By Alistair McIntosh, HQN CEO

The RSH is just about halfway through all of their inspections. What can we glean from this week’s batch of results? First, let’s look at the scores (you’ll find a short note on each result below):

Landlord	Result
Canterbury CC	C3
Cambridge CC	C2
Eastbourne BC	C2
Lewes DC	C2
Trident HA	C2

To begin with, here are the main lessons. The RSH’s tests are crystal clear. They want to see:

• 100% physical stock surveys of all your homes and common parts inside and out with supporting evidence to verify accuracy
• High levels of compliance with the current Decent Homes Standard
• High levels of compliance on health and safety (including the TSM metrics for gas, fire, asbestos, water and lifts)
• Accurate data on health and safety compliance supported by evidence from internal auditors and/or recognised experts
• Reliable repairs service that meets published timescales without backlogs
• Safety work carried out in a timely way
• Evidence of listening to and acting on the views of residents
• Gathering and acting on facts about the characteristics and vulnerabilities of your residents
• Effective measures to deter and tackle ASB and hate crime
• Action to improve satisfaction with complaint handling
• Analysis of tenant perception measures to improve services
• Timely reports to senior leaders so they are aware of problems and in a position to put them right
• Root cause analysis to pinpoint problems with improvement plans that bring results.

These reports are at a moment in time. The inspectors will start to look at readiness for Awaab’s Law.

It would be helpful if the RSH:

• Made greater use of the TSMs in the inspection reports
• Gave more details of the good practice that they are seeing as they go along.

In fairness, the RSH’s recent Focus Report on understanding the condition of tenants’ homes is very useful.

We also note that the C2 reports for the councils are much more detailed than the one for the C2 housing association. Why?

Given the high numbers of families in temporary accommodation it’s disappointing that the RSH didn’t report on efforts to boost lettings by tackling tenancy fraud and reducing void periods. They did praise landlords for conducting tenant audits – but they don’t tell us about the outcomes.

Here are some brief highlights of this week’s inspection reports.

Canterbury City Council – C3 – Overall satisfaction TSM 72.6% (figure not mentioned in RSH report)

“Serious failings” and “significant improvement” needed “specifically in relation to the outcomes in Safety and Quality Standard.”

Only 27.5% of homes surveyed – hence unable to report on Decent Homes Standard compliance.

Health and safety: “Serious failings in maintaining performance and completing remedial works to the required level across all areas” – confirmed by internal audit report. Canterbury understands “root causes” and is taking action.

Overall repairs and maintenance service is effective – but repair timescales not clear to tenants.

“No current adaptations policy.”

“Deals effectively with ASB” but needs to improve approach to hate crime.

“Reasonable steps to ensure safety of shared spaces.”

OK on Tenancy Standard.

Incomplete data about household characteristics undermines compliance with Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.

“Weaknesses in the promptness of responses to tenants’ complaints and the oversight of complaints made directly by contractors to tenants.”

RSH engagement will be “intensive”.

Cambridge City Council C2 – Overall satisfaction TSM 73% (figure not mentioned in RSH report)

Lack of up-to-date data on more than half of stock and 0.1% non-compliance with Decent Homes Standard. RSH noted that Cambridge CC did hold some useful data but that their “understanding will be further enhanced as the pace of the stock condition programme increases”. (Note: on the Cambridge CC website non-decency has climbed from 0.1% to 0.5%.)

Health and safety – overall compliance satisfactory – reducing, but still concerning; backlog of overdue fire risk assessment remedial actions.

“Lacks assurance regarding the accuracy of some of its compliance data.”

Repairs and maintenance service meets – “regulatory requirements” – 92% of non-emergency and 95% of emergency repairs within target. Tenant satisfaction is increasing. (Note: on the Cambridge CC site overall satisfaction for repairs up to 77.6% from 73.7%.)

“Effective approach” to ASB and hate crime.

Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – “positive culture” – “visible and accessible” senior leaders.

Strong on resident engagement

Only 60% of stage two complaints within timescales.

Cambridge had previously breached the Rent Standard but is compliant now.

Eastbourne Borough Council – C2 – Overall satisfaction TSM 70% (figure not mentioned in RSH report)

RSH happy with quality of assurance on stock data – 83% surveyed. All will be surveyed by March 2026. 8% non-decency.

OK overall on Safety and Quality but weaknesses on “strategic oversight” and reporting of remedial actions.

Repairs generally “timely” but senior leaders weren’t getting sufficient information, so a backlog built up.

OK on ASB and hate crime but needs to improve reporting of performance to senior leaders and tenants.

“Positive culture” towards tenants but doesn’t hold the information it needs to on the characteristics and diversity of its tenants.

Using TSMs to improve services.

“Tenant feedback has positively impacted service delivery” – eg, procurement of repairs service and dealing with DMC. Working to increase the diversity of engaged tenants.

Complaints process “accessible” but not always “timely” – reviews underway.

The RSH will continue to engage to check that issues raised by inspection are dealt with but notes strong organisational commitment to improve.

Eastbourne and Lewes share housing services, so many similar points made by the RSH.

Lewes District Council – C2 – overall satisfaction TSM 65% (figure not mentioned in RSH report)

77% of homes surveyed – survey complete by March 2026 – 9% non-decency.

OK on health and safety – need to improve strategic oversight and safety compliance remedial actions.

OK on repairs service but senior leaders don’t get timely information on repairs performance hence they weren’t aware of overdue work.

Proactive on deterring and preventing hate crime and ASB but reporting needs to be improved.

OK on Tenancy Standard.

“Positive culture towards tenants” – needs to gather and use data on characteristics/vulnerabilities of households. Evidence of impact of engagement on procurement and DMC similar to Eastbourne.

Analysing TSMs to improve services.

Similar comments on complaints to Eastbourne. Process fine but needs to improve on timeliness – review underway. RSH will monitor progress.

RSH welcomes commitment to improve outcomes for tenants.

Trident Housing Group – C2 (Note: TSM overall satisfaction 59.9% – not mentioned in RSH report)

RSH says Trident understands homes and levels of decency – no figures cited for extent of stock survey or level of DHS compliance.

Weaknesses in repairs – needs to boost satisfaction and “address root causes of complaints, such as incomplete repairs and communication”. RSH will engage with Trident till this is resolved (66.7% repair satisfaction and 25.4% complaint handling satisfaction – figures not cited in RSH report).

Trident “understands and supports tenants’ diverse needs”.

Trident “listens to tenants’ views and makes changes to policies and services as a result”.

RSH will continue to engage with Trident as it seeks to improve satisfaction with complaints.

Trident is delivering the outcomes of the Neighbourhood and Community Standard and the Tenancy Standard.

Trident had breached the Rent Standard but is compliant now.