Decision

Curo Group (Albion) Limited (LH4336) - Regulatory Judgement: 28 October 2026

Updated 28 October 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.	Based on previous assessment	July 2025
Governance	G1 Our judgement is that the landlord meets our governance requirements.	Based on previous assessment	July 2025
Viability	V2 Our judgement is that the landlord meets our viability requirements. It has the financial capacity to deal with a reasonable range of adverse scenarios but needs to manage material risks to ensure continued compliance.	Assessed and unchanged	October 2026

Reason for publication

We are publishing a regulatory judgement for Curo Group (Albion) Limited (Curo) following a stability check completed in October 2026.

This regulatory judgement issues a financial viability grade of V2.

Curo’s most recent consumer and governance grades remain C1, and G1. These were issued in July 2025 following a programmed inspection.

Previously our stability check process included an assessment of whether there was evidence to indicate that a change in a landlord’s governance grade was required. The stability check process now no longer includes that assessment.

Summary of the decision

Based on the relevant information and evidence we reviewed in carrying out the stability check, our judgement is that Curo meets our viability requirements and has the financial capacity to deal with a reasonable range of adverse scenarios. However, it needs to manage material risks to ensure it continues to meet those requirements. We have therefore concluded a V2 grade for Curo.

Based on our previous assessment, our judgement is that Curo meets our governance requirements. Curo’s governance grade remains G1 based on that assessment.

Based on our previous assessment, our judgement is that overall Curo 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. Curo’s consumer grade remains C1 based on that assessment.

How we reached our judgement

We carried out a stability check of Curo as part of our annual stability check programme. The stability check focused on our viability requirements and did not include an assessment of how well the landlord is delivering our governance requirements or the outcomes of our consumer standards. This regulatory judgement does not include new consumer or governance grades for Curo.

Our judgement about how well Curo is delivering the viability requirements of our Governance and Financial Viability Standard is based on a review of a range of relevant information and documents, as well as analysis of information supplied by Curo in its regulatory returns.

Prior to this stability check, we concluded an inspection of Curo in July 2025, which considered how well Curo was delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and meeting our governance and financial viability requirements as part of our planned inspection programme. During the inspection, we considered all of the consumer standards that were in place at the time: the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, the Safety and Quality Standard, the Tenancy Standard, and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.

During the inspection we observed a board meeting, a tenant oversight group, spoke with tenants, held meetings with Curo including with its non-executive directors, and reviewed a wide range of documents provided by Curo. Our regulatory judgement considered all of the relevant information we obtained during the inspection.

Summary of findings

Consumer – C1 – July 2025

Curo’s most recent consumer grade of C1 was issued July 2025 following a programmed inspection. Below are the summary of findings from our inspection, about Curo’s delivery of the outcomes of our consumer standards.

Curo provided evidence-based assurance that it has appropriate systems in place to ensure the health and safety of tenants in their homes and communal areas. There is evidence that Curo has accurate records of the condition of its homes, at an individual property level, through physical surveys and that it has a process in place for keeping this information up to date. During the inspection Curo demonstrated that it uses information it holds on the condition and safety of its homes to inform decisions on future investment to maintain and improve its homes. We saw evidence that Curo has systems in place for recording its current compliance position with landlord health and safety requirements, and that it has effective mechanisms to give its board assurance that controls are operating effectively. 

Curo demonstrated that it provides an effective, efficient and timely repairs service to tenants, and we saw evidence that it takes action to improve outcomes for tenants when issues occur. Curo implemented a stabilisation plan to address timeliness of non-emergency repairs by improving the efficiency and productivity of its repairs service to deliver improved outcomes for tenants.   

In relation to the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, Curo works with relevant organisations to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour and hate incidents in the communities where it provides homes. Feedback from tenants is used to continually improve the service, including increasing communication with affected tenants and use of mediation.  

In relation to the Tenancy Standard, Curo provided evidence that its approach to lettings and allocations is fair and transparent, and that it offers a range of tenures that are appropriate to the homes it lets and meet the needs of tenants. Tenants are supported to sustain their tenancies through a variety of means including tenancy audits and a programme of home visit days.   

