Westminster City Council

The Housing Ombudsman is the independent body that investigates complaints about social landlords. When it finds a landlord got things wrong, it makes a finding of "maladministration" — or "severe maladministration" for the most serious failings.

The 2025-26 performance report. The Ombudsman's landlord performance report for Westminster covers cases decided — the Ombudsman calls these "determinations" — between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. Across 62 cases decided, 80 of the 145 findings counted were maladministration — a rate of 55.2%, below the national rate of 62% and the 70% rate for landlords of a similar size and type.^[1] The rate also counts findings of "service failure" (a less serious failing) and severe maladministration; two findings were severe maladministration, the most serious category, both about repairs.^[1]

Where things went wrong. Repairs was the largest area, with 60 findings, and maladministration in 70% of them, against 72% nationally.^[1] Complaint handling was the largest single sub-category, with 53 findings; among repairs, leaks accounted for 14 findings and condensation, damp and mould for 10.^[1]

Orders and compensation. The Ombudsman made 179 orders and 50 recommendations, and issued 1 complaint handling failure order — the order it makes when a landlord's complaint handling itself fails.^[1] Its report records £41,905 in compensation, ordered and recommended, with the largest share relating to repairs.^[1] It records the council as complying with all the orders due in the year, 99% of them within three months.^[1]

The trend. The Ombudsman's restated figures put Westminster's rate at 79% in 2023-24 and 68% in 2024-25.^[1] The Ombudsman says some of the national fall in 2025-26 reflects a change it made in the year: it now looks at how a landlord handled the formal complaint in every case it fully investigates.^[4]

The caseload. Relative to its size, Westminster had more cases than similar landlords: 14.0 received per 1,000 homes, against a median of 5.2, and 3.8 maladministration findings per 1,000 homes, against 1.9.^[1]

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is the government body that checks social landlords meet required standards for safe, decent homes. Since 2024 the RSH has been inspecting social landlords and giving each a consumer grade from C1 (the strongest) to C4.

Westminster's grade is C1. In a judgement published on 26 February 2025, the Regulator of Social Housing gave Westminster City Council its strongest consumer grade, C1: "Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord has demonstrated that it identifies when issues occur and puts plans in place to remedy and minimise recurrence."^[2] The regulator noted that "This is the first time we have issued a consumer grade in relation to this landlord."^[2]

“Our judgement is that overall the landlord is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord has demonstrated that it identifies when issues occur and puts plans in place to remedy and minimise recurrence.”^[2]

Regulator of Social Housing, City of Westminster Council (00BK) – Regulatory Judgement: 26 February 2025 (26 February 2025)

What the judgement found. The regulator said the council meets legal health and safety requirements, that its repairs and maintenance service meets the required standards, and that tenants are given meaningful opportunities to influence and scrutinise its services. It recorded the council's own report that 95% of its homes meet the Decent Homes Standard — the government's minimum standard for social housing — and that its investment plan provides for reaching 100%.^[2]

No regulatory notice in force. Separately, the Regulator of Social Housing has no regulatory notice — a formal published finding of a breach — in force against Westminster.^[2] Regulatory grades are reviewed from time to time and may change — the date above is the one that matters.

What a C1 grade means for you. A C1 grade is the regulator's view of how Westminster is performing across all its homes. It is not a verdict on your home, and it does not change your rights as a tenant.

Whatever a landlord's track record, its legal duties are the same — and they are strong.

Repairs. Under section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Westminster City Council 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 council 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. Since 27 October 2025, Awaab's Law has set legally binding timescales for social landlords, including councils, to investigate and fix emergency hazards and damp and mould — the disrepair page sets them out.^[6]

Safety certificates. The council must also meet statutory health and safety duties, such as gas and electrical safety checks; the regulator confirmed it complies with these when it graded the council.^[2]

Complaint handling. The council must handle complaints under the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code, through a two-stage process with set response times — the disrepair page explains how to use it.^[9]

The council also publishes its own target repair timescales, which the disrepair page sets out alongside these legal duties.