Stonewater

The Housing Ombudsman is the independent service 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, and "service failure" for the least. Its maladministration rate counts all three together. The findings below concern Stonewater Limited, the landlord you rent from.^[1]

The 2024-25 performance report. The Ombudsman's report covers the cases it decided for Stonewater between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025 — 97 in all. They produced 199 findings, because one case can carry a finding on each issue investigated.^[3] Of those, 193 count towards the maladministration rate: findings that fall outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction, or that are withdrawn, are left out of the base.^[3] As the Ombudsman set out the rate: "The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Stonewater Limited is 122, which gives the Maladministration rate of 63.2% (122 / 193)". That is below the national maladministration rate of 71%, and the 64% rate for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3] Of the 122, one was severe maladministration, the most serious level.^[3]

“The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Stonewater Limited is 122, which gives the Maladministration rate of 63.2% (122 / 193)”^[3]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2024/2025 — Stonewater Limited (1 May 2025)

Where the failings fell. The largest category was property condition — the state of people's homes — where the Ombudsman upheld 67% of the findings it counted, against 73% nationally.^[3] Complaint handling was next, upheld in 56% of the findings counted, against 77% nationally.^[3] Repairs for leaks, damp and mould were the largest repairs sub-category, with 32 findings, and it was there that the Ombudsman made its one finding of severe maladministration.^[3]

Orders and compensation. Across the year the Ombudsman made 258 orders, spread across 121 of the category findings, and recorded £79,267 in compensation — ordered and recommended combined.^[3] It made no complaint handling failure orders — the separate orders it makes when complaint handling itself fails. Stonewater complied with all 243 orders that were due to be met within three months.^[3]

A rising caseload. The number of Stonewater cases the Ombudsman decided rose over three years — 13 in 2022-23, 43 in 2023-24 and 97 in 2024-25.^[3] Across the same years its maladministration rate rose from 48% to 66% before easing back in the most recent year.^[3]

What Stonewater reports. Stonewater built 1,029 new homes in 2024-25 and says it is investing in its existing homes.^[5] The regulator recorded that it is taking steps to resolve the weaknesses it found.^[1]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards for safe, decent homes. It grades landlords in three ways: a consumer grade (C1 to C4) for the homes and services tenants receive, a governance grade (G1 to G4) for how well the landlord is run, and a viability grade (V1 to V4) for its finances.

Stonewater's consumer grade is C2. In a judgement published on 27 August 2025 — its first inspection against the consumer standards — the regulator graded Stonewater C2: "Our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed."^[1] C2 is the second of the regulator's four consumer grades, which run from C1 (the strongest) to C4. The regulator gives a C2 where it has found weaknesses it considers material to how the landlord delivers the consumer standards — weaknesses that, if they are not put right, are likely to lead to poor outcomes for tenants.^[1]

What the regulator found. The regulator said it found "weaknesses in the provision of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service".^[1] It also said Stonewater could not evidence that it holds accurate, up-to-date data on a significant proportion of its customers.^[1] The regulator recorded that Stonewater is taking steps to resolve these weaknesses — strengthening how it manages contractor performance, increasing board oversight, and trialling a locality-based service model.^[1]

Governance and viability. The regulator grades Stonewater G1 for governance — the strongest grade — finding it "meets our governance requirements", and V2 for viability, finding it "meets our viability requirements" but noting it "needs to manage material risks to ensure continued compliance".^[1]

No regulatory notice. There is no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — currently in force against Stonewater; the regulator's publication page shows only its judgement, not any notice.^[6] 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, Stonewater 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.^[7]

Stonewater's own published repair timescales. Stonewater sorts repairs into priorities, each with a published target time — the disrepair page lists the figures.^[10]

Where to report and complain. Report a repair to Stonewater through your online MyHome account or its Customer Service Centre, and make a complaint through its two-stage complaints process at stonewater.org/customers/get-support/making-a-complaint.^[12]