The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) today, 14 October 2026, published regulatory judgements, assigning a C3 consumer grade to Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.
RSH identified serious failings at Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, a West Yorkshire local authority, regarding its understanding of home conditions and its approach to anti-social behaviour. An inspection revealed that the council held up-to-date condition information for approximately a quarter of its tenants' homes and could not assure a full understanding of potential risks across its housing stock. Weaknesses were also noted in tenant scrutiny, tenant data, and complaint response times. Kirklees MBC is engaging constructively with RSH to address these concerns, despite having around 2,500 fire safety remedial actions still to complete.
Similarly, the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in south-west London received a C3 grade due to serious failings in understanding the condition of its homes. For most properties, accurate and up-to-date information was unavailable, and only 15% of homes had been surveyed under a new stock condition programme. While the council is meeting key health and safety legal requirements and has improved repairs performance, weaknesses persist in oversight of remedial actions, communal repairs, and complaints handling. RSH also identified gaps in the council's understanding of tenants' diverse needs. The landlord has acknowledged these issues and is taking action.
Angela Holden, Director of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, stated that these cases underscore the importance of landlords understanding home conditions and delivering services that ensure tenant safety. She added that RSH expects swift and effective action from landlords where serious failings are found.