City of Wolverhampton 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 16 Wolverhampton cases in 2025/26.^[3] Its rate counts service failure as well as maladministration: 16 of the 38 findings it counted — one severe maladministration, 7 maladministration and 8 service failure — a rate of 42%.^[3] That compares with a national rate of 62% and 70% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[3]

What the findings were about. The largest category was what the Ombudsman calls "managing relations", with 18 findings and a 39% rate, against 57% nationally. Repairs came next, with 10 findings and a 70% rate, against 72% nationally.^[3] The one severe maladministration finding was about condensation, damp and mould. Complaint handling was the most common sub-category, with 13 findings.^[3]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 34 orders, and records every one due in the year as complied with within three months. It issued no complaint handling failure orders. Its report's headline compensation figure, which adds compensation ordered and recommended, is £3,075.^[3]

The trend. The Ombudsman's figures put the council's rate at 59% across 18 decided cases in 2023/24, and 59% across 16 in 2024/25.^[3] From October 2025 the Ombudsman started examining complaint handling in every case it investigated, which it says affects how this year's rates compare with previous years.^[6]

A pests and repairs case. In November 2025 the Ombudsman found maladministration in how the council handled a tenant's reports of rats and mice and the related repairs. Loft insulation removed in April 2024 was not replaced until about October 2025.^[7] The council had offered £250. The Ombudsman ordered a senior manager's apology, £1,400 in total across the complaint, and a review of the household's extra energy costs.^[7]

What tenants say. In the council's own 2025/26 survey, 67% of tenants were satisfied with its overall housing service.^[4] Among tenants who had complained, 32% were satisfied with how their complaint was handled.^[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 landlords and giving each a consumer grade from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

Wolverhampton has a C2 grade. In a judgement published on 28 January 2026, after a planned inspection, the regulator gave City of Wolverhampton Council a C2. It is the second-highest grade and the first it has issued for the council.^[1]

What the regulator found. It said improvement is needed, specifically in the Safety and Quality Standard.^[1] In particular, it found:

• the council had physically surveyed the inside of only around 40% of its homes in the last five years, which it called a weakness the council needs to address
• the council reported that 4.75% of its homes did not meet the Decent Homes Standard at 31 March 2025, with plans in place for all to meet it
• it was meeting its legal health and safety requirements, and its repairs service met regulatory requirements
• the council needs to make sure information on repair timescales is consistently available to tenants of its tenant management organisations.^[1]

The regulator said the council has plans to increase survey coverage and then survey its homes on a five-year cycle.^[1] It also found a "respectful, fair and positive culture towards tenants".^[1]

“During our inspection Wolverhampton Council demonstrated a respectful, fair and positive culture towards tenants.”^[1]

Regulator of Social Housing, City of Wolverhampton Council (00CW) - Regulatory Judgement: 28 January 2026 (28 January 2026)

The council's response. The council says the judgement confirms it has no serious failings, and that it had reported the areas for improvement to the regulator itself in June 2025.^[8] It says it has since completed low-risk fire assessments and sped up its stock condition surveys.^[8]

What the grade means for your home. The grade is about the council's systems across all its homes, not the state of any one home. If your home has damp, mould, a leak or an unfixed repair, your rights are separate and still apply.

Whatever a landlord's track record, its legal duties are the same — and they are strong. Wolverhampton Homes and the tenant management organisations carry out repairs for the council, but the council remains your landlord.

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.^[10]

Published repair timescales. Wolverhampton Homes publishes target times for emergency, routine and larger repairs — the disrepair page lists them.^[13]

Where to report and complain. The disrepair page gives the repairs routes and the council's housing complaints process.^[15]