At Southern Housing, we’re committed to continually improving the quality of life for our residents. A significant step we're taking towards this goal is bringing our cleaning and grounds maintenance services in-house, moving away from external contractors.

In November, we ended our North London Legacy Optivo cleaning and grounds maintenance contracts and are transitioning these services to our in-house teams. By managing these services internally, we can ensure that all tasks are completed to the same high standard across all our estates. Whether it’s maintaining clean communal areas or ensuring our outdoor spaces are well-kept, residents will experience a noticeable improvement in the reliability and quality of services provided.

Another major benefit of bringing services in-house is that residents will see our team members on-site regularly. This enhanced visibility reinforces Southern Housing’s presence in the community, showcasing our commitment to creating a clean and safe living environment. A regular on-site presence also enables faster identification and reporting of issues. Whether it’s a litter problem, bulk rubbish, overgrown grass, or a broken fixture in a communal area, our team can swiftly address these problems before they escalate. Ultimately, the most important benefit of bringing these services in-house is that our staff genuinely care about the well-being of our residents and the quality of our estates.

We're working towards bringing all our cleaning and ground maintenance contracts in house, with the majority expected to be in place by the end of 2025.

We’re confident that this change will lead to improved services and an even stronger connection between our team and the residents we serve.