Inspections are to be carried out on more than 5,000 council homes after “unacceptable” failings were revealed, including maintenance issues.

Furious tenants have slammed Ashford Borough Council (ABC) after an independent regulator found its properties are not meeting the “Decent Homes Standard” (DHS) set by the government.

As a result, ABC has been told to address all problems raised in the review and a full assessment of properties it owns is now taking place for the first time in 10 years.

Residents have been sent a letter by council chief executive Tracey Kerly who has apologised and says an action plan to rectify the issues has been put in place.

Housing Quality Network (HQN) - the independent regulator commissioned by ABC to carry out the review - found the authority’s process of measuring DHS is “unacceptable” and its last full stock condition survey is out of date.

The DHS sets a minimum standard for all social housing and requires that public housing be free from serious health and safety hazards.

But HQN found ABC’s property management framework - which should provide assurance that compliance and building safety are being delivered and managed - is not as effective as it should be.

Record-keeping and reporting mechanisms are also not providing a clear audit trail of routine or follow-up maintenance being carried out.

Mum-of-two Amy Metcalfe, who has had ongoing issues with mould in her two-bedroom flat in Meadowsweet House in Hackfield, has welcomed the outcome of the review.

The 22-year-old says for the past two years, the problem has been particularly bad in her children’s bedroom which has been affecting their health.

The council has visited regularly to clean the mould and inspect the flat, but has failed to fix the source of the problem.

In May last year, ABC promised to send a specialist ventilation contractor to survey the property, but Miss Metcalfe says this has still not happened.

“I believe there is a leak somewhere,” she explained.

“In my children’s bedroom, during the winter one corner of their wall – where the mould comes – was literally soaked.

“I’m not a specialist but I feel like there is more going on than just condensation.

“We have been battling the mould for more than two years now but it has ruined furniture and items of clothing.

“It makes me angry they didn’t listen to me in the first place and it takes an outsider to tell them they need to rectify the issues before they actually do it.

“In my opinion, the issue should be rectified straight away.”

In her letter to tenants, Mrs Kerly said the authority has referred itself to the Regulator of Social Housing - the government-appointed body that oversees landlords.

She said the self-referral “demonstrates we are clear about the need to make improvements”.

But Stacey Cosier, who lives in an ABC property in Smarden, says she had to throw away her eight-year-old daughter’s bed after constant issues with mould in their damp-ridden home.

The house in Chessenden Lane has been plagued with issues after a flood next door in December 2022.

The mum-of-two says her son Riley, six, has since developed asthma and has been in and out of hospital with low oxygen levels.

In July, an ABC spokesman told KentOnline the authority knows about the issues at Miss Cosier’s home and is working with her to fix the house.

Further inspections were set to be carried out but Miss Cosier says the issues have still not been resolved 10 months on and, as a result, she is now taking the authority to court.

“My house got the backlash of the leak and every single wall was soaked and there was mould everywhere,” she said.

“I've had dehumidifiers in every room and nothing has worked, all of our belongings are ruined.

“My children have to sleep in the middle of the room because I don't know what else I can do.

“The council has ignored me which is why I am taking them to court.

“It has been ordered to inspect my property, clear all the mould away and look at what needs to be done.

“The fact we are not the only ones having to live like this and it makes me feel cross.

“I have to pay £700 a month in rent but the council doesn’t do anything. I’m pleased ABC has been told to make changes considering how long it has taken me to get here.”

ABC says a full stock condition survey of more than 5,000 properties is now underway with a particular focus on kitchens, bathrooms, and roofs.

Appointments will be made with tenants, and surveys should take around an hour to carry out.

It has also introduced a new module within its IT systems following the introduction of an in-house responsive repairs team.

The authority was previously run by the Conservatives but following the local elections last May, it is now under a joint administration of Ashford Independents and Greens.

In a statement, a spokesman said: “A robust action plan has been created which covers the recommendations provided by HQN within a challenging timeframe.

“Work has started in terms of delivery – internal systems have been urgently reviewed and our stock condition survey will play an important role in gathering data.

“We have already appointed specialist consultancies to help us deliver the survey.

“We have written to all our tenants and leaseholders, to reassure them that their safety and wellbeing is our priority, and explaining what improvements are planned.

“We are clear about the steps we need to take to address the outstanding issues and ensure 100% compliance moving forward and to demonstrate this to our tenants and leaseholders, members, staff, the wider public and the Regulator of Social Housing.”

“Unfortunately it appears the works were never carried out by the contractor...”

The spokesman added that a specialist ventilation contractor was commissioned to survey Ms Metcalfe’s home “to identify any underlying problems and recommend solutions”.

“The contractor’s recommendations were subsequently accepted by the council and an order placed with the company to install mechanical ventilation systems within the property,” he added.

“Unfortunately it appears the works were never carried out by the contractor. Since that time the council has terminated its contract with that company and brought its services in-house in order to give us greater control and accountability over repairs.

“Lessons have been learnt from cases such as this and we have invested in the staff and systems required to deliver the quality of services that our tenants expect and deserve.

“We apologise to Ms Metcalfe and are in contact with her to arrange an urgent inspection of her home and to expedite action required to tackle any problems found.

“Ms Cosier is taking legal action, in the form of a disrepair claim, against the council and in light of this we are unable to comment further.”