London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jun 21, 2025

Anger over carpet being ripped out of social housing

Anger over carpet being ripped out of social housing

Anti-poverty campaigners are calling for housing associations to stop tearing up carpets between tenants and leaving many with bare floors.

Most social landlords rip up flooring when a tenant moves out due to hygiene - but it's not always replaced quickly.

Some 1.2 million people in the UK have no carpet or flooring in their bedrooms and living areas, a survey suggests.

Lena and her son moved into a flat in Oldham months ago but the floors are still bare.

"It makes it really hard to keep either of the bedrooms warm," she said.

By law UK landlords only have to put flooring in kitchens and bathrooms. Campaign group End Furniture Poverty is calling for this law to extend to the rest of the house.

It is urging housing associations to inspect and reuse what is already there where possible.

The vast majority of people living without flooring in all rooms - 760,000 - were in social housing, according to the survey of 5,500 people carried out by The National Centre for Social Research.

It also found 4.8 million adults in the UK were living without at least one item of essential furniture, like floors, beds, fridges, curtains or blinds.

Lena's bedroom and stairs have no carpet and old grippers stick out around the edge


When Lena moved into her first floor flat she did not have a bed so spent the first few nights sleeping on top of a duvet on the concrete floor in her bedroom.

Research by The Leeds Sustainability Institute states that carpets can reduce air leakage by up to a third in some homes, making homes without carpet, lino, or laminate more expensive and difficult to heat.

Lena said it was unlikely that she would be able to afford to carpet the house herself before winter.

"You've got to get the carpet, get it fitted and then delivery, so how do you do that on a low income? I'm trying my best, but I can only do what I can," she said.

Kelly Webb, director of customer services at Lena's landlord, First Choice Homes Oldham said its approach was leave any good quality floor coverings in place.

"We also offer help to customers who are struggling to afford flooring and furnishings so they can settle into their home comfortably," she said.

Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federations said: "In social housing, carpets have historically been removed as standard practice for practical reasons, to ensure hygiene between lets and to prevent any possible contamination."

But End Furniture Poverty called this a "terrible policy" and urged housing associations to inspect, clean and leave flooring in place if possible.

Claire Donovan head of policy at the campaign group said: "That's low cost, it's quick, it's easy and could help over three quarters of a million people who are living without flooring in social housing."

Lena's bedroom floor still has no carpet months after she moved in


Each country in the UK has responsibility for its own social housing under devolved powers from the government.

The Welsh Government is due to publish standards for social housing which require that all habitable rooms, including staircases and landings have suitable coverings. It told the BBC it expected this to become law in the Autumn.

End Furniture Poverty is calling on the governments in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to do the same.

The Department for Housing in England said: "Landlords must ensure homes are of a decent standard and investigate and respond to complaints quickly. If residents are unhappy, they can contact the Housing Ombudsman."

The Scottish Government said: "Provision of floor coverings is the responsibility and personal choice of social housing tenants" and that the Scottish Housing Charter states homes must be in a good state of repair.

And in Northern Ireland the Department for Communities said there were "no plans to legislate on flooring" but that there is a support fund for those in crisis which could apply to flooring.

David Ripley said Thirteen Group Housing Association in Middlesbrough guarantees flooring for every tenant


A handful of social housing providers are already tackling the issue. In Middlesbrough, Thirteen Group Housing Association guarantee flooring for every tenant.

Chief executive David Ripley said: "We looked at our process and thought actually there's a different way to manage this risk.

"The use of disclaimers came in to enable us to leave existing carpets and flooring within properties."

He said the price of new carpets in some properties had not cost the business any extra as tenants had stayed in properties longer, looked after them better and been less likely to fall into rent arrears.

"That saves Thirteen Group £1.5m each year… which we reinvest back by putting the flooring in the properties when we let them," he added.

Some charities are also working to help put an end to families living without flooring.

The Church-based donation site ACTS 435 have managed to get hundreds of individuals funding for flooring in bedrooms and living rooms.

Greenstream Flooring in Porth give away re-used carpet tiles to people in need who have been referred. And No Floor No More based in St Albans gather up old carpets and laminate flooring to re-distribute to social housing tenants in need.


What should I do if I have no floor?


• Ask your Housing Association or landlord for help

• Check if your local council has any funding in its Local Welfare Assistance or Household Support Fund which could be used on flooring to help insulate your home

• Ask around to see if any charities in your area help with flooring

• Check re-use sites like Freecycle to see if any bits of carpet or laminate flooring are being given away.

• Even small rugs, draught-excluders and stick-on flooring will go some way to help keep the room warm.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
Trump Organization Launches 5G Mobile Network and Golden Handset
Towcester Hosts 2025 English Greyhound Derby Amid Industry Scrutiny
Gary Oldman and David Beckham Knighted in King's Birthday Honours
Over 30,000 Lightning Strikes Recorded Across UK During Overnight Storms
Princess of Wales Returns to Public Duties at Trooping the Colour
Red Arrows Use Sustainable Fuel in Historic Trooping the Colour Flypast
Former Welsh First Minister Addresses Unionist Concerns Over Irish Language
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
France Bars Israeli Arms Companies from Paris Defense Expo
King Charles Leads Tribute to Air India Crash Victims at Trooping the Colour
Jack Pitchford Embarks on 200-Mile Walk to Support Stem Cell Charity
Surrey Hikers Take on Challenge of Climbing 11 Peaks in a Single Day
UK Deploys RAF Jets to Middle East Amid Israel-Iran Tensions
Two Skydivers Die in 'Tragic Accident' at Devon Airfield
Sainsbury's and Morrisons Accused of Displaying Prohibited Tobacco Ads
UK Launches National Inquiry into Grooming Gangs
Families Seek Closure After Air India Crash
Gold Emerges as Global Safe Haven Amid Uncertainty
Trump Reports $57 Million Earnings from Crypto Venture
Trump's Military Parade Sparks Concerns Over Authoritarianism
×