Decision

Newark and Sherwood District Council (37UG) - Regulatory Judgement: 29 July 2026

Published 29 July 2026

Applies to England

Our Judgement

	Grade/Judgement	Change	Date of assessment
Consumer	C2 Our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed.	First grading	July 2026

Reason for publication

We are publishing a regulatory judgement for Newark and Sherwood District Council (Newark and Sherwood DC) following an inspection completed in July 2026.

This regulatory judgement confirms a consumer grade of C2. 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, our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in Newark and Sherwood DC delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed, specifically in relation to outcomes in our Safety and Quality Standard and Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a C2 grade for Newark and Sherwood DC.

How we reached our judgement

We carried out an inspection of Newark and Sherwood 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 a policy, performance and improvement committee meeting and tenant engagement board meeting, spoke with tenants, and held meetings with Newark and Sherwood DC including the portfolio holder for housing and senior staff. We also reviewed a wide range of documents provided by Newark and Sherwood 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 supplied by Newark and Sherwood DC in its regulatory returns and other regulatory engagement activity.

Summary of findings  

Consumer – C2 – July 2026

The Safety and Quality Standard requires landlords to have an accurate, up-to-date and evidenced understanding of the condition of their homes that reliably informs the provision of good quality, well maintained and safe homes for tenants. Landlords must also ensure that tenants’ homes meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard. Newark and Sherwood DC does not currently have complete and up-to-date information on the quality of all its homes, including any potential hazards. It has surveyed a high proportion of its homes within the last five years, but not all its homes have had an assessment of hazards using the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. We saw evidence it is on track to complete the outstanding surveys of its homes by August 2026, but we found that its current understanding of the condition and quality of its homes is a weakness. Newark and Sherwood DC is reporting that, as of April 2026, 9% of its homes did not meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard but anticipates this figure will reduce as it completes its remaining surveys. We gained assurance that Newark and Sherwood DC is managing and investing in its homes and is actively addressing weaknesses.

We have assurance that Newark and Sherwood DC meets regulatory expectations in identifying and meeting all legal health and safety requirements for tenants’ homes and communal areas and ensuring that all required actions arising are completed within appropriate timescales. Councillors, senior officers, and tenants actively monitor performance. Newark and Sherwood DC did not have any third-party oversight of its health and safety compliance, which we found to be a weakness. We gained assurance it has started an audit programme, and we will continue to engage with Newark and Sherwood DC to monitor its progress and obtain assurance that it is addressing this weakness.

At the time of the inspection, 90% of emergency repairs and 75% of non-emergency repairs were completed on time. There is evidence that services are meeting tenants’ needs overall and performance is improving, however, we found weaknesses in the quality of repairs information and Newark and Sherwood DC’s monitoring and assurance of damp and mould cases. Newark and Sherwood DC has mitigations in place to reduce risk to tenants, and we gained assurance that it has plans to resolve these issues within a short timescale.

The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard sets out the outcomes landlords must deliver around being open with tenants and treating them with fairness and respect, so that tenants can access services, raise complaints, influence decision-making and hold their landlord to account.

During our inspection Newark and Sherwood DC demonstrated a respectful, fair, and positive culture towards tenants. Senior leaders, including the cabinet member for housing, are visible and accessible to tenants, and at the meetings we observed, we gained assurance that Newark and Sherwood DC is committed to delivering fair and equitable outcomes for tenants.

Newark and Sherwood DC demonstrated that it understands the diverse needs of its tenants and provided evidence that its landlord services are accessible. It uses information on tenants’ individual needs from a range of sources to inform service provision. We saw that it adopts a flexible approach that enables staff to support vulnerable tenants by taking individual needs into account.

At the time of our inspection, we saw evidence that Newark and Sherwood DC offered a wide range of opportunities for tenants to influence services, including the Tenant Engagement Board and Housing Advisory Board. We saw that tenant representatives can effectively question and challenge officers and have a demonstrable impact on decision making. Newark and Sherwood DC provides other opportunities for all tenants to engage, such as Tenant Engagement Champions and Community Link Groups. While there was a wide range of opportunities for tenants to become involved, the arrangements for tenants to scrutinise strategies, policies and procedures was underdeveloped, which we consider to be a weakness. We gained assurance that Newark and Sherwood DC is implementing a new engagement framework to strengthen tenant scrutiny, and we saw a programme of scrutiny activities is now being delivered.

Overall, we gained assurance that Newark and Sherwood DC provides regular, accessible information so that tenants can use landlord services. However, it has limited service standards in place and no monitoring of performance against service standards, which makes it difficult for tenants to know what to expect or hold the council to account. This is a weakness for Newark and Sherwood DC.

We have assurance that Newark and Sherwood DC is ensuring complaints are addressed fairly, effectively, and promptly. We saw evidence that its complaints process is accessible, simple, and publicised and it is meeting timescales for most complaints. We also found that Newark and Sherwood DC analyses and learns from tenant feedback and complaints.

We have assurance that Newark and Sherwood DC is meeting the Neighbourhood and Community Standard in relation to anti-social behaviour. We saw evidence of partnership working around anti-social behaviour and hate incidents, including support for vulnerable tenants and use of legal powers.

In relation to the Tenancy Standard, we saw evidence that Newark and Sherwood 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 homes. Newark and Sherwood DC undertakes regular tenancy audits and visits with tenants to ensure it has up-to-date information on its tenants.

Newark and Sherwood DC demonstrated self-awareness throughout the inspection and there is evidence of progress being made to address the areas of weakness. We will continue to work with Newark and Sherwood DC as it seeks to address these issues.

Background to the judgement

About the landlord

Newark and Sherwood DC is located near Nottingham in the East Midlands. The Council owns around 5,500 social homes.

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