West Northamptonshire 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. It reports on the council as the landlord, though NPH handles the complaints on its behalf.^[6]

The 2025/26 performance report. The Ombudsman decided 12 cases about the council in 2025/26. Its rate counts service failure too: 23 of the 26 findings within its jurisdiction — 2 severe maladministration, 15 maladministration and 6 service failure — a rate of 88%.^[1] That compares with a national rate of 62% and 70% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[1] The base is small, so a single case moves the rate a long way.

What the findings were about. Complaint handling was the most common sub-category, with 11 findings. Damp and mould came next: all 5 findings were maladministration, 2 of them severe maladministration.^[1] On responsive repairs as a whole, it found failings in 6 of 7 findings, a rate of 86% against 72% nationally.^[1]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 54 orders. All 54 orders with target dates in the year were recorded as complied with within three months. It ordered or recommended £12,649 in compensation.^[1]

The trend. The Ombudsman's figures put the council's rate at 56% across 4 decided cases in 2023/24, and 63% across 10 in 2024/25.^[1] From October 2025 the Ombudsman examined complaint handling in every case, which it says affects how the 2025/26 rates compare with earlier years.^[9]

The two severe findings. In August 2025 the Ombudsman found severe maladministration over damp and mould in a family's home, where mould had been recorded during a survey in January 2023. It said "there were a series of failings by the landlord over a significant period of time."^[10] In March 2026 it made the same finding for a tenant whose gutters had overflowed into her flat, saying the landlord "did not progress inspections or work within a reasonable timeframe despite being aware of severe damp affecting the property".^[11]

“There were a series of failings by the landlord over a significant period of time.”^[10]

Housing Ombudsman Service, West Northamptonshire Council (202440607) (27 August 2025, 202440607)

“The landlord did not progress inspections or work within a reasonable timeframe despite being aware of severe damp affecting the property in April 2024.”^[11]

Housing Ombudsman Service, West Northamptonshire Council (202427252) (31 March 2026, 202427252)

The landlord's response. NPH's complaints report for 2025/26 says damp and mould cases passed from its repairs team to a dedicated specialist team in July 2025, and that it has set up a Complex Cases Team and written a new damp and mould policy.^[12]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards for safe, decent homes. It grades landlords from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

A C3 grade after a self-referral. In a judgement published on 27 November 2024, the regulator graded the council C3.^[3] The council had referred itself in September 2024 over data quality and health and safety compliance. The regulator found it "does not have adequate systems and processes in place for the delivery and oversight of legal requirements relating to health and safety of tenants."^[3] It said the council could not show it was completing all checks for fire, electrical, water, asbestos, lifts and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. It did not propose enforcement action at that stage.^[3]

“Following West Northamptonshire Council’s self-referral and through our subsequent engagement with West Northamptonshire Council, we learned that it does not have adequate systems and processes in place for the delivery and oversight of legal requirements relating to health and safety of tenants.”^[3]

Regulator of Social Housing, West Northamptonshire Council (5130) — regulatory judgement: 27 November 2024 (27 November 2024)

The council's response. The council accepted the judgement and apologised, saying "this is simply not good enough".^[13] In March 2026 it reported that its gas, fire, water and asbestos programmes were at 100%, and overdue fire risk assessment actions had fallen from 4,500 to 14.^[14] In July 2026 it said it and NPH had completed their improvement plan, and that its annual report for 2025/26 showed the share of homes below the Decent Homes Standard falling from 19.2% to 7.6% over the year.^[14] These are the council's own figures; the regulator has published no newer judgement.^[3]

What tenants report. Every social landlord publishes tenant satisfaction measures each year. In the 2024/25 return, 67.5% of tenants surveyed were satisfied with the overall service.^[16] Among tenants who said they had complained, 33.9% were satisfied with how it was handled.^[16] NPH's own 2025/26 survey puts the two at 71.0% and 36.6%.^[17]

What a grade means for your home. A grade is about a landlord's systems across all its homes, not the state of any one home. Your rights over damp, mould, leaks and unfixed repairs are the same whatever the grade.

Whatever a landlord's track record, its legal duties are the same — and they are strong. The council is the landlord and keeps overall responsibility; NPH runs the day-to-day housing service, including repairs, on its behalf.^[6] The council plans to take that service back in-house by April 2027, and NPH says tenants should contact it as usual until then.^[18]

Repairs. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, the 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.^[21]

Safety checks. The council must carry out the safety checks the law requires, including gas, electrical and fire safety checks.

Where to report and complain. NPH takes repairs on its contact line and handles complaints for the council; the disrepair page gives the numbers, the repair targets and the two-stage complaints process.^[24][29]