Decision

Folkestone and Hythe District Council (29UL) - 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 Folkestone and Hythe District Council (Folkestone and Hythe DC) 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, Folkestone and Hythe DC is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and is making effective use of its systems to identify and address potential issues and areas for improvement. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a C1 grade for Folkestone and Hythe DC.

How we reached our judgement

We carried out an inspection of Folkestone and Hythe DC 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 meetings of the Cabinet, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, the Finance and Performance Scrutiny Sub-Committee, the Tenant Scrutiny Panel and the Strategic Tenant Advisory Panel. We also met with engaged tenants, officers and councillors and reviewed a range of documents provided by Folkestone and Hythe DC.

Our regulatory judgement is based on a review of all the relevant information we obtained during the inspection, as well as analysis of information received from Folkestone and Hythe DC through its regulatory returns and other regulatory engagement activity.

Summary of findings

Consumer – C1 – July 2026

Folkestone and Hythe DC meets the outcomes of the Safety and Quality Standard. It currently has an accurate understanding of the condition of most of its homes, including assessment against the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Folkestone and Hythe DC uses this information to underpin its strategic approach to asset management, and it has put arrangements in place for a rolling programme to ensure the ongoing accuracy and completeness of its information.

Folkestone and Hythe DC reports that 5.3% of its homes do not meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard. These homes are included in its planned works programme and Folkestone and Hythe DC forecasts that most of its homes will be brought back to decency by the end of March 2027.

During the inspection we saw evidence that Folkestone and Hythe DC is providing an effective, efficient and timely repairs, maintenance and planned improvements service. At the time of the inspection, 99% of emergency repairs, and 98% of non-emergency repairs, were being completed on time. There were 400 repairs that were work in progress but only 18 of these jobs were overdue. Folkestone and Hythe DC has robust arrangements in place to monitor the performance of its main repairs contractor. Recent decisions to locate the contractor’s contact centre in Folkestone and to establish a resident liaison officer have been welcomed by its tenants and have helped to drive improved outcomes.

Folkestone and Hythe DC has a well-developed approach to ensuring repairs quality and takes action where it identifies concerns. Tenants can report repairs and maintenance issues easily and Folkestone and Hythe DC provides them with accessible information about the repairs service. Engaged tenants were actively involved in the re-procurement of the repairs and maintenance service and have helped to shape a new repairs policy.

We gained assurance that Folkestone and Hythe DC has an effective approach to identifying, investigating and resolving cases of damp and mould. We saw evidence that it is meeting its legal requirements, although it needs to enhance the visibility of performance against all requirements in its reporting. Folkestone and Hythe DC completes all initial risk assessments within 24 hours and all standard investigations within 10 days of being reported. It completes 100% of emergency investigations and safety works within 24 hours of being notified. Folkestone and Hythe DC is taking an increasingly proactive approach to damp and mould and provides clear advice regarding damp and mould to tenants.

Folkestone and Hythe DC does not own any high rise buildings above 18 metres in height but it does have five blocks that are between 11 metres and 18 metres in height. It carries out fire risk assessments of these buildings on a two-year cycle. All blocks have annual fire front door checks, and quarterly communal fire door checks.

Folkestone and Hythe DC is taking all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of its tenants by identifying and meeting legal health and safety requirements and carrying out required actions. However, Folkestone and Hythe DC has not  previously been reporting the status of remedial health and safety actions to councillors, limiting their ability to maintain full oversight of compliance. It has now put in place regular reporting on all overdue remedial actions to its Finance and Performance Sub-Committee and to Cabinet. Folkestone and Hythe DC obtains independent assurance regarding its safety programmes and addresses any issues that are identified.

Folkestone and Hythe DC has an up-to-date adaptations policy in place. Information about the service is readily available and it completes both minor and major adaptations within agreed timeframes.

In relation to the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, Folkestone and Hythe DC works in partnership with other organisations, including the police, to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents in the neighbourhoods where it provides social housing. It has up-to-date anti-social behaviour and hate crime policies, with procedures and systems in place that support their consistent implementation. Tenants can report anti-social behaviour and hate incidents easily and Folkestone and Hythe DC provides clear information about the service. Following a tenant-led scrutiny investigation of anti-social behaviour, capacity has been enhanced and communication changes have been made.

In relation to the Tenancy Standard, Folkestone and Hythe DC offers tenancies or terms of occupation that are compatible with the purpose of its accommodation, the needs of individual households, the sustainability of the community, and the efficient use of its housing stock. Folkestone and Hythe DC carries out spot checks to make sure its allocations policy is being followed and that homes are being let fairly. Folkestone and Hythe DC supports tenants to maintain their tenancies by putting tailored support plans in place and operates a Tenancy Sustainment Fund to provide tenants in financial hardship with essentials.

Folkestone and Hythe DC meets the outcomes of the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. Its Housing Fair Access Policy sets a commitment to ensuring that tenants, including those with vulnerabilities, can access housing services. Folkestone and Hythe DC monitors the implementation of the policy and during the inspection we saw a respectful, fair and positive culture evidenced towards tenants by both officers and councillors.

Folkestone and Hythe DC captures some information to help it understand the diverse needs of its tenants and tailors its services and assesses the potential impact of changes on different groups. It collected information on all protected characteristics from 600 tenants as part of the 2025 Tenant Satisfaction Measure surveys. Folkestone and Hythe DC does, however, have further work to do to collect a full suite of information, particularly for tenants who live in general needs homes. It has a two-year programme in place to strengthen its understanding of its tenant base and has recently updated its programme of tenancy visits.

Folkestone and Hythe DC offers tenants a range of meaningful engagement opportunities, enabling tenants to influence and scrutinise landlord strategies, policies and services. Both the Strategic Tenant Advisory Panel and the Tenant Scrutiny Panel operate effectively, covering a range of items that are of concern to its tenants. The panels have been instrumental in changes made to Folkestone and Hythe DC’s approach to anti-social behaviour, its complaints procedure, the ways in which it communicates with its tenants, and how tenants are involved in procurement exercises. Folkestone and Hythe DC routinely consults with its tenants and demonstrates a willingness to adapt its planned approach in line with tenant feedback.

Folkestone and Hythe DC provides reliable and accurate performance information about landlord services to the Strategic Tenant Advisory Panel and the Tenant Scrutiny Panel. It publishes quarterly performance reports that are available on the council’s website. Accountable cabinet members are clearly identified, performance is summarised succinctly and, where performance is below target, this is clearly explained. Folkestone and Hythe DC provides information to tenants living in independent living schemes via electronic noticeboards, and more generally via the tenant handbook and its Tenant Charter. Folkestone and Hythe DC sets out its commitments to tenants and what it asks of them in return. Useful information is also provided via a tenant newsletter and tenant bulletin.

Folkestone and Hythe DC addresses complaints fairly, effectively, and promptly. It has sustained high levels of performance over the last three years and in 2025/26 it responded to all stage 1 and stage 2 complaints within Housing Ombudsman Service timescales. Folkestone and Hythe DC promotes the complaints process through several channels to ensure that tenants know how to make a complaint. Learning from complaints is captured and reported to Cabinet.

Background to the judgement

About the landlord

Folkestone and Hythe DC owns approximately 3,400 social housing homes, of which 620 homes are independent living properties. It plans to deliver approximately 125 new social homes over the next four years.

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. In-Depth Assessments (IDAs) were one of our previous assessment processes, which are now replaced by our new inspections programme from 1 April 2024. 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 How we Regulate.

Further information

• Regulating the standards
• Regulatory standards for landlords

Related documents

• Decent Homes Standard