Two housing associations have today been upgraded from C2 to C1 in the latest round of regulatory judgements published by the Regulator of Social Housing.

RSH found that Livin Housing, which is based in County Durham, had strengthened its understanding of the condition of its homes since its inspection in November 2024.

According to the regulator, the housing association has improved how it monitors the condition of its homes and uses that information to plan future repairs and investment. Livin also demonstrated that it works more effectively with residents to maintain safe, good quality homes.

Community Gateway, based in Preston, Lancashire, demonstrated it had strengthened its health and safety management since its inspection in July 2025.

RSH said it had also improved governance and accountability, demonstrating that its repairs and maintenance services are working well. It was also communicating better with tenants and had increased understanding of their diverse needs.

Kate Dodsworth, Deputy Chief Executive at RSH, said: “Landlords that achieve a C1 grading show they are putting tenants at the heart of their services, maintaining safe and decent homes, and responding effectively when issues arise.

“We expect landlords to use good quality information and strong governance to drive improvements, support thriving communities, and help meet housing need through the delivery of more and better social homes.”

Both Livin and Community Gateway have unchanged G1 governance and V1 financial viability grades based on previous assessments.

In a statement, Alan Boddy, Livin Chief Executive, said: “These gradings reflect the collective efforts of all teams at Livin, working together to deliver vital housing services every day. Everything we do starts with our customers. Whether that’s responding to repairs, improving homes, or supporting tenancies and communities, our focus is on delivering the best possible customer experience.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the outcomes of our ambitious plans to build on this strong position, making maximum use of technologies and data to deliver cost effective, customer-focused services that make a real difference to the lives of people living in our homes and communities.”

Commenting on Community Gateway’s C1 grading, chief executive Rob Wakefield, said: “We are delighted to achieve to achieve a C1 grading from the regulator, an outcome that reflects the hard work, commitment and professionalism of colleagues across the organisation.

“This C1 grading, alongside our G1 and V1 gradings issued last year, confirms that we have robust governance arrangements, are financially resilient and are continuing to deliver positive outcomes for our tenants.”

Meanwhile, Amplius Living has received gradings of C2, G1 and V2 today, following inspection. The housing association, based in Milton Keynes was formed following the merger of Longhurst Group Limited and Grand Union Housing Group Limited in December 2024.

Amplius showed RSH it has appropriate systems in place to ensure the health and safety of its tenants and a good understanding of compliance requirements.

However, according to the regulator, there was evidence of weaknesses in the provision of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service, with complaints and customer feedback showing issues around service quality and communication. Amplius also experienced challenges in meeting the increased legal requirements for tackling damp and mould following the introduction of Awaab’s Law.

Amplius is addressing the issues, but RSH said it would need to evidence continued and consistent improvement to demonstrate the required outcomes for tenants on an ongoing basis.

Hertfordshire-based Watford Community Housing Trust received an interim judgement today, confirming a G1 governance grade and a V2 financial viability grade.

RSH issued the interim judgement because Watford Community Housing (trading as Chime Housing) merged with Thrive Homes in June 2026. RSH has not yet assessed the merged entity against the consumer standards.

The full list of judgements published today is provided in the table below.

	Landlord	Consumer grade	Governance Grade	Viability Grade	Engagement Process
	Amplius Living	C2 (first grading)	G1 (assessed and unchanged)	V2 (assessed and unchanged)	Responsive engagement
	Community Gateway Association Limited	C1 (upgrade)	G1 (based on previous assessment)	V1 (based on previous assessment)	Responsive engagement
	Livin Housing Limited	C1 (upgrade)	G1 (based on previous assessment)	V1 (based on previous assessment)	Responsive engagement
	Watford Community Housing	Not yet assessed	G1	V2	Interim judgement