Decision

First Choice Homes Oldham Limited (4582) - Regulatory Judgement: 30 September 2026

Updated 30 September 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	September 2026
Governance	G1 Our judgement is that the landlord meets our governance requirements.	Assessed and unchanged	September 2026
Viability	V1 Our judgement is that the landlord meets our viability requirements and has the financial capacity to deal with a wide range of adverse scenarios.	Assessed and unchanged	September 2026

Reason for publication

We are publishing a regulatory judgement for First Choice Homes Oldham Limited (First Choice) following an inspection completed in September 2026.

This regulatory judgement confirms a consumer grade of C2, a governance grade of G1 and a financial viability grade of V1.

Prior to this regulatory judgement, the governance and financial viability grades for First Choice were last updated in December 2025 following a stability check to confirm a G1 grade for governance and a V1 grade for financial viability. This is the first time we have issued a consumer grade in relation to this landlord.

Summary of the decision

From the assurance gained during the inspection, based on the evidence provided by First Choice, our judgement is that there are some weaknesses in First Choice delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and improvement is needed, specifically in relation to outcomes in our Safety and Quality Standard, Neighbourhood and Community Standard, and Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a C2 grade for First Choice.

Our judgement is that First Choice meets our governance requirements. First Choice has provided evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of its governance arrangements and that it continues to effectively manage the risks of its activities, allowing it to deliver its strategic objectives. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a G1 grade for First Choice.

Our judgement is that First Choice meets our financial viability requirements and has the financial capacity to deal with a wide range of adverse scenarios. First Choice has a strong financial profile, and its stress testing demonstrates that financial capacity is built into its business plan. First Choice has provided appropriate assurance that it has access to sufficient liquidity and adequate funding in place. Based on this assessment, we have concluded a V1 grade for First Choice.

How we reached our judgement

We carried out an inspection of First Choice to assess how well it is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and meeting our governance and financial viability requirements, 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 the board and First Choice’s tenant scrutiny panel, spoke with tenants, held meetings with First Choice including its non-executive directors, interviewed staff, and reviewed a wide range of documents provided by First Choice.

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

Summary of findings  

Consumer – C2 – September 2026

First Choice evidenced high levels of compliance with statutory landlord health and safety obligations and that it is managing associated risks. In April 2026, First Choice self-referred to us that some high and medium risk remedial actions identified in fire risk assessments on low-rise purpose-built blocks of flats were not completed within allocated timeframes. We have assurance that the issues that contributed to this were not systemic and that risks to tenants continue to be appropriately managed. However, we will continue to monitor First Choice’s delivery of the recommendations arising from its lessons learned review.

In relation to the Safety and Quality Standard, First Choice provided evidence that it has appropriate systems in place to ensure the health and safety of its tenants in their homes. We saw evidence of effective processes for identifying and managing damp and mould with timely investigations of reported cases. However, some hazards are not being rectified within the required timescales and improvements are needed in this area.

We saw evidence that First Choice keeps an accurate and up-to-date record of the condition of its homes through physical surveys and has a process for keeping this information up to date. First Choice uses its understanding of the quality and safety of its tenants’ homes to make decisions on the planning of future investments to maintain and improve its homes.

First Choice demonstrated progress in delivering an effective, efficient and timely repairs and maintenance service. While emergency response times perform well, a targeted strategy is delivering improvements to the response times of routine repairs. The board will need to ensure that the balance of reporting on the repairs service provides sufficient assurance on service quality and is extended to include communal areas. We will continue to engage with the landlord while these changes are implemented and improved outcomes for tenants are demonstrated.

In relation to the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, First Choice works with relevant external partners to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour. It has clear policies in place and an understanding of anti-social behaviour at a neighbourhood level. First Choice is committed to the implementation of improvements to the oversight of its anti-social behaviour service, and we will continue to engage with First Choice while it strengthens its board’s assurance on improved outcomes for tenants.

In relation to the Tenancy Standard, First Choice demonstrated that it allocates its homes in a fair and transparent way. It evidenced impactful tenancy sustainability services and demonstrated how the needs of tenants and prospective tenants are considered in the design of tenancy services and the development of new homes.

In relation to the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, we gained assurance that First Choice demonstrates an understanding of its tenants’ diverse needs and has arrangements for keeping this information up to date. First Choice uses this information to inform service design and to ensure that services are better tailored to meet the individual needs of tenants and their wider households. We saw evidence of meaningful tenant feedback and scrutiny influencing service design gathered from a range of formal scrutiny arrangements. First Choice provides accessible and relevant information to enable tenants to access its services, get support and advice, and it is in the process of improving the information it provides to tenants on how well its services are performing.

First Choice demonstrated that it is delivering a timely complaints service and is taking action to strengthen the fairness and effectiveness of its approach. We will continue to engage with First Choice and seek assurance on improved outcomes for tenants.

Governance – G1 – September 2026

Based on the evidence gained from the inspection, we have assurance that First Choice meets our governance requirements. The board and the executive team have the skills and experience to effectively manage risk and adequately control the organisation in line with its strategic objectives.

The board monitors and challenges performance against strategic targets. First Choice’s risk management and control framework is aligned to strategic risks and is supported by effective internal audit arrangements. We saw evidence that First Choice considers its risk appetite when making decisions. First Choice demonstrated that its governance arrangements enable effective tenant scrutiny, facilitate wider tenant participation and provide tenants with meaningful influence over decision making.

First Choice evidenced that it maintains skills-led succession planning and undertakes annual internal effectiveness reviews and periodic external effectiveness reviews, with action taken in response to review recommendations.

First Choice has demonstrated that its financial governance arrangements are appropriately robust. Board reporting supports effective oversight of financial and development risks. First Choice evidenced an embedded approach to achieving value for money and demonstrated that the board provides robust challenge to support the organisation to deliver optimal benefits from the resources it has available.

Viability – V1 – September 2026

We have concluded there is appropriate assurance that First Choice’s financial plans are consistent with, and support, its financial strategy. First Choice has evidenced that it has an adequately funded business plan, sufficient security in place to support its financial plans, and forecasts that it will continue to meet its financial covenants under a wide range of adverse scenarios.

We have appropriate assurance that First Choice’s board has effective oversight of loan covenant compliance and there is evidence of strong levels of forecast headroom. First Choice forecasts strong loan covenant interest cover, while continuing to deliver its development programme and invest in existing homes.

Background to the judgement

About the landlord

First Choice owns and manages around 11,600 social homes across Oldham, Rochdale and Kirklees. It owns four high-rise buildings over 18 metres in height and five blocks at 11 metres to 18 metres in height.

The group includes New Living Homes Limited, a non-registered subsidiary established in 2016 to undertake development activities and provide design and build services on behalf of First Choice.

At 31 March 2026, First Choice employed 398 full-time equivalent staff. Group turnover for the year ended 31 March 2026 was £71.5m.

First Choice intends to develop 770 new affordable or social rented homes between 2026 and 2031.

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 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 Regulating the Standards.

Further information

• Regulating the standards
• Regulatory standards for landlords

Related documents

• Decent Homes Standard