Swindon Borough 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 2025/26 performance report. The Ombudsman decided 7 Swindon cases in 2025/26, not counting cases outside its jurisdiction or withdrawn.^[4] Its rate counts service failure as well as maladministration: 7 of the 11 findings it counted — 6 maladministration and 1 service failure, none severe — a rate of 64%.^[4] That compares with a national rate of 62% and 70% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[4]

What the findings were about. Repairs were the largest category, with 6 findings and an 83% rate, against 72% nationally and 78% for council landlords.^[4] All 3 of its findings about damp and mould were maladministration.^[4]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 16 orders and 3 recommendations, and its report records all 16 orders due in the year as complied with. The Ombudsman ordered £4,390 in compensation.^[4]

The trend. With so few cases, the rate moves a long way from year to year. The Ombudsman's report puts the council's rate at 86% across 6 decided cases in 2023/24, and 90% across 8 in 2024/25.^[4] From October 2025 the Ombudsman began examining complaint handling in every case it investigated, which it says affects how this year's rates compare with previous years.^[6]

Damp and mould decisions. The disrepair page describes two November 2025 decisions about damp and mould in the homes of secure tenants.^[4]

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

Swindon's grade is C3. In a judgement published on 14 May 2025, after an inspection, the regulator graded the council C3: "there are serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and significant improvement is needed."^[1] It was the first consumer grade the regulator had given the council. Before the inspection, the council had referred itself, telling the regulator it was not meeting all the required outcomes.^[1]

What the judgement found. The serious failings were against the Safety and Quality Standard and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. The regulator recorded that:^[1]

• the council "could not provide assurance that it was meeting all legal requirements for its homes"
• it could not report accurately on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, or track faults found in electrical safety checks
• more than 800 fire safety actions were overdue, most of them by more than a year
• it had data on the condition of only around half its homes, and was reporting more than 10% of homes as not decent
• it could not show how tenants' views had been considered in its decisions about landlord services.^[1]

The regulator also found that the council dealt effectively with anti-social behaviour, and that damp and mould reports were followed up, although open cases were not tracked.^[1] It said the council had "engaged constructively" and was already taking action. It was not proposing to use its enforcement powers at that stage, but would keep that under review.^[1]

The council's response. The council has set up a Housing Improvement Board of tenants, councillors and officers, and published a plan to improve homes and services for tenants.^[7] In its 2025/26 housing annual report it says it has completed stock condition surveys on more than 86% of its homes and upgraded smoke alarms in 2,253 homes.^[5] These are the council's own figures.

No regulatory notice in force. As at the date this page was last checked, the regulator has no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — in force against Swindon Borough Council, and the council is not on its list of gradings under review.^[2]

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, Swindon Borough Council must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair — 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, 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.^[10]

Swindon's own published repair timescales. The council sorts repairs into emergency, urgent and non-urgent jobs and publishes target times — the disrepair page lists them.^[13]

Where to report and complain. The disrepair page gives the council's repairs routes and its two-stage complaints process.^[14]