Thirteen

The Housing Ombudsman investigates complaints about social landlords. When it upholds one it records "service failure", "maladministration" or, for the most serious failings, "severe maladministration". These findings concern Thirteen Housing Group Limited.^[1]

The 2025-26 performance report. The Ombudsman's report on Thirteen covers 27 cases decided on their merits between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. It recorded a maladministration rate of 60.3% for Thirteen — 38 of 63 findings counted — against a national rate of 62%, and 52% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3]

“The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Thirteen Housing Group Limited is 38, which gives the Maladministration rate of 60.3% (38 / 63).”^[3]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2025/2026 – Thirteen Housing Group Limited (15 September 2026)

The rate counts service failure as well as maladministration — 18 of the 38 findings were service failure — and leaves out findings outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction, so its base is 63 of the 66 findings.^[3]

Orders, compensation and case volume. The Ombudsman made 74 orders and recorded £11,394 in compensation, ordered and recommended combined; Thirteen complied with all 74 within three months.^[3] It received 3.2 cases per 1,000 homes, against a median of 5.4 for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3]

Earlier years. The report puts Thirteen's rate at 61% in 2023-24 and 57% in 2024-25, across 10 and 9 decided cases. The Ombudsman recounted 2023-24, so that figure may differ from the one first published.^[3]

A severe maladministration case. Two of the year's findings were severe maladministration, and responsive repairs accounted for 24 of the 66.^[3] In a decision dated 18 December 2025, the Ombudsman found "Severe maladministration in how the landlord handled repairs to the property", and in its complaint handling. A family who reported floor defects and damp soon after moving in spent seven months in temporary accommodation during the work. Thirteen had offered compensation, which the Ombudsman found insufficient; it ordered an executive-level apology and £2,146.27.^[5]

“Severe maladministration in how the landlord handled repairs to the property.”^[5]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Thirteen Housing Group Limited (202411250) — Housing Ombudsman decision (18 December 2025, 202411250)

Leaks, damp and mould. In March and April 2026 decisions, the Ombudsman found maladministration over a kitchen leak with damp and mould, and over damp and mould in another home. In the second it found no maladministration in the complaint handling, noting Thirteen replied within its published timescales.^[6][7] In a May 2025 case about anti-social behaviour it found no maladministration.^[8]

What Thirteen says. Thirteen says it has set up a dedicated damp and mould team and reviewed its timescales.^[9]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards. It grades landlords for consumer standards — the homes and services tenants actually get — from C1 (the strongest) to C4, and separately for governance (G1 to G4) and financial viability (V1 to V4).

Thirteen holds the strongest grade on all three. Its consumer grade is C1: "Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards."^[1] The regulator set that grade after a planned inspection completed in March 2025. In November 2025 a stability check — a lighter review of governance and finances — confirmed G1 for governance — "Our judgement is that the landlord meets our governance requirements"^[1] — and V1 for viability.^[1] That check did not reassess the consumer grade.^[1]

“Our judgement is that the landlord meets our governance requirements.”^[1]

Regulator of Social Housing (GOV.UK), Thirteen Housing Group Limited (L4522) - Regulatory Judgement: 26 November 2025 (26 November 2025)

“Our judgement is that the landlord meets our viability requirements and has the financial capacity to deal with a wide range of adverse scenarios.”^[1]

Regulator of Social Housing (GOV.UK), Thirteen Housing Group Limited (L4522) - Regulatory Judgement: 26 November 2025 (26 November 2025)

What the inspection found. The regulator found that Thirteen provides an effective and timely repairs service, but that it needed to improve on meeting its own targets for non-emergency repairs; it saw evidence that Thirteen had plans in place to do so. It also saw evidence that complaints were handled efficiently and promptly, and that Thirteen understands the risks in its tall buildings.^[1]

What a grade does and does not measure. A grade is the regulator's view of the landlord as a whole. It is not a finding about any one home, and individual complaints still go to the Housing Ombudsman, whose decisions deal with particular cases.^[1]

No regulatory notice. There is no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — currently in force against Thirteen Housing Group Limited, and the regulator's page for it lists only its judgement.^[2] Grades are reviewed from time to time and may change; this page reflects the November 2025 judgement.

Thirteen must keep your home in repair and fit to live in — the same duties a council owes, whatever its grade or record.

Repairs. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Thirteen 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.^[10]

Thirteen's own repair timescales. Thirteen sorts repairs into emergency, appointable and planned priorities, each with a published target time, which the disrepair page lists. Its in-house maintenance team carries out the work, with sub-contractors at busy times.^[13]

Safety and complaints. Thirteen must also meet its gas, electrical and fire-safety duties, and handle complaints under the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code.

Where to report and complain. Report a repair through the My Thirteen website or by phone, and make a complaint through Thirteen's two-stage process at thirteengroup.co.uk/compliments-and-complaints.^[14][15]