Decision

Runnymede Borough Council (43UG) - Regulatory Judgement: 25 February 2026

Published 25 February 2026

Applies to England

Our Judgement

	Grade/Judgement	Change	Date of assessment
Consumer	C4 Our judgement is that there are very serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. The landlord must make fundamental changes so that improved outcomes are delivered.	First grading	February 2026
Rent	Our judgement is that there are serious failings in the landlord delivering the outcomes of the Rent Standard and significant improvement is needed.	New judgement	February 2026

Reason for publication

We are publishing a regulatory judgement for Runnymede Borough Council (Runnymede BC) following an inspection and responsive engagement completed in February 2026.

This regulatory judgement confirms a consumer grade of C4. This is the first time we have issued a consumer grade in relation to this landlord. We have also concluded that there are serious failings in how Runnymede BC is delivering the outcomes of the Rent Standard.

Summary of the decision

From the evidence and assurance gained during the inspection, we have concluded that there are very serious failings in Runnymede BC delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. Runnymede BC must make fundamental changes so that improved outcomes are delivered for tenants, specifically in relation to the Safety and Quality Standard, and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. There are also weaknesses in its delivery of the outcomes of the Neighbourhood and Community Standard, and the Tenancy Standard.

Although Runnymede BC has indicated a willingness to address these very serious failings, and is taking action in some areas, we have not yet seen evidence to sufficiently assure us that it fully understands the potential risks to tenants. Based on our assessment of the seriousness of the failures, the risks tenants are exposed to as a result of these failings, and the fundamental changes needed to improve outcomes for tenants, we have concluded a C4 grade for Runnymede BC.

From the evidence gained during the inspection and responsive engagement, there are serious failings in how Runnymede BC is delivering the outcomes of the Rent Standard.

How we reached our judgement

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

During the inspection we observed a Housing Committee meeting, Repairs and Neighbourhood Tenant Panel meetings, spoke with tenants, held meetings with Runnymede BC including the leader of the council, and the portfolio holder for housing, interviewed staff, and reviewed a wide range of documents provided by Runnymede BC.

Runnymede BC made a self-referral to us in June 2025, prior to the inspection, after it had identified issues relating to rent setting. Our initial engagement with Runnymede BC focused on understanding the nature of the errors and the actions it was taking to address the rents issues. Our responsive engagement about these issues included reviewing documents and information provided by Runnymede BC. As part of our inspection, we then assessed Runnymede BC’s delivery of the outcomes of the Rent Standard.

Our regulatory judgement is based on all the relevant information we obtained during the inspection and responsive engagement as well as analysis of information received through routine regulatory returns and other regulatory engagement activity.

Summary of findings

Consumer – C4 – February 2026

We have found very serious failings in how Runnymede BC is delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards. Our judgement is based on the scale of the issues identified during the inspection and the significant impact or potential impact on Runnymede BC’s tenants. Fundamental changes are required to the service to improve outcomes for tenants. Runnymede BC has indicated a willingness to address the issues, but we have seen limited evidence of its capacity to put matters right.

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. One of the criteria of the Decent Homes Standard is that homes must meet the current statutory minimum standard for housing. This means that homes should be free from category 1 hazards. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is the prescribed method for assessing such hazards and stock condition surveys must incorporate HHSRS. Runnymede BC has surveyed 58% of its homes since 2021, but only 30% have had a full stock condition survey including an HHSRS assessment. We found inadequate monitoring and reporting of hazards in its homes, with almost 250 previously unknown hazards being identified as a direct result of our inspection. We do not have assurance that Runnymede BC has sufficient information or appropriate oversight of tenant safety in its homes. Approximately half of its homes do not have a valid Energy Performance Certificate. We therefore have no confidence in its reported non-decency figure and limited assurance it has an accurate understanding of the investment needed in its homes to meet the requirements of the Decent Homes Standard. We found this to be a very serious failing. Since the inspection Runnymede BC is expediting its stock condition survey with a target completion date of March 2026.

We lack assurance that Runnymede BC meets regulatory expectations in identifying and fulfilling all legal health and safety requirements for tenants’ homes and communal areas, and ensuring that all required actions arising are completed within appropriate timescales. We have no assurance that information across all areas of landlord health and safety is complete and accurate. We received conflicting information about manual processes. Runnymede BC reports 100% compliance in most areas, however we identified limited monitoring of contractors, with quality checks only conducted for fire and gas safety. We found no assurance that remedial actions are being fully reported for every area of health and safety, including more than 300 fire remedial actions overdue for more than a year. There is very limited evidence of oversight or challenge in relation to health and safety performance. Following an internal audit, Runnymede BC has made progress in delivering the improvements needed and since the inspection it told us it has taken steps to improve oversight of contractors and reporting. However, we consider these to be very serious failings and Runnymede BC needs to embed fundamental changes to ensure tenants are safe.

