MTVH

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. The findings below concern Metropolitan Thames Valley, the housing association you rent from.^[1]

The 2024-25 performance report. The Ombudsman's landlord performance report for Metropolitan Thames Valley covers 157 cases decided between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. As the Ombudsman set out the rate: "The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTV) is 296, which gives the Maladministration rate of 76.5% (296 / 387)." — against a national rate of 71%, and 69% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3] Ten of those findings were severe maladministration, and property condition was the largest category, with 143 findings; leaks, damp and mould carried the most severe findings of any sub-category.^[3] Across the year the Ombudsman made 557 orders, issued one complaint-handling failure order, and recorded £106,892 in compensation — ordered and recommended combined.^[3]

“The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTV) is 296, which gives the Maladministration rate of 76.5% (296 / 387).”^[3]

— Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2024/2025 – Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTV) (1 May 2025)

A rising three-year picture. The Ombudsman's reports show the maladministration rate rising then holding high: 55% in 2022-23, 77% in 2023-24 and 76.5% in 2024-25. Because MTVH was formed by a merger, the Ombudsman folded the two legacy landlords' earlier casework into its record, noting: "Where a landlord has merged, we have merged the 2022-24 data and it may therefore be different to the published figures last year."^[3]

“Where a landlord has merged, we have merged the 2022-24 data and it may therefore be different to the published figures last year.”^[3]

— Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2024/2025 – Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTV) (1 May 2025)

In individual cases. In separate 2025 decisions, the Ombudsman found maladministration in how Metropolitan Thames Valley handled reports of damp, mould and leaks — including delays in tracing the source of a leak — and in its complaint handling.^[7][8] Separately, the Secretary of State wrote to MTVH in 2023 about its performance, and the Housing Ombudsman has made findings of severe maladministration against it.^[9]

What MTVH says it has done. Metropolitan Thames Valley says it has brought its repairs service in-house in one region to lift satisfaction with repairs, and that it is working through a plan to clear its outstanding fire-safety actions.^[1] It also reports receiving 8,375 complaints in 2024-25, up 21% on the year before.^[3]

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.

Metropolitan Thames Valley's grade is C2. In a judgement published on 26 November 2025, the regulator graded it C2: "There are some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed."^[1] The C2 was set following a programmed inspection in May 2025; the November judgement was a stability check that confirmed it.^[1]

What the judgement found on repairs and safety. The regulator said MTVH had increased satisfaction with repairs by bringing the work in-house for one region, but that improvements were still needed to meet its own timescales for non-urgent work.^[1] On building safety, it found MTVH takes reasonable steps to protect tenants but needs to deal with fire-risk-assessment actions in good time: MTVH made a self-referral in December 2024 when it had around 1,700 overdue fire-remediation actions, and is working through a plan to clear them.^[1] It also found MTVH provides good-quality homes that meet the Decent Homes Standard — the government's minimum standard for social housing.^[1]

Governance and viability. The same judgement graded MTVH G2 for governance and V2 for viability. On governance, the regulator found the balance of oversight between MTVH's board and its committees was not in line with its strategic risks and identified weaknesses in its stress testing.^[1] On viability, it judged MTVH's business plan adequately funded but its forecast financial profile weakened in the short-to-medium term by the acceleration of its building-safety remediation programme and continued investment in existing homes.^[1] Each scale runs from 1 (the strongest) to 4 (the weakest), so a grade 2 across all three means the regulator judges MTVH meets the standards but with issues still to resolve.^[1]

No regulatory notice. There is no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — currently in force against MTVH; the regulator's publication page lists only its judgement.^[2] Regulatory grades are reviewed from time to time and may change — the date above is the one that matters.

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, Metropolitan Thames Valley must keep the structure and exterior of your 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 applies to almost every 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, housing associations included, to investigate hazards such as damp and mould and make homes safe — the disrepair page sets them out.^[11]

Metropolitan Thames Valley's own published repair timescales. MTVH's Responsive Repairs Policy sets target times for its repairs service — the disrepair page lists the figures.^[14]

Where to report and complain. Report a repair through MTVH's contact channels, and complain through its process at mtvh.co.uk/contact-us/report-a-problem/make-a-complaint-about-mtvh.^[15]