Croydon 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.

The 2024/25 performance report. The Ombudsman decided 24 Croydon cases in 2024/25 (excluding cases outside its jurisdiction or withdrawn), producing 82 findings.^[1] Of the 75 findings counted for the rate, 66 were maladministration or service failure — the Ombudsman's maladministration-rate basis — a rate of 88%, up from 81% in 2023/24 and 67% in 2022/23, against a national rate of 71%.^[1]

Complaints handling was the largest category by count, at 83% maladministration (national 77%).^[1] Property condition had the highest rate of any category — all 23 findings decided were upheld as maladministration, against a national rate of 73%.^[1] Across the year the Ombudsman made 144 orders and recorded £28,593 in compensation (ordered and recommended).^[1]

A borough with a recent history of regulatory intervention. In May 2021 the regulator served Croydon Council a regulatory notice after residents of the Regina Road estate in South Norwood reported severe disrepair, including leaks, damp, mould and electrical safety concerns in a tower block.^[2] An independent review the council commissioned found a repairs service marked by a lack of capacity and competence, a poor operating culture, systemic problems handling tenants' concerns and complaints, and weak performance management — the full findings are in the next section.^[4]

What the council has done. The council says it invested over £30m in 2024/25 on kitchens, bathrooms, windows, lifts and boilers, completed stock condition surveys on 70% of its homes, and set up an in-house repairs contact centre — improvements the regulator cited when it withdrew the notice on 30 April 2025.^[3]

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 landlords and giving each a consumer grade from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

Croydon has not yet been graded. The regulator has not published a consumer standards grade for Croydon Council — its most recent formal regulatory action was a notice, not a grading judgement.^[5]

The Regina Road notice. In May 2021 the regulator found Croydon Council in breach of the Home Standard and the Tenant Involvement and Empowerment Standard, following the council's own self-referral after conditions on the Regina Road estate were reported.^[2] The underlying causes — set out in the track record above — came from the council's own commissioned review.

Withdrawn in 2025. The regulator withdrew the notice on 30 April 2025, saying the issues that gave rise to it had been resolved.^[2] It followed investment in stock condition surveys and home upgrades, new repairs contracts, and the oversight of an independent Housing Improvement Board set up in 2021 with resident representatives.^[3]

No regulatory notice in force. As at the date this page was last checked, the Regulator of Social Housing has no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — in force against Croydon Council.^[5] Grades and notices are reviewed from time to time and may change.

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, Croydon 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 to investigate hazards such as damp and mould and make homes safe — the disrepair page sets them out.^[7]

Croydon's own published repair timescales. The council sorts repairs by priority and publishes target times — the disrepair page lists them.^[10]

Where to report and complain. The disrepair page gives the council's repairs line and its complaints route.^[11]