Havering 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 The Ombudsman decided 18 Havering cases in 2025/26, excluding cases outside its jurisdiction or withdrawn.^[1] Its rate counts service failure as well as maladministration: 35 of the 45 findings it counted — 2 severe maladministration, 19 maladministration and 14 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. "Managing relations" was the largest category, with 19 findings and an 84% rate, against 57% nationally and 69% for council landlords. Repairs had 9 findings and an 89% rate, against 72% nationally and 78% for council landlords. Anti-social behaviour had 6 findings and an 83% rate, against 66% nationally and 71% for council landlords.^[1] Complaint handling was the most common sub-category, with 16 findings; damp and mould had 3.^[1]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 67 orders and 16 recommendations, and records every order due in the year as complied with. Compensation ordered or recommended came to £7,225.^[1]

The trend. The Ombudsman's figures put the council's rate at 78% across 12 decided cases in 2023/24 and 80% across 13 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.^[6]

A severe finding on anti-social behaviour. In June 2025 the Ombudsman found severe maladministration in how the council handled a secure tenant's reports of anti-social behaviour and noise from a neighbour, and in its handling of her complaint.^[7] It ordered an apology, £1,100 in compensation, and a review of the council's actions in the case, with particular reference to anti-social behaviour, noise and complaints.^[7]

“Overall, the landlord provided an inadequate complaint service which justifies a finding of severe maladministration.”^[7]

Housing Ombudsman, London Borough of Havering Council (202340938) (6 June 2025, 202340938)

The council's response. In its own 2025/26 complaints report, the council says complaint handling failure orders fell from six to three, and compensation the Ombudsman ordered fell from £10,623 to £7,225.^[2] It set up a Complaints Board, which first met in December 2025, and says it has reviewed its complaints policy to comply with the Ombudsman's code.^[2]

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 larger landlords in turn, giving each a consumer grade from C1 (the strongest) to C4 once it has inspected them.

No grade yet. The regulator has not published a consumer standards grade for Havering Council. Its list of landlords with published judgements does not include the council, so there is no regulatory judgement or notice either.^[8] This is the position as at the date this page was last checked, and may change once the regulator inspects the council.

What the council reports. Without a grade, the council's own tenant satisfaction measures are the main published figures on its homes and services. For 2025/26 it reports that:

• 2.81% of its homes did not meet the Decent Homes Standard^[3]
• all required gas safety checks had been carried out^[3]
• all required fire risk assessments had been carried out.^[3]

In a survey of 600 tenants carried out for the council in June 2025, 70.8% were satisfied with its overall service.^[3] Among tenants who said they had complained in the last 12 months, 28.9% were satisfied with its approach to complaints handling.^[3]

These are the council's own figures, not the regulator's.

What the absence of a grade means for your home. A grade is about a landlord'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 whether or not the council has been graded.

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, Havering 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.^[9]

Havering's own published repair timescales. The council's repairs policy sets target times for emergency, urgent and routine repairs — the disrepair page lists them.^[12]

Where to report and complain. The disrepair page gives the council's repairs routes and its two-stage complaints process.^[14]