Dacorum Borough 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 8 Dacorum Borough Council cases in 2025/26.^[3] Its rate counts service failure as well as maladministration: 15 of the 20 findings it counted — 1 severe maladministration, 12 maladministration and 2 service failure — a rate of 75%.^[3] That compares with a national rate of 62%, and 70% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3] Adjusted for size, the Ombudsman recorded 1.3 maladministration findings per 1,000 homes, below the 1.9 median for similar landlords.^[3]

What the findings were about.^[3]

• "Managing relations": 8 findings, a 100% rate, against 57% nationally
• Repairs: 7 findings, a 57% rate, below the national 72%
• Anti-social behaviour: 3 findings, a 100% rate, against 66% nationally
• Complaint handling was the most common sub-category, with 7 findings. Damp and mould had 2, including the severe finding.^[3]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 33 orders and 7 recommendations, and records all 33 orders due in the year as complied with. It ordered £7,137 in compensation, and recommended a further £1,200.^[3]

The trend. The Ombudsman's figures put the council's rate at 100% across 3 decided cases in 2023/24, and 72% across 13 in 2024/25.^[3] From October 2025 the Ombudsman started examining complaint handling in every case it investigated, which it says affects how the 2025/26 rates compare with previous years.^[6]

The council's response. In its 2025/26 annual complaints report, the council says it now tracks repairs actions through its case system, with automated reminders, to tackle older cases.^[7] It says it treats every damp and mould report as a priority following Awaab's Law, and that its latest self-assessment found it compliant with the Ombudsman's complaint handling code.^[7]

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 one it inspects a consumer grade from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

Dacorum has a C2 grade. In a judgement published on 14 August 2024, after an inspection that month, the regulator gave Dacorum Borough Council a C2. That means it found some weaknesses and said improvement is needed.^[1] As at October 2026 it remains the only judgement on the council's regulator page.^[1]

What the regulator found. It named weaknesses against two standards: the safety and quality of homes, and transparency, influence and accountability.^[1] In particular, it found:

• good results across the main areas of health and safety compliance, and a planned approach to damp and mould
• gaps in the council's information about its homes, with more than 40% of property records not up to date
• some homes failing the Decent Homes Standard
• relatively low tenant satisfaction with repairs, which the council recognised it needs to improve
• too little information about tenants' diverse needs, and work still under way to strengthen tenant involvement and scrutiny
• a clear complaints process, but room to improve how the council learns from complaints
• effective handling of anti-social behaviour, in line with the council's policy.^[1]

On repairs, the regulator said: "action is needed to ensure the council is delivering an effective, efficient and timely repairs and maintenance service."^[1]

“action is needed to ensure the council is delivering an effective, efficient and timely repairs and maintenance service.”^[1]

Regulator of Social Housing, Dacorum Borough Council (26UC) Regulatory Judgement: 14 August 2024 (14 August 2024)

The council's response. The council says its Cabinet approved a regulatory action plan in July 2025, and that the regulator reviews its progress every three months.^[8]

What the council reports. For 2025/26 the council reports that all required gas safety checks and fire risk assessments had been carried out.^[4] On the regulator's measure, which asks only tenants who say they complained in the last year, 27.5% were satisfied with its approach to complaints handling.^[4] These are the council's own figures, not the regulator's.

What the grade means for your home. The grade is about the council's systems across all its homes, not the state of any one home. If your home has damp, mould, a leak or an unfixed repair, your rights are the same whatever the grade.

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, Dacorum Borough 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]

Dacorum's own published repair timescales. The council's repairs handbook sets target times for emergency and other repairs — the disrepair page lists them.^[14]

Where to report and complain. The council's main phone number is 01442 228000.^[15] The disrepair page gives its freephone repairs line and its two-stage complaints process.^[17]