Guinness

The Housing Ombudsman is the independent body that investigates complaints about social landlords. In 2024-25 it recorded a maladministration rate of 68.4% for Guinness, with 214 of 313 findings counted — below the national rate of 71%.^[2] A "maladministration" finding means the Ombudsman decided the landlord got something wrong; "severe maladministration" marks the most serious failings.

Where the findings fell. Eight findings were severe maladministration. The sub-category with the most severe findings was repairs to leaks, damp and mould — 44 findings, five of them severe.^[2] On complaint handling, Guinness ran well below the national rate: 62% against 77%.^[2]

Orders and compensation. Across the year the Ombudsman made 415 orders, and its report shows £118,859 recorded in compensation across the year's cases (the Ombudsman's headline 'Compensation' figure).^[2] Guinness complied with 404 of the 404 orders in the report's compliance table within three months — 100%.^[2]

What that looked like in one home. In a decision dated 28 September 2023, the Ombudsman found severe maladministration in how Guinness handled damp and mould in a child's bedroom. The problem was first reported in February 2021 and left unresolved for almost three years, repair tickets repeatedly closed without the work being done. It ordered a specialist damp survey, remedial works, a senior management review, a written apology and £2,720.58 in compensation (case 202212457).^[5]

What Guinness says it has done. Guinness acknowledged the poor service and apologised, saying it had reviewed how it manages contractors, brought more repairs delivery in-house, expanded its complaints team and improved its record-keeping.^[6] Its own report to residents accepts that repairs were not always completed within its target timeframes.^[3] Guinness is not named in the Ombudsman's "learning from severe maladministration" reports of January and May 2026.^[8]

The Regulator of Social Housing has given Guinness its strongest consumer grade, C1, in a judgement published on 29 April 2026 — its first consumer grading of Guinness.^[1] The regulator is the government body that checks social landlords meet standards for safe, decent homes. Since 2024 it has inspected landlords and graded each from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

What the judgement said. The regulator wrote: "Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord has demonstrated that it identifies when issues occur and puts plans in place to remedy and minimise recurrence."^[1] It described Guinness's repairs, maintenance and planned improvements service as effective, efficient and timely.^[1] It also said it saw evidence that complaints are addressed fairly, promptly and effectively.^[1] Official 2024-25 figures record 0.2% of Guinness's homes as not meeting the Decent Homes Standard — the government's minimum standard for social housing.^[3]

“The Guinness Partnership provides an effective, efficient and timely repairs, maintenance and planned improvements service, and implements actions to ensure it continues to deliver good outcomes for tenants.”^[1]

— Regulator of Social Housing, The Guinness Partnership Limited (4729) - Regulatory Judgement: 29 April 2026 (29 April 2026)

Governance and finances. The same judgement confirmed Guinness's governance grade as G1 — it meets the regulator's governance requirements. Its viability grade is V2: it meets the viability requirements and can deal with a reasonable range of adverse scenarios, while needing to manage material risks.^[1]

No regulatory notice. There is no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — in force against Guinness, and none appears ever to have been issued.^[10] Grades are reviewed from time to time and may change; the date above is the one that matters.

Two official pictures, both true. The regulator graded Guinness's service in the round; the Ombudsman decides individual residents' cases — and found maladministration in Guinness's homes in 2024-25.^[2] Neither number explains the other away: a strong overall grade did not stop those homes going wrong, and it does not change your rights.

A housing association's repair duties are just as strong as a council's — and they do not depend on its track record.

Repairs. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, The Guinness Partnership 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 tenancy and cannot be signed away.

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.^[11]

Guinness's own published timescales. Guinness sorts repairs by priority in its Responsive Repairs Policy and publishes target times for each category, with an around-the-clock emergency reporting line and a Damp and Mould Policy alongside — the disrepair page has the detail.^[14][15]

If Guinness misses its published timescales after you have reported a problem, the topic pages below explain what you can do next.