Barking and Dagenham Council

The Housing Ombudsman is the independent body that investigates complaints about social landlords. When it finds a landlord got things wrong, it makes a finding of "maladministration" — or "severe maladministration" for the most serious failings, or "service failure" for a lesser one.

The 2025/26 performance report. The Ombudsman decided 19 Barking and Dagenham cases in 2025/26, excluding cases outside its jurisdiction or withdrawn.^[1] Its rate counts service failure as well as maladministration: 42 of the 54 findings it counted — 2 severe maladministration, 29 maladministration and 11 service failure — a rate of 78%.^[1] That compares with a national rate of 62% and 70% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[1]

What the findings were about. Repairs was the largest category, with 18 findings and an 89% rate; complaint handling was the largest single sub-category, with 17.^[1] One of the 2 severe findings was about condensation, damp and mould.^[1]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 76 orders and issued 7 complaint handling failure orders. Its report's headline compensation figure, which adds compensation ordered and recommended, is £12,661.^[1] It records every order due in the year as complied with, 95% of them within three months.^[1]

The trend. The Ombudsman's figures put the council's rate at 86% across 21 decided cases in 2023/24 (adjusted to compare with this year) and 85% across 16 in 2024/25.^[1] From October 2025 the Ombudsman started examining complaint handling in every case it investigated, which it says affects how this year's rates compare with previous years.^[7]

A leak and damp case. In July 2024 the Ombudsman found severe maladministration in the council's handling of a secure tenant's reports of leaks, damp and mould. A roof leak worsened in October 2022, and the Ombudsman found the bathroom was left without electricity for longer than the council said.^[8] The Ombudsman said the council's lack of action "was unacceptable given the report of water pouring into the bathroom when it rained".^[8] The council had apologised and offered £400 at the end of its complaints process. The Ombudsman ordered an apology from the chief executive, £4,514.20 in compensation including that £400, and an independent survey of the home.^[8]

“This was unacceptable given the report of water pouring into the bathroom when it rained.”^[8]

Housing Ombudsman Service, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (202311480) (18 July 2024, 202311480)

What tenants say. In the council's own 2025/26 survey, 62.1% of tenants surveyed were satisfied with its overall service, up from 53.7% the year before.^[6][9] 23.9% of tenants who had complained were satisfied with how their complaint was handled.^[6]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards for safe, decent homes. Since 2024 it has been inspecting social landlords and giving each a consumer grade from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

No consumer grade yet. The regulator has not yet published a consumer grade for Barking and Dagenham Council, and the council is not on its list of gradings under review.^[3] The absence of a grade is not in itself a mark for or against the council: the regulator is working through social landlords over several years.

The 2022 regulatory notice. On 17 February 2022 the regulator published a regulatory notice, a formal finding of a breach. It said the council had breached the Home Standard, with the potential for serious detriment to tenants. It followed the council's own self-referral.^[2] The regulator found the council could not show it was meeting health and safety requirements on fire, electrical, asbestos, gas, water and lift safety. For example:^[2]

• more than 100 homes had no fire risk assessment, and for more than 1,000 the council had no clear record of whether one was needed
• for more than 16,000 homes and 2,000 communal areas, it had no clear record of whether an electrical safety check was needed, or could not show one had been done
• around a quarter of the more than 100 communal lifts and lifting assets on its safety programme had no up-to-date inspection.^[2]

The regulator said the council "understands the work it needs to undertake", and did not take enforcement action.^[2] As at the date this page was last checked, the regulator has not withdrawn the notice; it is the only document on the council's regulator page.^[3]

“LB Barking and Dagenham has demonstrated to the regulator that it understands the work it needs to undertake to ensure the required statutory checks and relevant safety actions are completed.”^[2]

Regulator of Social Housing, Regulatory Notice: London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (17 February 2022) (17 February 2022)

The council's later figures. For 2025/26 the council reported that 99.8% of its homes had all required gas safety checks, and 100% had all required fire risk assessments.^[6] These are the council's own figures. The council says it began a four-year survey of the condition of its homes in November 2024.^[10]

What the notice means for your home. The notice is about the council's safety systems across its stock in 2022, not the state of any one home. If your home has damp, mould, a leak or an unfixed repair, your rights are separate and still apply.

Whatever a landlord's track record, its legal duties are the same — and they are strong.

Repairs. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Barking and Dagenham Council must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair — the roof, walls, windows and doors. It must also keep the installations for heating, hot water, gas, electricity, water and sanitation in proper working order. This applies to almost every council tenancy and cannot be signed away in a tenancy agreement.

Fitness for human habitation. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, your home must also be fit to live in — free from serious hazards, including damp and mould that could harm your health.

Awaab's Law. Awaab's Law now sets legally binding timescales for social landlords, including councils, to investigate hazards such as damp and mould and make homes safe — the disrepair page sets them out.^[11]

Barking and Dagenham's own published repair timescales. The council publishes target times for its repairs — the disrepair page lists them.^[14]

Where to report and complain. The disrepair page gives the council's repairs routes and its complaints process.^[15]