Lib Dem plan for higher housing standards blocked as Merton prepares to become a landlord again

24 Sep 2026

Merton Labour councillors have unanimously voted down a Liberal Democrat plan to set clear, measurable standards for how the Council treats tenants and responds to repairs – just as Merton prepares to become a landlord for the first time in over fifteen years.

The Lib Dems’ Better Landlord Covenant would have set out the standards and behaviours residents could expect from Merton, developed through genuine engagement with people who have lived experience of social housing and temporary accommodation.

Cllr Matthew Willis, Lib Dem lead member for Housing and Regeneration, said:

“The aim of our Better Landlord Covenant is simple: to avoid Merton repeating the failures residents have endured under the borough’s major housing association, Clarion.

“But Labour voted it down.”

Clarion has managed the majority of Merton’s former Council homes since the stock was sold off in 2010 and remains responsible for around 10,000 properties in the borough.

Merton Council has agreed to become a stock-holding authority again and reopen its Housing Revenue Account from April 2027, allowing the Council to own and manage homes directly.

During the debate, Liberal Democrat councillors set out Clarion’s record in Merton:

In 2025 the Housing Ombudsman ruled on 86 complaints about Clarion in Merton. In 75 cases it found maladministration or service failure, or ordered Clarion to put things right.
Clarion’s monthly Stage 1 complaint response times ranged from 20.8 to 30.9 days – at worst three times its 10-day target.
A Lib Dem investigation found Clarion’s final service charge bills for leaseholders were on average 48% higher than residents had been told to expect. Some faced unexpected increases of more than £1,000.
Residents on West Barnes Lane faced bills of up to £35,000 per flat after major works, with what Cllr Willis described as “shocking” communication from Clarion throughout.
Wimbledon Park councillor Jil Hall noted that defects identified on estate inspections are too often left unresolved: “We come back three months later and note them all over again.”

Cllr Willis said after the meeting:

“Residents deserve a landlord that genuinely cares. Labour want us to just trust them, but trust has to be earned.

“After everything residents have endured under Clarion, you’d hope Merton Labour would jump at the chance to back our Better Landlord Covenant. Instead they blocked it. Prospective tenants will be devastated that Labour doesn’t think they deserve a serious, responsive, quick-to-fix landlord.”

Notes:

The debate on the Liberal Democrat proposal is on YouTube here.
The Liberal Democrat Proposal is here.
The Clarion Performance Report (Jan. 2026) is here.
A Cabinet report on Merton becoming a stock holding authority is here.
It's 5 years since the housing issues at Clarion's Eastfields estate, Mitcham first came to light.