Freedom of Information request – temporary accommodation health and safety data
Case reference FOI2026/00673
Received 25 March 2026
Published 28 April 2026
Request
Please treat this email as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
I am requesting aggregated information relating to health and safety standards and local authority oversight in temporary accommodation used to house individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
For the purposes of this request, temporary accommodation means accommodation arranged or secured by the authority to meet homelessness duties, including, where used, B&Bs/hotels, hostels, nightly-paid accommodation, private sector leased accommodation, self-contained temporary accommodation and any other temporary placements.
Please provide the following information for each of the last two complete financial years:
* 2023/24
* 2024/25
And, where readily available, please also provide 2025/26 year-to-date figures up to your latest complete month, shown separately.
Please provide:
1. The number of households placed in temporary accommodation at any point during each period.
If held, please also provide the figure for households with dependent children.
2. The number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of each period.
If held, please also provide the figure for households with dependent children.
3. The total number of inspections, checks or other property standards / health and safety visits carried out in relation to temporary accommodation during each period.
4. The number of temporary accommodation properties, placements or cases where serious hazards were identified during each period.
If your authority records these differently, please provide the closest equivalent measure used.
5. The number of complaints or reports received relating to the condition, health or safety of temporary accommodation during each period.
6. The number of formal enforcement actions taken in relation to temporary accommodation properties during each period.
If possible, please include the total number and, where readily available, a breakdown by type of action.
7. For 2024/25 only, if readily available, please provide the main issue types identified in temporary accommodation, for example:
* damp and mould
* fire safety
* electrical safety
* heating / hot water failure
* pests / infestation
* overcrowding / space standards
* structural hazards
8. For 2024/25 only, if readily available, please provide:
* the number of complaints relating specifically to damp and mould
* the number of complaints relating specifically to fire safety
* the average or median time to first response for condition-related complaints
9. For 2024/25 only, if readily available, please provide the number of temporary accommodation providers or landlords that were:
* removed from use due to standards or condition concerns, or
* subject to a formal “do not use” decision or equivalent
Response
Please find the answers to your queries below:
Please treat this email as a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
I am requesting aggregated information relating to health and safety standards and local authority oversight in temporary accommodation used to house individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
For the purposes of this request, temporary accommodation means accommodation arranged or secured by the authority to meet homelessness duties, including, where used, B&Bs/hotels, hostels, nightly-paid accommodation, private sector leased accommodation, self-contained temporary accommodation and any other temporary placements.
Please provide the following information for each of the last two complete financial years:
* 2023/24
* 2024/25
And, where readily available, please also provide 2025/26 year-to-date figures up to your latest complete month, shown separately.
Please provide:
1. The number of households placed in temporary accommodation at any point during each period.
2023/24 – 126.
2024/25 – 98.
If held, please also provide the figure for households with dependent children.
We do not keep a record of this information.
2. The number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of each period.
This information can be found in our Housing Operations Board reports, which are available via the following website:
https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=1376
Please review the KPI table that relates to ‘reducing homelessness and meeting housing needs’.
As such, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
If held, please also provide the figure for households with dependent children.
We do not keep a record of this information.
3. The total number of inspections, checks or other property standards / health and safety visits carried out in relation to temporary accommodation during each period.
This information can be found in our Housing Operations Board reports, which are available via the following website:
https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=1376
Please review the KPI tables that relate to ‘delivering safe, decent homes for tenants’ and ‘delivering an efficient repairs and maintenance service’.
As such, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
4. The number of temporary accommodation properties, placements or cases where serious hazards were identified during each period.
If your authority records these differently, please provide the closest equivalent measure used.
This information can be found in our Housing Operations Board reports, which are available via the following website:
https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=1376
Please review the KPI tables that relate to ‘delivering safe, decent homes for tenants’ and ‘delivering an efficient repairs and maintenance service’.
As such, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
5. The number of complaints or reports received relating to the condition, health or safety of temporary accommodation during each period.
This information can be found in our Housing Operations Board reports, which are available via the following website:
https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=1376
Please review the KPI table that relates to ‘complaints’.
As such, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
6. The number of formal enforcement actions taken in relation to temporary accommodation properties during each period.
If possible, please include the total number and, where readily available, a breakdown by type of action.
2023/24 – 0.
2024/25 – 1.
7. For 2024/25 only, if readily available, please provide the main issue types identified in temporary accommodation, for example:
* damp and mould
* fire safety
* electrical safety
* heating / hot water failure
* pests / infestation
* overcrowding / space standards
* structural hazards
Overcrowding complaints are typically the most common type of complaint received with regards to housing (please note however, that I am not referring to ‘statutory overcrowding’ complaints, which is a different measure).
8. For 2024/25 only, if readily available, please provide:
* the number of complaints relating specifically to damp and mould;
In relation to damp and mould, this information can be found in the Housing Operations Board reports – please see the table titled ‘damp and mould’ which provides a month by month breakdown of the total number of damp and mould cases reported each month in the year to date. Please refer to page 38 of the agenda reports pack on the latest Housing Operations Board meeting which was held on 11th March 2026 for the most up-to-date figures – this is available via the following link: https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1376&MId=3242&Ver=4).
* the number of complaints relating specifically to fire safety;
One.
* the average or median time to first response for condition-related complaints.
Information regarding the percentage of complaints responded to within target can be found in our Housing Operations Board reports, which are available via the following website:
https://democracy.guildford.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CommitteeId=1376
Please review the KPI table that relates to ‘complaints’. Please note that our target response time for replying to complaints is 10 working days.
As such, the information you require can be found from publicly available sources and consequentially under Section 21 of the Act, we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible.
9. For 2024/25 only, if readily available, please provide the number of temporary accommodation providers or landlords that were:
* removed from use due to standards or condition concerns, or
* subject to a formal “do not use” decision or equivalent
None.
Documents
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