Curo is delivering the outcomes of the Consumer Standards in relation to Transparency, Influence and Accountability. Curo provided evidence that it treats tenants with fairness and respect, and that it uses the information it holds about its tenants to deliver services that meet their needs. Curo is taking action to further increase its understanding of its tenants.  

Overall, we found that Curo ensures complaints are addressed fairly, promptly and effectively and understands the impact on tenants when it gets things wrong. Curo has recently implemented a revised approach to complaints, and whilst the full benefits of this have yet to be realised, we saw evidence that the new approach is having a positive impact on complaints performance. We also gained assurance that Curo actively seeks to learn from complaints and uses this information to make improvements.    

Curo demonstrated that its tenant engagement and scrutiny arrangements provide a wide range of meaningful opportunities for tenants to influence and scrutinise its strategies, policies and services. We saw evidence that tenant insight has positively impacted service delivery in a number of areas including repairs and complaints services. Curo provided assurance that it makes effective use of its performance data to improve its services and provides a range of information to tenants to support effective scrutiny. 

Governance – G1 – July 2025

In July 2025 we assessed Curo’s governance grade as G1 following a programmed inspection. Below are the summary of findings from our inspection, about Curo’s delivery of our governance requirements.

Based on the evidence gained from the inspection, there is assurance that Curo’s governance arrangements enable it to effectively manage its risks and adequately control the organisation, allowing it to deliver its objectives. We saw evidence of board challenge on performance against strategic objectives and consideration of risk appetite in strategic decision making.

Curo provided appropriate assurance that its board proactively reviews its approach to delivering against its purpose and regularly considers alternative options to ensure it is achieving value for money in making best use of resources. An emphasis on building new homes is balanced alongside continuing investment in existing homes and delivery of effective landlord services to tenants. 

We saw evidence that Curo has an effective business planning, risk management and control framework in place, with a demonstrable understanding of its risk profile, stress testing and mitigations. We have assurance that key risks are being managed effectively, including in relation to development and sales, damp and mould, and landlord health and safety. Curo’s board actively seeks and gains an appropriate level of assurance across a range of areas.  

Curo uses stress testing to identify emerging risks and inform decision-making as part of the wider control framework. We saw evidence that board reporting provides sufficient detail to ensure effective oversight across the group, and mitigation strategies are in place. 

Curo provided assurance that it has established and maintains clear roles, responsibilities and accountabilities within its leadership and governance structure. There is evidence that the relationship between the board and committees is working in line with its delegations to strengthen assurance in key areas of risk and compliance. 

Continuing governance improvement is evidenced through annual effectiveness reviews and in-depth periodic external governance reviews. The most recent external governance review took place in December 2023, and we saw evidence of the recommendations being implemented as a result. 

Board member skills, experience and knowledge are aligned with the activities of the organisation and there is a structured approach to reviewing, developing and appraising skills which feeds into succession planning. We saw evidence of this through board observation, meetings with non-executive directors and executive team members as well as reviewing relevant documents including meeting minutes.

Viability – V2 – October 2026

Based on the evidence reviewed through our latest stability check, our judgement is that Curo meets the viability requirements of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard and has the financial capacity to deal with a reasonable range of adverse scenarios. However, it needs to manage material risks to ensure it continues to meet those requirements.

Curo’s financial plans are consistent with, and support, its financial strategy. Curo has appropriately evidenced that it has an adequately funded business plan, sufficient security in place to support its financial plans, and is forecast to continue to meet its financial covenants under a reasonable range of adverse scenarios.

Curo is balancing increased investment into its existing homes alongside its development activity which is putting pressure on its financial performance. Curo needs to manage risks associated with the housing market due to its sales and disposal plans. When set in the context of economic pressures, the above factors reduce Curo’s capacity to respond to adverse events.

Background to the judgement

About the landlord

Curo owns around 13,000 social homes in the west of England.

Our role and regulatory approach

Regulatory judgements are our published view of how well a landlord is delivering the outcomes of our standards. For more information about our approach to regulation, please see Our role and approach to regulating landlords and How we regulate, which includes more details on our judgements and gradings.

Further information

• Regulating the standards
• Regulatory standards for landlords

Related documents

• Decent Homes Standard