A new scheme to improve the standard of social housing, reduce repair costs and provide a better service for residents is being launched by Enfield Council in north London.

Dedicated ‘Property MOT’ teams will visit social housing properties in the borough each year to check their condition and put right any faults that are found. The scheme will also help identify vulnerable residents who need extra assistance from social services and enable the council to more accurately assess the condition of its stock as the repairs schedule rolls onwards.

Enfield Council’s Leader, Councillor Nesil Caliskan, said: “Improving the quality of Enfield Council’s accommodation was a key priority for me when I became leader and this new service will play a vital role in achieving that goal.

“These checks and works will proactively tackle issues before they require responsive repairs and will improve the condition of the entire property. The MOT team will also identify larger issues, diagnose the fault and either plan and complete the works themselves or raise jobs with specialist contractors.

“The beauty of this scheme is that we expect to see a significant reduction in the number of repairs we need to carry out across our housing stock and because the vast majority of the repairs will be completed in a single visit it will reduce disruption for residents.”

Enfield Council contractors currently carry out 42,000 repairs to its 10,500 properties each year, with most being minor jobs such as fixing leaking taps and broken door handles. However, there is also a backlog of larger problems such as blocked drains which are outstanding and the new teams will help to tackle. The council expects the new scheme to be self funded from a reduction in responsive repairs costs.

By Patrick Mooney, editor