Decision

Derby City Council (00FK) - Regulatory Judgement: 29 July 2026

Published 29 July 2026

Applies to England

Our Judgement

	Grade/Judgement	Change	Date of assessment
Consumer	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.	First grading	July 2026

Reason for publication

We are publishing a regulatory judgement for Derby City Council (Derby CC) following an inspection completed in July 2026.

This regulatory judgement confirms a consumer grade of C1. This is the first time we have issued a consumer grade in relation to this landlord.

Summary of the decision

From the evidence and assurance gained during the inspection we have concluded that overall Derby CC is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. It is making effective use of its systems and processes to identify and address potential issues and areas for improvement. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a C1 grade for Derby CC. 

How we reached our judgement

We carried out an inspection of Derby CC to assess how well it is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards, as part of our planned regulatory inspection programme. During the inspection, we considered all four of the consumer standards: Neighbourhood and Community Standard, Safety and Quality Standard, Tenancy Standard, and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.

During the inspection we observed governance and scrutiny arrangements including meetings of the board of Derby Homes (Derby CC’s arms-length management organisation), the Operational Committee and the Customer Voice Group. We met with tenants, councillors, including the leader of the council and the cabinet member for Housing, and senior officers. We also reviewed a wide range of documents provided by Derby CC and Derby Homes.

Our regulatory judgement is based on a review of all the relevant information we obtained during the inspection as well as analysis of information supplied by Derby CC in its regulatory returns and other regulatory engagement activity.

Summary of findings  

Consumer - C1 - July 2026

Derby CC meets the outcomes of the Safety and Quality Standard. It has a strong and evidenced understanding of the condition of its homes, with surveys on the condition of its homes, which include an assessment of hazards against the Housing Health and Safety Rating System, completed on around 90% of homes within the last five years. There is a clear programme in place to achieve full survey coverage by March 2027. Derby CC maintains high levels of decency, reporting that over 99% of homes meet the Decent Homes Standard, and uses its asset information to inform investment and target improvements.

During the inspection, Derby CC demonstrated that it meets health and safety requirements. It provided assurance that it has systems in place to ensure the health and safety of tenants in their homes and associated communal areas and that it monitors performance. Derby CC understands areas of risk, including damp, mould and condensation, and has implemented targeted operational actions and increased oversight to manage these risks.

We saw evidence that Derby CC is delivering an effective, efficient and timely repairs and maintenance service. Performance shows high levels of completion within target timescales. Tenant satisfaction for repairs and overall service provision is high. Derby CC has an understanding of demand and performance and is taking targeted steps to reduce the number of repairs waiting to be completed.

We gained assurance that Derby CC meets the outcomes of the Neighbourhood and Community Standard. It works effectively in partnership with relevant agencies to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents. Its approach is structured with clear case management processes, a focus on supporting victims and appropriate use of preventative and enforcement tools. Derby CC demonstrated that it makes effective use of information to deliver targeted and proportionate responses to incidents of anti-social behaviour, supporting the delivery of services to tenants and communities.

In relation to the Tenancy Standard, we have assurance that Derby CC allocates and manages its homes in a fair and transparent way. It operates a structured allocations system supported by clear policies and verification processes. Derby CC takes a proactive approach to tenancy sustainment, providing targeted support through locally based services and multi-agency working. It also takes steps to ensure the effective use of its homes, including measures to address under-occupation and overcrowding.

We have assurance that Derby CC meets the outcomes of the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. It treats its tenants with fairness and respect and demonstrates practices and behaviours that support this. Throughout our inspection we saw evidence of a respectful, fair and positive culture towards tenants by both officers and councillors. This was supported by Derby CC’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures for 2024/25 where 91.2% of the tenants who responded felt that Derby CC treated them fairly and with respect. Derby CC holds a good level of information about its tenants and uses this effectively to tailor the delivery of landlord services to meet tenants’ needs. While there are some gaps in tenant information, Derby CC recognises these and has plans in place to address them, further strengthening its understanding of its tenants’ needs.

We gained assurance that Derby CC takes its tenants’ views into account in its decision-making about how landlord services are delivered and communicates how tenants’ views have been considered. Derby CC provides a range of meaningful opportunities for its tenants to influence and scrutinise services. Tenants can engage through a range of channels including local groups, consultations, the Customer Voice Group, the Let’s Talk Derby Homes portal, and opportunities for tenant representation at board and committee level. The Customer Voice Group operates effectively as an independent scrutiny body and provides constructive challenge. There is evidence that tenant feedback is used to inform improvements to services with a clear feedback loop.

Derby CC provides clear and accessible information to tenants about its services and performance. Information is widely available and communicated to its tenants with a focus on consistency and accessibility. Engaged tenants receive performance information, and performance is reported to all tenants through the Derby Homes website, social media, email updates and printed newsletters. We saw evidence of Derby CC adapting its communications for tenants based on its understanding of their individual needs.

Derby CC operates a well-publicised complaints service which addresses complaints fairly, promptly and effectively, with performance meeting the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code timescales. Derby CC demonstrates learning from complaints through structured processes to identify themes and implement service improvements.

Background to the judgement

About the landlord

Derby CC is a unitary authority that owns around 12,300 social homes. Some of its homes are flats, and some are of non-traditional construction.

Housing services are delivered through Derby Homes, an arms-length management organisation wholly owned by Derby CC. The council retains overall responsibility for its housing functions, including housing strategy, investment decisions and meeting regulatory standards, while Derby Homes is responsible for the day‑to‑day management of Derby CC’s housing services.

Our role and regulatory approach

We regulate for a viable, efficient, and well governed social housing sector able to deliver quality homes and services for current and future tenants.  

We regulate at the landlord level to drive improvement in how landlords operate. By landlord we mean a registered provider of social housing. These can either be local authorities, or private registered providers (other organisations registered with us such as non-profit housing associations, co-operatives, or profit-making organisations). 

We set standards which state outcomes that landlords must deliver. The outcomes of our standards include both the required outcomes and specific expectations we set. Where we find there are significant failures in landlords which we consider to be material to the landlord’s delivery of those outcomes, we hold them to account. Ultimately this provides protection for tenants’ homes and services and achieves better outcomes for current and future tenants. It also contributes to a sustainable sector which can attract strong investment. 

We have a different role for regulating local authorities than for other landlords. This is because we have a narrower role for local authorities and the Governance and Financial Viability Standard, and Value for Money Standard do not apply. Further detail on which standards apply to different landlords can be found on our standards page. 

We assess the performance of landlords through inspections and by reviewing data that landlords are required to submit to us. We also respond where there is an issue or a potential issue that may be material to a landlord’s delivery of the outcomes of our standards. We publish regulatory judgements that describe our view of landlords’ performance with our standards. We also publish grades for landlords with more than 1,000 social housing homes. 

The Housing Ombudsman deals with individual complaints. When individual complaints are referred to us, we investigate if we consider that the issue may be material to a landlord’s delivery of the outcomes of our standards.  

For more information about our approach to regulation, please see Regulating the standards.

Further information

• Regulating the standards
• Regulatory standards for landlords

Related documents

• Decent Homes Standard