Plymouth Community Homes

The Housing Ombudsman investigates complaints about social landlords. Where a landlord got things wrong, it finds "service failure", "maladministration" or, for the most serious failings, "severe maladministration". Its maladministration rate counts all three. The findings below concern Plymouth Community Homes Limited.^[1]

The 2025-26 performance report. The Ombudsman recorded a maladministration rate of 45.5% for Plymouth Community Homes — 5 of 11 findings, across 4 decided cases.^[3] That compares with a national rate of 62%, and 52% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3]

“The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Plymouth Community Homes Limited is 5, which gives the Maladministration rate of 45.5% (5 / 11).”^[3]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2025/2026 — Plymouth Community Homes Limited (14 September 2026)

Cases per 1,000 homes. In 2025-26 the Ombudsman received 2.3 cases per 1,000 of its homes, against a median of 5.4 for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3]

Where the findings fell. Responsive repairs accounted for 8 of the 11 findings, including the year's one severe maladministration finding.^[3]

A severe finding over blocked drains. In May 2025 the Ombudsman found "severe maladministration in the landlord's handling of the resident's reports of issues with the drains in her previous property".^[7] The tenant reported blockages and backflow 20 times between 2012 and 2021, with sewage overflowing in her garden and rising in her toilet.^[7] The Ombudsman ordered an apology from the chief executive and £2,408 compensation across the complaint, £2,208 of it for the drains, less any of the landlord's earlier offer already paid.^[7]

“Severe maladministration in the landlord's handling of the resident's reports of issues with the drains in her previous property.”^[7]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Plymouth Community Homes Limited (202421163) (16 May 2025, 202421163)

In its complaint responses, Plymouth Community Homes called the problem "very complex" and apologised for the stress caused. It offered £750 compensation and to pay her outstanding water bill.^[7]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 12 orders and 3 recommendations; all 12 orders due in the year were complied with within three months.^[3] The report's headline compensation figure for the year, ordered or recommended, is £3,008.^[3]

Earlier years. The 2025-26 report shows 3 decided cases in 2024-25, with a rate of 100%, and no figures for 2023-24.^[3] The Ombudsman says that from October 2025 it examined complaint handling in every case, which affects how rates compare with earlier years.^[8]

What Plymouth Community Homes says. Its annual complaints report says the year's Ombudsman cases have informed improvements to complaint handling, oversight of complex cases and repairs management.^[9]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards. It grades landlords for consumer standards (C1 to C4), governance (G1 to G4) and financial viability (V1 to V4). On each scale, 1 is the strongest.^[10]

The current grades: C2, G1 and V2. In a judgement published on 30 July 2025, after an inspection, the regulator gave Plymouth Community Homes its first consumer grade, C2: "Our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed."^[1] Governance stayed at G1 and viability at V2.^[1]

Repairs. The regulator said: "We found evidence of weaknesses in the provision of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service."^[1] It also recorded progress: "PCH has significantly reduced its backlog of repairs, including the priority cases with additional resources allocated, but further work is required to ensure delivery consistently meets target timescales."^[1]

“We found evidence of weaknesses in the provision of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service.”^[1]

Regulator of Social Housing (GOV.UK), Plymouth Community Homes Limited (L4543) - Regulatory Judgement: 30 July 2025 (30 July 2025)

“PCH has significantly reduced its backlog of repairs, including the priority cases with additional resources allocated, but further work is required to ensure delivery consistently meets target timescales.”^[1]

Regulator of Social Housing (GOV.UK), Plymouth Community Homes Limited (L4543) - Regulatory Judgement: 30 July 2025 (30 July 2025)

Safety. It gained assurance that Plymouth Community Homes has appropriate systems to keep tenants safe in their homes and communal areas.^[1]

Other areas to improve. The regulator found limited oversight of services some tenants receive through a tenant management organisation (a tenant-led body that runs some housing services on an estate), and gaps in what the landlord knows about tenants' diverse needs. It also found that tenancy policies had not been reviewed regularly.^[1]

What Plymouth Community Homes says. In July 2025 it said an action plan was being developed, including a major project to improve its repairs service from end to end. Its chief executive, Jonathan Cowie, said: "we still have work to do – and this work is already well underway."^[11]

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, Plymouth Community Homes 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.^[12]

Safety checks. Plymouth Community Homes must also meet health and safety duties for its homes, such as fire, gas and electrical safety.

Complaint handling. Plymouth Community Homes must handle complaints under the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code, through a two-stage process with set response times — the disrepair page explains how to use it.^[15]

Plymouth Community Homes' own repair timescales. It sorts repairs into priorities, each with a published target time — from emergency repairs through to planned work — which the disrepair page lists.^[17]

Where to report and complain. Report a repair or complain online, through your MyPCH account or by phone, using the contact details on plymouthcommunityhomes.co.uk.^[15]