Four social housing landlords have achieved a C1 consumer grade in the latest regulatory judgements published by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) today. Croydon Churches Housing Association (CCHA), Livv Housing Group, Prima Housing Group, and Two Rivers Housing all received the C1 grade following their first consumer inspections under the new regulatory regime. This marks a significant step in the RSH's enhanced oversight of the social housing sector, which began with revised consumer standards and a programme of landlord inspections on 1 April 2024.
While CCHA, Prima, and Two Rivers maintained their G1 governance and V1 viability grades, Livv Housing Group, based in Merseyside, experienced a G2 downgrade in governance and a V2 regrade for viability. Livv had self-referred to the RSH regarding reporting errors related to one of its covenants, indicating a need for improved governance arrangements, particularly in its internal control and assurance framework.
In a positive development, Nottingham City Council saw its consumer grade upgraded to C2. The local authority had previously received a C3 grade in January 2024 but has since demonstrated improvements in its understanding of tenant home conditions and strengthened the oversight and delivery of its repairs and maintenance services. The council also enhanced the delivery and monitoring of outcomes from tenant engagement and scrutiny. However, the RSH noted that some weaknesses persist in meeting the full outcomes of the consumer standards, with further improvements still required in certain areas.
Three other landlords – Advance Housing and Support Limited, The Cambridge Housing Society Limited, and Wandle Housing Association Limited – also received a C2 consumer grade on their initial assessments. Advance had a V2 viability regrade while retaining its G1 governance grade, Cambridge Housing maintained G1/V1, and Wandle G1/V2. East End Homes (EEH) also saw an upgrade to G2 in its governance grade following the completion of a voluntary undertaking with the RSH, although its V2 viability grade remained unchanged.
Kate Dodsworth, Deputy Chief Executive of the RSH, commented on the judgements, stating that the RSH's role is to hold landlords accountable and drive continuous improvement to ensure tenants live in good quality homes and receive effective services. She added that it is encouraging to see landlords performing well from the outset or demonstrating clear progress, indicating an understanding of expectations, tenant engagement, and a commitment to service improvement supported by strong governance and financial resilience.
These new consumer standards and inspection programmes are a direct result of the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023, which grants the RSH stronger powers to hold landlords accountable. The aim is to foster a more viable, efficient, and well-governed social housing sector capable of delivering more and better social homes for residents across the UK.