Two councils have received the top grading of C1 in the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) latest batch of inspection results.

The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council were given C1 grades, meaning they are delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards overall.

According to the RSH, Stockport also has an accurate understanding of most homes. To achieve a full understanding, it is actively focusing on homes that it has not been able to access. The council reported that 99% of homes meet the Decent Homes Standard, and it is taking all reasonable steps to comply with legal health and safety requirements. The council is responsible for a number of tall buildings, and all have an up-to-date fire risk assessment, with remedial work in progress and mitigations in place where needed.

Councillor Jake Austin,  Stockport Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing & Environment, said: This inspection provides important independent reassurance that strong standards are in place across our housing services and in the way we work with Stockport Homes.  We know housing services are hugely important to people’s day-to-day lives, and residents rightly expect safe homes, responsive services and working to resolve problems where they occur.  We’re pleased with this outcome because it confirms we are serving Stockport residents well and meeting expected standards. Importantly, it also provides reassurance that when issues arise, we have the right systems and plans in place to respond and keep improving services for our residents.”

Hammersmith and Fulham has an accurate record of the condition of tenants’ homes, with a clear plan to complete all surveys by June 2026. 99% of homes meet the Decent Homes Standard and councillors have oversight of health and safety performance, with outcomes reported across the main areas of compliance, the RSH said.

Sharon Lea, Hammersmith and Fulham’s Chief Executive, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for everyone in the housing service and my heartfelt thanks go to the Executive Director of Housing Richard Shwe, and his management team for their work with residents and staff to support a significant number of improvements of the service.

“The inspectors recognised the significant journey of improvement that the repairs service has been on along with our leading safety and compliance programme as we put the safety of residents first.

“This rating is not the end of our work in the housing service. There is always more that can be done to improve our services as we continue to deliver our best for the residents of Hammersmith & Fulham.”

Meanhile, the London Borough of Islington has been given a C3 grade, after the regulator found serious failings. The RSH says that Islington:

• Does not have an accurate understanding of tenants’ homes – with most surveys carried out over 10 years ago without a formal Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessment – and cannot provide assurance that they meet the Decent Homes Standard
• Gave limited assurance on the accuracy of health and safety compliance data.
• Had over 1,000 overdue lift remedial actions, which the council reported did not pose critical safety risks and did not require the lifts to be closed.

The regulator added that the council demonstrated that it treats tenants with fairness and respect, and uses their insight to shape services, but further work is needed to strengthen and close gaps on the information it holds for its tenants.

Councillor Una O’Halloran, Leader of Islington Council, said: “We take the Regulator of Social Housing’s judgement seriously and fully accept that improvement is needed. The findings highlight weaknesses in how we understand the condition of our homes and how we assure ourselves on safety data, and that is not good enough.

“This is not about a lack of commitment, but about systems and assurance that must be stronger. We had already begun an improvement programme before the inspection, and we are now accelerating that work, with clear accountability and close engagement with the regulator, to make sure residents have safe, decent and well-maintained homes.”

Housing associations Housing 21 and Golden Lane Housing Limited received G1, V1 and C1 grades. As well as meeting the outcomes of the consumer standards, they also demonstrated that they are well run and meet RSH’s governance requirements and have the financial capacity to deal with a range of adverse scenarios.

Steve Secker, Chair of the Board at Golden Lane, said: “This is an important moment for Golden Lane Housing. Achieving the highest possible ratings reflects the dedication of our colleagues and demonstrates our commitment to maintaining safe, high-quality homes that meet tenants’ needs.

“As a provider of homes that enable people with a learning disability and autistic people to live independently, this judgement recognises the quality and consistency of our work.”

The organisation has continued to strengthen its focus on tenant safety, engagement and service quality, with tenants playing a central role in shaping services.

Salford City Council and Milton Keynes City Council received C2 grades, meaning there are some weaknesses and improvements are needed. Both have engaged constructively with RSH and demonstrated that they understand the issues and are already taking action to address them.

Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: “All social landlords should aim for a C1 grade as the minimum standard. To do this they need to understand the condition of tenants’ homes and act on this to find and fix problems, and tackle the root cause. They also need to listen to tenants, treat them with fairness and respect, and use feedback to shape services. Landlords with a C1 grade still have room to improve, but they will have plans to deliver it.

“When we find weaknesses or serious failures through our inspections or referrals, we work with landlords to make sure they improve for the long term.”