Key Points from the First Round of Consumer Gradings

Today the Regulator of Social Housing (the Regulator) has published its first round of consumer gradings for Registered Providers (RPs) since the introduction of the new Consumer Standards in April this year. 

Bristol City Council, Guildford Borough Council and Sheffield City Council have each been given a C3 grading by the Regulator, which means there are serious failings in relation to the Consumer Standards and that these RPs need to make significant improvements.

The gradings are as a result of investigations by the Regulator into the RPs and the breaches related to health and safety and fire safety compliance, damp and mould, stock condition data, repairs and rent setting errors. To summarise, the Regulator found that:

• Bristol City Council could not evidence that it is meeting carbon monoxide safety requirements for over 22,000 homes (out of 26,700 total homes). Bristol City Council also reported 1,900 open damp and mould cases, more than 16,000 overdue repairs and 3,000 overdue fire safety actions. The Regulator also found that Bristol City Council did not have up-to-date data about the condition of tenants’ homes.
• Guildford Borough Council has around 1,700 homes without an up-to-date electrical condition report (out of 5,200 total homes), and it could not provide evidence that it has completed around 1,300 fire safety actions. In addition, Guildford Borough Council had not collected Tenant Satisfaction Measures from tenants, which all RPs are required to do.
• Sheffield City Council had around 10,000 outstanding repairs across its 38,500 homes and, between January and April 2024, more than 90% of disrepair cases were outstanding for extended periods. The Regulator also found evidence that the Sheffield City Council does not have an accurate record of the condition of tenants’ homes.
• Cambridge City Council has previously overcharged around 3,600 tenants (half the total number) as a result of rent-setting errors over a prolonged period. The overcharge is estimated to be around £3.2 million.

The Regulator also noted each of the organisations were working to address these issues and engaging with the Regulator proactively. 

These cases highlight the importance of maintaining accurate data in relation to health and safety compliance and stock condition. It will be interesting to see the emerging trends as the Regulator publishes further consumer gradings for RPs, particularly as a result of routine inspections rather than proactive engagement. If you have any questions around compliance with the Consumer Standards, please do get in touch.