the condition of our homes and plan future improvements, while others are carried out to make sure homes remain safe and meet legal requirements.
If we need access to your home, we'll always contact you in advance to arrange an appointment and explain what to expect.
Home condition visits
Since 15 June 2026, we have been carrying out home checks across our council homes to help us understand the condition of our properties and plan future repairs and improvements.
Earlier this year, we visited around 20% of our council homes. We will now be carrying out a further 500 home visits with our housing consultant, Savills (UK) Ltd.
These visits help us keep our records up to date and understand when things like kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, roofs and heating systems may need repairing or replacing in the future.
This phase of visits will focus on homes where we were previously unable to gain access.
Where possible, we will also carry out a Home Safety Check during the same visit to reduce the number of appointments needed and minimise disruption.
If your property is included in this programme, you'll receive a letter with details of your appointment and information about who to contact if you have any questions.
Safety inspections
We also carry out regular safety inspections and testing in our homes, including electrical safety testing, gas safety inspections and other checks required by law.
These inspections help us identify potential issues early and make sure safety systems are working as they should.
We are legally required to carry out electrical safety inspections at least every five years and gas safety inspections at least every 12 months, or sooner if needed.
To complete this work, a qualified contractor will need access to your home. They will carry identification with them, so you know they are working with us. Electrical inspections can take a few hours to complete, while gas safety inspections usually take around an hour.
If your home is due a safety inspection, we'll contact you to arrange an appointment. If the proposed date isn't convenient, we'll work with you to arrange an alternative.
We will always contact you before any planned visit or inspection
All contractors and representatives working on our behalf will carry identification. If you are unsure about a visit, please ask to see identification and contact us before allowing access to your home.
Thank you for your cooperation.
These visits and inspections help us keep homes safe and identify any repairs or improvements that may be needed in the future.
One resident who recently had a safety inspection said: "Having the safety checks carried out gave me peace of mind. The person who visited explained that they weren't there to judge the condition of my home, but to make sure everything was safe."
Working together to cleanUP our neighbourhoods
More than 20 tonnes of waste removed as Housing CleanUP Days continue across our communities.
In May, our Neighbourhood Operations team organised two more Housing CleanUP days at Westminster Gardens in Houghton Regis and Meadow Way in Leighton Buzzard.
The events gave tenants the chance to get rid of unwanted bulky items, speak with housing staff and find out more about the help and support available in their area.
At Westminster Gardens, we spoke with 19 tenants, completed 10 pre-booked bulky waste collections and removed around 14 tonnes of waste from the estate.
At Meadow Way, we spoke with 25 tenants, completed a further 10 bulky waste collections and removed around 7 tonnes of waste. Tenants also took part in surveys, helping us better understand what matters most to people living in the neighbourhood.
Teams from FCC Environmental Services and MoveALL Services helped collect and remove more than 20 tonnes of waste across the two events, while the Dog Warden was on hand to offer advice to pet owners.
These were the latest Housing CleanUP Days to take place this year, with more planned across the area. As well as helping clear unwanted items, the events are a chance to improve shared spaces, keep estates looking their best and make neighbourhoods places people can be proud to call home.
Thank you to everyone who took part and helped make a difference in their community.
A reminder about our zero-tolerance approach to abuse
No one should face abuse for doing their job
Our staff work hard every day to support residents and help resolve issues. Most interactions are positive and respectful, and we are grateful for the understanding and cooperation shown by the vast majority of residents.
We recognise that problems with your home or our services can be frustrating. We are committed to listening to concerns, answering questions and finding solutions wherever we can.
Unfortunately, there has recently been an increase in incidents where staff have experienced abusive, threatening or intimidating behaviour. This can include offensive language, personal insults, harassment and threats.
This kind of behaviour can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of our staff, and we take incidents of abuse towards staff seriously.
Where necessary, we may take action to protect our employees, including placing restrictions on contact or, in serious cases, taking action under tenancy or lease agreements.
If you are unhappy with a service you have received or a decision we have made, we encourage you to let us know. Speaking to your housing officer or using our formal complaints process are the best ways to raise concerns and help us put things right. Make a complaint on our website.
