Tenants could be offered upgrades to downsize

Croydon Council tenants who agree to move from homes with more space than they need could be offered new kitchens, bathrooms and full redecoration under a new housing scheme.

The pilot, which is expected to launch at the end of October, is aimed at freeing up family-sized properties as more than 8,500 households wait for suitable accommodation in the borough.

More than 1,000 council properties are currently classed as under-occupied, accounting for about 8.5% of Croydon's housing stock.

The downsizing pilot is subject to formal approval and will be considered by the Housing Assurance Board on Monday.

The scheme would replace a previous policy which offered tenants with spare bedrooms up to £8,000 to move, as well as help with removal and utility disconnection costs.

Just 13 tenants agreed to move last year, with seven doing so so far in 2026.

A consultation found money was not the main factor for tenants. They were more concerned about staying in their local communities, finding good-quality homes and getting support with any move.

Under the new proposed scheme, tenants who downsize will be offered homes in their preferred area, along with improvements such as new kitchens, bathrooms and redecoration.

Dedicated officers would also support tenants through the moving process.

The council has not said how much the pilot would cost, with funding set to be considered as part of its wider Housing Improvement Plan.

More than 2,100 existing council tenants are living in what the council classes as "severe overcrowding" and waiting for three or four-bedroom homes.

But larger properties make up only a small proportion of Croydon's 13,360 managed council homes, with 2.37% having four bedrooms and 0.24% having five.

Last month, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported that 417 council homes in Croydon were vacant and awaiting repairs.

It also found the average time taken to re-let a property had risen from 130 days in 2024/25 to 206 days in the first quarter of 2026/27.

The council is also considering five-year fixed-term tenancies for larger properties and "de-conversion" schemes to create bigger family homes from smaller properties.

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