Kingston 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 2024-25 performance report — a small set of cases. The Ombudsman's landlord performance report for Kingston covers cases it decided — its "determinations" — between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. It is a small set: in its own words, "16 findings were recorded for Kingston upon Thames Council in these 5 determinations".^[1] Of those 16, it set aside 2 that were outside its jurisdiction or withdrawn: "The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Kingston upon Thames Council is 12, which gives the Maladministration rate of 85.7% (12 / 14)."^[1] That rate is higher than the national rate of 71%, and the 77% rate for landlords of a similar size and type.^[1] But it rests on 12 upheld findings across 5 decided cases, so a single case weighs heavily.^[1]

“16 findings were recorded for Kingston upon Thames Council in these 5 determinations.”^[1]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2024/25 — Kingston upon Thames Council (1 October 2025)

“The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Kingston upon Thames Council is 12, which gives the Maladministration rate of 85.7% (12 / 14).”^[1]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2024/25 — Kingston upon Thames Council (1 October 2025)

What the 12 findings were. Broken down by seriousness, the 12 were 2 of severe maladministration — the Ombudsman's most serious category — 7 of ordinary maladministration, and 3 of service failure.^[1] By subject, the biggest failure area was the condition of people's homes — what the Ombudsman calls "property condition". It upheld all 7 of the findings it counted there (100%, against 73% nationally).^[1] Repairs — and leaks, damp and mould in particular — were the recurring themes.^[1] Across the year the Ombudsman made 24 orders, spread across 12 category findings, and recorded £4,999 in compensation ordered; it made no complaint handling failure orders, and the council complied with 23 of the 24 orders within three months.^[1]

A rising rate, on a very small caseload. The Ombudsman's own restated figures show Kingston's maladministration rate rising over three years: about 17% in 2022-23, 78% in 2023-24 and 86% in 2024-25.^[1] The caseload behind it stayed tiny — 3 decided cases in 2022-23, then 5 in each of the last two years.^[1] On numbers this small, a rate can swing sharply from one year to the next, so it is best read alongside the raw case counts.^[1]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards for safe, decent homes. Since 2024 the RSH has been inspecting social landlords and giving each a consumer grade from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

No grade published yet. The regulator has not yet published a consumer grade for Kingston Council, and there is no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — in force against it.^[2] That is not unusual for a smaller council landlord: the regulator is working through social landlords over several years, and many have not yet been inspected. The absence of a grade is not, in itself, a mark for or against the council — it simply means an inspection has not yet been published.^[2] If the regulator does inspect and grade Kingston in future, that judgement would appear on its published A-to-Z list of landlords.^[2]

What the official figures do show. Even without a consumer grade, the council reports safety figures to the regulator each year, and these give a partial picture. For 2024/25, the council reported that it had a valid gas safety check in place for 96.3% of the homes that needed one.^[5] It had completed asbestos management surveys for 74% of the relevant homes, while its fire, water (legionella) and lift safety checks were each reported at 100%.^[5] These are the council's own returns to the regulator, reported as they stand; the regulator has not published a conclusion of its own.^[2][5]

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, Kingston Council must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair. That covers 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 (section 9A of the 1985 Act), 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.^[6]

Kingston's own repairs service. The council publishes target times for its repairs by priority — the disrepair page sets them out.^[9] Day-to-day repairs are carried out on the council's behalf by a contractor, the Cardo Group, which took over the service in April 2025 after the previous contractor entered administration; the council remains your landlord and stays responsible for the work getting done.^[10]

If the council misses these kinds of timescales after you have reported a problem, the disrepair page explains what you can do next.