Housing 21

The Housing Ombudsman is the independent body that investigates complaints about social landlords. Its maladministration rate counts three levels of failing: "service failure", "maladministration" and, for the most serious, "severe maladministration".^[4]

The 2025-26 performance report. The Ombudsman's report counts 4 Housing 21 cases decided between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.^[4] It recorded a maladministration rate of 10.0% — 1 of 10 findings, leaving aside one outside its jurisdiction.^[4] The national rate was 62%, and 52% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[4]

“The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Housing 21 is 1, which gives the Maladministration rate of 10.0% (1 / 10).”^[4]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2025/2026 – Housing 21 (15 September 2026)

What it found. The one finding counted in the rate was service failure, about information and data management; there was no severe maladministration. In 4 findings the Ombudsman decided Housing 21 had already offered enough to put things right — "reasonable redress" — and in 5 it found no maladministration.^[4]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 1 order — an apology — and 7 recommendations. Its report shows £250 in compensation, ordered and recommended combined — all of it recommended. Housing 21 complied with the one order due in the year within three months.^[4]

Fewer cases than similar landlords. The Ombudsman received 1.4 cases per 1,000 Housing 21 homes in 2025-26, against a median of 5.4 for landlords of a similar size and type.^[4]

Earlier years. The same report gives rates of 64% across 5 cases in 2023-24 and 23% across 7 cases in 2024-25. The Ombudsman has recounted 2023-24 to leave out cases outside its jurisdiction or withdrawn.^[4]

A heating case. In a decision dated 29 May 2025, the Ombudsman looked at a complaint a relative brought for a resident of an extra care flat. It found service failure over her heating and home temperature, and maladministration in complaint handling. On communication, it found Housing 21 had already offered reasonable redress. It ordered £400 in compensation and a review of the communal heating. This decision is not counted in the Ombudsman's 2025-26 figures.^[7]

What residents say. In Housing 21's own 2025-26 survey, 91.8% of renting residents who had a repair in the last year were satisfied with the repairs service, and 87.8% of shared owners with the overall service.^[5]

Housing 21's own complaint figures. Housing 21 reports 286 complaints in 2025-26, with 84% resolved at stage one against a 90% target. It says so few complaints for its size could mean some concerns are not always raised, or not recorded correctly.^[8]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards. It grades consumer standards — the homes and services tenants get — from C1 (the strongest) to C4. It separately grades governance (G1 to G4) and financial viability (V1 to V4).

Housing 21's consumer grade is C1. In a judgement published on 13 May 2026, the regulator upgraded Housing 21 to C1: "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]

Up from C2. Housing 21 had been graded C2 after an inspection completed in May 2025. The regulator then followed up on weaknesses it had found under two standards: Safety and Quality, and Transparency, Influence and Accountability.^[1]

What changed. The regulator found Housing 21 had improved its board's reporting on remedial safety work and on its repairs service. It had also got better at showing how complaints drive improvements. The regulator said Housing 21 keeps an accurate record of the condition of its homes, through surveys of every home and annual visits to residents.^[1]

Safety. The regulator found Housing 21 has appropriate systems to keep tenants safe in their homes and communal areas, with a good level of reported compliance with its legal duties.^[1]

Anti-social behaviour. The regulator recorded that Housing 21 had itself identified concerns about its approach to anti-social behaviour and hate crime, and completed a full review with residents.^[1]

Governance and viability. Governance is graded G1: "Our judgement is that the landlord meets our governance requirements." Viability is V1, the strongest grade. The regulator confirmed both in a December 2025 stability check.^[1]

What Housing 21 says. Its board chair said Housing 21 had worked with the regulator to improve its reporting, the performance information it shares with residents, and how it uses feedback.^[9]

No regulatory notice. There is no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — in force against Housing 21; the regulator's page lists only its judgement.^[2]

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, Housing 21 must keep the structure and exterior of a rented home in repair — the roof, walls, windows and doors — and keep the installations for heating, hot water, gas, electricity, water and sanitation in proper working order. This cannot be signed away in a tenancy agreement.

Fitness for human habitation. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (section 9A of the 1985 Act), a rented home must also be fit to live in — free from serious hazards, including damp, mould and cold that could harm health.

Awaab's Law. Awaab's Law now sets legally binding timescales for social landlords, housing associations included, to investigate hazards such as damp and mould and make homes safe — the disrepair page sets them out.^[10]

Safety checks. Housing 21 must meet its legal health and safety duties in tenants' homes and in communal areas.

If you are a shared owner or leaseholder. Housing 21 rents homes and also sells them through shared ownership.^[8] For owners, the lease sets out which repairs Housing 21 is responsible for, and different rules apply — the disrepair page explains them.^[13]

Housing 21's own repair timescales. Housing 21 sorts repairs into three priorities, each with a target time, which the disrepair page lists.^[5]

Where to report and complain. Report a repair to your local manager, and complain to them or to Housing 21's complaints line; its two-stage process follows the Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code.^[13][16]