Sanctuary

The Housing Ombudsman is the independent service for complaints about social landlords. When it finds a landlord got things wrong, it makes a finding of "maladministration". It uses "severe maladministration" for the most serious failings, and "service failure" for the least. Its maladministration rate counts all three together. These findings concern Sanctuary Housing Association, the registered landlord.^[1]

The 2025-26 rate. The Ombudsman's 2025-26 report covers 240 cases it decided ("determinations") between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. It decided 260 in all, counting cases outside its jurisdiction or withdrawn.^[2] The 240 cases produced 565 findings, as one case can carry several.^[2] On findings within its jurisdiction, it recorded a maladministration rate of 57.5% (311 of 541 findings).^[2] That is below the national rate of 62% and the 60% for landlords of a similar size and type.^[2] Twelve findings were severe maladministration, ten of them about repairs.^[2]

“The number of 'Mal' findings recorded for Sanctuary Housing Association is 311, which gives the Maladministration rate of 57.5% (311 / 541).”^[2]

Housing Ombudsman Service, Landlord Performance Report 2025/2026 — Sanctuary Housing Association (15 September 2026)

Where the failings fell. These counts leave out findings outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction. Responsive repairs was the largest category, with a maladministration rate of 72% across 234 findings. That is level with the national rate for that category.^[2] Condensation, damp and mould was the specific repair issue with the most findings (47), followed by leaks (44).^[2] Complaint handling drew 200 findings, the most of any single issue.^[2] From October 2025 the Ombudsman began examining complaint handling in every case. It says this affects how 2025-26 rates compare with earlier years.^[2] Complaint handling sits in the "managing relations" category, where Sanctuary's rate was 42% across 212 findings, against 57% nationally.^[2]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 694 orders, and the report records 100% compliance within three months. It made no complaint handling failure orders, and recorded £226,078 in compensation ordered or recommended.^[2]

Earlier years. The 2025-26 report restates Sanctuary's rate as 66% for 2023-24 and 59% for 2024-25.^[2]

A wider order on damp and mould. In October 2023 the Ombudsman found severe maladministration in Sanctuary's handling of a leaking roof. It also ordered Sanctuary to review how it handles repair requests for leaks, damp and mould.^[8] Sanctuary's review covered nearly 4,000 homes. It found a smaller number where roofing work could not be shown to have been done in time.^[8]

What Sanctuary says it has done. Sanctuary's 2025-26 annual report says it reinvested £126.5 million in its homes across the group, before grant funding.^[10]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards for safe, decent homes. It grades landlords in three ways: a consumer grade (C1 to C4) for the homes and services tenants receive, a governance grade (G1 to G4) for how well the landlord is run, and a viability grade (V1 to V4) for its finances.

Sanctuary's consumer grade is C1 — the strongest. In a judgement published on 27 May 2026, the regulator graded Sanctuary C1, its top consumer grade: "Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards."^[1] This was an upgrade from C2, the grade set after an inspection completed in January 2025; the regulator raised it after Sanctuary "provided evidence that it has improved the performance of its repairs service and customer satisfaction in this area has increased".^[1]

Governance and viability. The regulator grades Sanctuary G1 for governance — the strongest grade — finding it "meets our governance requirements", and V2 for viability, finding it "meets our viability requirements" but noting it will need to manage material risks.^[1]

No regulatory notice. There is no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — currently in force against Sanctuary; the regulator's publication page shows no regulatory notice in force.^[11] Regulatory grades are reviewed from time to time and may change — the date above is the one that matters.

A housing association's repair duties are just as strong as a council's — and they do not depend on its track record.

Repairs. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Sanctuary must keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair — the roof, walls, windows and doors — and keep the installations for heating, hot water, gas, electricity, water and sanitation in proper working order. This applies to almost every tenancy and cannot be signed away in a tenancy agreement.

Fitness for human habitation. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (section 9A of the 1985 Act), your home must also be fit to live in — free from serious hazards, including damp and mould that could harm your health.

Awaab's Law. Awaab's Law now sets legally binding timescales for social landlords, housing associations included, to investigate hazards such as damp and mould and make homes safe — the disrepair page sets them out.^[12]

Sanctuary's own published repair timescales. Sanctuary sorts repairs into priorities, each with a published target time — the disrepair page lists the figures.^[15]

Where to report and complain. Report a non-urgent repair through the online form on Sanctuary's website. For an emergency, phone its Customer Hub, which is open 24 hours a day.^[15] Make a complaint through its two-stage complaints process at sanctuary.co.uk/contact-us/complaints.^[16]