We've updated our compensation policy
Find out what support may be available if things go wrong
We've introduced a new Financial Remedies and Compensation Policy for Housing Services.
The policy explains what residents can expect if our housing services fall below the standards we aim to provide. It sets out when compensation may be considered, how decisions are made and the different ways we may put things right.
Compensation is not always the most appropriate solution. In many cases, resolving the issue, completing outstanding work, correcting information or taking action to improve our services may be the best way to address a problem.
The policy also explains some situations where compensation may be available by law, such as delays to certain qualifying repairs, as well as circumstances where discretionary compensation may be considered following a service failure.
We want our approach to be fair, consistent and transparent, so residents understand what they can expect if something goes wrong and how we will work to put things right.
Help us create a new code of conduct for housing staff
Tell us what you expect from the people who work in our housing service
We're developing a new code of conduct for housing staff and we'd like your feedback.
The code will set out the standards of behaviour residents can expect from the staff who deliver housing services, including how they communicate, how they treat residents and how they carry out their roles.
We want to make sure the code reflects what matters most to tenants and leaseholders. Your feedback will help us shape the standards we set for our staff and the service we provide.
We'd like to hear your views on:
- how you expect staff to behave when working with residents
- what good customer service looks like to you
- the standards you think housing staff should meet
- how we can build trust and accountability
To request a copy of the draft code and share your feedback, please contact: tenant.involvement@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk
Closing date: Sunday 5 July, 5pm.
The draft code is based on the Chartered Institute of Housing's Code of Ethics, which promotes fairness, professionalism and putting tenants first.
Other opportunities to talk to us!
Upcoming events for our tenants - get involved!
We really value opportunities to keep in touch with our tenants, and our drop-in sessions are a simple way to do just that. They’re informal, welcoming sessions where you can speak directly with members of the housing team about anything on your mind.
If you’ve got a query about your home, would like some guidance, or simply want to check in with us, please feel free to come along. There’s no need to book – just drop by at a time that suits you and we’ll be happy to help.
We hope to see you at one of the upcoming sessions and look forward to catching up with you. Find a full list of dates and events on our website.
Coffee Meeting, Friday 26 June from 11am to midday
Bedford Street Communal Room, Bedford Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU71JE
Tuesday 14 July from 9:30am to 11:30am
Dunstable Library, The Dunstable Centre, Dunstable, LU5 4JD
Thursday 23 July from 11am to 1pm
Houghton Regis Library, Bedford Square, Houghton Regis, LU5 5ES
Friday 31 July from 10am to midday
Housing Information Hub, Ground Floor Library Building, Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1RX
Monday 10 August from midday to 2pm
Dunstable Library, The Dunstable Centre, Dunstable, LU5 4JD
Tuesday 18 August from 9:30am to 11:30am
Houghton Regis Library, Bedford Square, Houghton Regis, LU5 5ES
Thursday 27 August from 2pm to 4pm
Housing Information Hub, Ground Floor Library Building, Lake Street, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1RX
Share your views with us!
Help us continue to improve our housing service
We want to make sure you can contact us in the way that works best for you, and your views are essential to this process.
Take our short survey and tell us how you prefer to communicate. Whether you're happy with how things are now, or you think we could do better, we want to hear from you. Take part in the survey.
We’re always looking for ways to improve, but we can’t fix what we don’t know about. Your feedback helps us make things better for everyone.
Comments, compliments, complaints and service requests
Having your voice heard and providing your feedback is valuable to us. There are lots of ways that you can have your say about our housing service.
Comments
Often people want to suggest improvements to services. If you make a suggestion, we will record this as a comment.
Compliments
If you tell us about a service that has been good or a member of staff who has been helpful, we will record this as a compliment and share your praise with those involved.
Service requests
A service request is a request by you for us to take action to put something right. Service requests are not complaints, but we record them, monitor, and review them for learning and improvements. If we consider the issue raised to be a service request, we will ask the relevant team to reply to you directly.
Complaints
You can complain if you are affected by the way we provide services. Common examples of complaints are delay; poor record keeping; failure to act; failure to follow procedure or the law; poor communication; behaviour of our staff (also called officers); or giving out misleading information.
You can provide any of the above feedback by contacting housing.feedback@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk or you can contact us online.