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Date updated: 20/05/2026

Last year, City of London Corporation Housing was inspected by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). This is the first time City Corporation Housing has been inspected following the launch of the new inspection regime in 2024. The RSH carries out proactive and regular inspections of larger landlords (those with over 1,000 homes) every four years. The result of the inspection was published in February 2026.

The City of London Corporation has received what is known as a C3 grading. This means that significant improvements across a number of safety and quality standards are required.

Why the inspection happened

In 2025, we referred ourselves to the RSH about the backlog in carrying out electrical safety checks and fire risk actions.

The inspection was part of a national programme for all councils and housing providers to ensure consumer standards are being met and to highlight where improvements are needed.

What the regulator found, and what we’re doing about it

The RSH identified four main areas requiring urgent improvement:

  1. 18% of homes do not meet the Decent Homes Standard. This is largely due to delays in our major works programme.

We have committed £211 million over the next ten years to upgrade and improve homes, including roofing, kitchens, bathrooms, heating, windows and fire safety.

  1. We lack up-to-date information about the condition of our homes. A full survey of the condition of our homes had not been completed since 2018.

A new survey is well underway and as of May 2026, 83% of homes have been surveyed.

  1. There were delays in completing fire risk assessment actions.

We have strengthened our processes and increased monitoring to make sure work is completed on time.

  1. Some electrical safety checks were overdue.

93% of our homes are now compliant and have been tested for electrical safety in the last five years, following a testing programme which started last year. Our operations team are now addressing access issues to ensure compliance.

The RSH also recognised areas where we are performing better including:

  • Improved engagement and communication with residents

  • Effective handling of complaints

  • Addressing anti-social behaviour

We recognise the extent of the work required and we are already working with the RSH to deliver our improvement plan. It will take some years to address the “long standing issues” noted in the report. But please be assured this programme has already begun. We are investing over £300 million in our housing stock, through a new £211 million funding package agreed by our elected Members in December, and our earlier £110 million investment programme.

The works will improve the quality, safety and sustainability of our homes across London, delivering upgrades to kitchens, bathrooms, heating, lifts, roofs, fire safety and electrical systems, and communal areas.

What this means for you as a tenant

The judgement means we must continue to make improvements to the safety, condition and quality of your home and our services. Alongside the actions above, we are also:

  • Visiting every tenanted household this year to better understand residents’ needs

  • Expanding resident involvement through our new Resident Voice Group, which has already met three times

Your feedback matters

This work is about improving your home and your experience as a resident, so your views matter. If you have any questions or comments about the judgement or our improvement plans, please contact the Housing Communications team.

You can read the full RSH regulatory judgement on the GOV.UK website here. 

Please know that we are fully committed to making the improvements our residents deserve. Thank you for your patience and continued support as we work to strengthen our services.

The Regulator of Social Housing sets out the regulatory standards that landlords must deliver under the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. It regulates for a viable, efficient and well governed social housing sector able to deliver quality homes and services for current and future tenants.

The Social Housing (Regulations) Act 2023, which came into force on 1 April 2024, introduced four new Consumer Standards, which apply to all registered providers of social housing, including local authorities. These place an emphasis on decent homes, tenant safety, tenant engagement, transparency and a duty on landlords to highlight any areas of non-compliance to the Regulator.

Following an expansion of its power, from 1 April 2024, the Regulator began carrying out regulatory inspections of social landlords. Read more on what these inspections involve on the GOV.UK website.

These are national standards set by the RSH to make sure all landlords provide safe, well-maintained homes, listen to residents, and deliver fair, transparent services. They cover areas such as:

  • Safety and Quality Standard – Landlords must provide safe, good-quality homes and landlord services. This standard covers repairs, maintenance, planned improvements and accurate property condition records.

  • Tenancy Standard – Sets rules for fair allocation and letting of homes and how tenancies are managed, including support for tenants to maintain their tenancy.

  • Neighbourhood and Community Standard – Landlords must work with relevant partners to ensure tenants live in safe, well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel secure in their homes.

  • Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – Landlords must be open and fair, enabling tenants to access services, raise concerns, influence decisions and hold landlords to account. Includes requirements for clear communication and tenant involvement in scrutinising services.

The RSH publishes regulatory judgements to show how well social landlords are delivering services compared to an agreed set of consumer standards. Through the regulatory judgement, the RSH provide a consumer grading from C1 to C4.

You can read the latest regulatory judgements and gradings on the RSH website here.

After an inspection, the RSH will give a Consumer (C) grade to show how well a landlord is doing at providing safe, well-managed homes and listening to tenants. The grades go from C1 to C4:

  • C1 – Meeting the Standards
    “We are doing well and meeting expectations. If issues come up, we have plans in place to fix them.”

  • C2 – Some Weaknesses
    “We meet many of the standards but need to improve in a few areas.”

  • C3 – Serious Failings 
    “There are important problems that must be fixed. The landlord needs to make big improvements.”

  • C4 – Very Serious Failings 
    “There are very serious issues. The landlord must make urgent and significant changes.”

You can read more about the RSH consumer gradings on their website here.

We have kept residents updated about the progress of the RSH inspection through our monthly @Home newsletters and bi-annual magazine, and social media.

We will write to all residents in the new year once we receive our consumer grade, detailing what the grading means and our action plan to address any gaps identified by the RSH in their regulatory judgement.