Westminster City 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.

The 2024-25 performance report. The Ombudsman's landlord performance report for Westminster covers cases decided — the Ombudsman calls these "determinations" — between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. Across 44 cases decided, of 90 findings counted, 61 were maladministration — 68%, which is below the national rate of 71% and the 80% rate for landlords of a similar size and type.^[1] One of the findings was severe maladministration, the Ombudsman's most serious category.^[1] The largest failure area was the condition of people's homes — what the Ombudsman calls "property condition" — with 43 findings, upheld as maladministration in 70% of those findings (below the 73% national rate for that category); within that, repairs to leaks, damp and mould was the single largest sub-category, with 18 findings.^[1]

Orders and compensation. Across the year the Ombudsman made 137 orders and issued 2 complaint handling failure orders — the orders it makes when a landlord's complaint handling itself fails.^[1] Its report records £42,836 in compensation, ordered and recommended, across the year's cases, with the largest single share relating to the condition of people's homes.^[1]

A comparatively strong, and improving, record. Set against other councils, this is a relatively strong position — and one that has been improving. The Ombudsman's own restated figures show Westminster's maladministration rate fell in the latest year, having risen the year before — from 61% in 2022-23 to 79% in 2023-24, before dropping back in 2024-25.^[1] Its maladministration rates in each of its top three complaint areas — the condition of homes, complaints handling, and anti-social behaviour — ran below the national rates for those areas.^[1] And the council complied with all of the Ombudsman's orders within three months.^[1]

But a good record is no comfort if it's your home. None of that helps if your own home has damp, mould or a repair that has not been done. Even in a stronger year, the biggest single area of failure was repairs to leaks, damp and mould.^[1] A landlord's grade is about how it is doing overall — it does not change your rights, and it is not a reason to put up with a problem that is not being fixed.

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

Westminster's grade is C1. In a judgement published on 26 February 2025 — the first time the regulator had graded the council under the new consumer regime — the Regulator of Social Housing gave Westminster City Council its strongest consumer grade, C1: "Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord has demonstrated that it identifies when issues occur and puts plans in place to remedy and minimise recurrence."^[2] The regulator noted that "This is the first time we have issued a consumer grade in relation to this landlord."^[2]

“Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord has demonstrated that it identifies when issues occur and puts plans in place to remedy and minimise recurrence.”^[2]

Regulator of Social Housing, City of Westminster Council (00BK) – Regulatory Judgement: 26 February 2025 (26 February 2025)

What the judgement found. The regulator said the council meets legal health and safety requirements, that its repairs and maintenance service meets the required standards, and that tenants are given meaningful opportunities to influence and scrutinise its services. It recorded that around 95% of the council's homes meet the Decent Homes Standard — the government's minimum standard for social housing — with an investment plan aimed at reaching 100%.^[2]

No regulatory notice in force. Separately, the Regulator of Social Housing has no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — in force against Westminster.^[2] Regulatory grades are reviewed from time to time and may change — the date above is the one that matters.

What a C1 grade means for you. A C1 grade is the regulator's view of how Westminster is performing as a landlord across all its homes. It is not a verdict on your home. If yours has damp, mould or a repair that has not been fixed, your legal rights are exactly the same as those of a tenant of any other landlord — whatever grade it holds — and the routes on this page are open to you just the same.

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, Westminster City Council 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 council 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. Since 27 October 2025, Awaab's Law has set legally binding timescales for social landlords, including councils, to investigate and fix emergency hazards and damp and mould — the disrepair page sets them out.^[4]

Safety certificates. The council must also meet statutory health and safety duties, such as gas and electrical safety checks; the regulator confirmed it complies with these when it graded the council.^[2]

Complaint handling. The council 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.^[7]

The council also publishes its own target repair timescales, which the disrepair page sets out alongside these legal duties.