Runnymede BC provided some evidence of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service for its homes and communal areas, though we found weaknesses in its performance in delivering repairs within expected timescales. We have seen evidence that Runnymede BC has taken some steps to address underperformance with repairs, but also evidence of poor oversight of handling of calls to the contact centre which had been raised as an issue by tenants. We have no assurance that Runnymede BC has appropriate oversight and scrutiny of repairs performance, damp and mould, or disrepair claims. Its damp and mould policy does not meet legal requirements, although it has damp and mould processes in place. Runnymede BC acknowledges these weaknesses and understands it needs to improve monitoring and oversight and is developing performance indicators for damp and mould and disrepair claims.

We have assurance that Runnymede BC is meeting the adaptations element of the Safety and Quality Standard.

The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard sets out the outcomes landlords must deliver about 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. We found very serious failings in how Runnymede BC is delivering these outcomes.

We have limited assurance that Runnymede BC is treating tenants fairly and with respect. Its approach to service delivery did not demonstrate consideration of tenants’ diverse needs, particularly around tenant engagement, and information on its website placed greater responsibility on tenants, rather than Runnymede BC, for resolving damp and mould in tenants’ homes. There was evidence that the recommendations from previous equalities based self-assessments, reviews and improvement plans had not progressed. This is a very serious failing and significant improvement is needed.

Runnymede BC does not have an accurate understanding of the diverse needs of its tenants and could not evidence that its landlord services are accessible. It holds some information about its tenants but does not systematically collect information on protected characteristics or individual needs. We saw no evidence that the information had been used to ensure fair and equitable outcomes for tenants or to inform service design and delivery. Runnymede BC acknowledged these very serious failings and provided an improvement plan, but this has not yet been implemented.

Through the inspection we identified very serious failings in how Runnymede BC is taking its tenants’ views into account in its decision-making and service delivery, and in how it is communicating that tenants’ views have been considered. Although Runnymede BC has three tenants’ groups, there was no evidence of meaningful engagement or outcomes, and no reporting of tenant engagement activity. Tenants are not supported to influence meeting agendas and do not receive adequate information before meetings. Runnymede BC acknowledged these very serious failings and shared an improvement plan for tenant engagement, though delivery is at an early stage.

We also found very serious failings in Runnymede BC’s ability to provide information so that tenants can use landlord services, understand what to expect from their landlord, and hold their landlord to account. We saw limited evidence of accessible information as Runnymede BC lacks insight into tenants’ diverse needs or communication preferences. Apart from repairs, it has no other service standards, so tenants do not know what to expect from their landlord. Performance information for tenants is minimal, and Runnymede BC does not share any performance information with engaged tenants.

There are very serious failings in Runnymede BC’s approach to ensuring complaints are addressed fairly, effectively, and promptly. Runnymede BC is consistently failing to meet target response times for complaints, although there is evidence of some learning from complaints. We did not gain assurance that Runnymede BC effectively manages complaints made to its contractors. Runnymede BC has an improvement plan for complaints, but we saw no evidence of actions to reduce complaints handling times.

We have some assurance that Runnymede BC is meeting the Neighbourhood and Community Standard. We saw evidence of partnership working around anti-social behaviour and hate incidents, including support for vulnerable tenants and use of legal powers. However, we found weaknesses in the monitoring and reporting of anti-social behaviour and hate crime and its anti-social behaviour policy was out of date. Runnymede BC has an anti-social behaviour action plan which includes improvements to monitoring, reporting, and tenant engagement. We will continue to engage with Runnymede BC as it embeds this action plan to ensure improvements to tenant outcomes are delivered.

We have some assurance that Runnymede BC’s approach to managing tenancies meets the required outcomes of the Tenancy Standard. There was evidence of a tenancy strategy and tenancy policy outlining its approach, but the policy was out of date. We saw weaknesses in reporting around tenancy management, including fixed term tenancies. Runnymede BC told us it is reviewing its approach to fixed term tenancies to better meet tenants’ needs and make more effective use of its homes, it will then update its tenancy policy. We will continue to engage with Runnymede BC as it delivers these changes.

Runnymede BC has engaged constructively throughout the inspection and shown willingness to address issues. However, we saw a lack of understanding of some of the areas needing fundamental change and we lack assurance of its capacity to deliver sustained improvements. While some plans exist, we expect Runnymede BC to develop a comprehensive improvement plan driving fundamental change across all the areas identified and to share that with tenants. Our engagement with Runnymede BC will be intensive and we will seek evidence that gives us the assurance that sufficient change and progress is being made, and that risks to tenants are adequately managed and mitigated. We are not proposing to use our enforcement powers at this stage but will keep this under review as Runnymede BC seeks to resolve these issues.

Rent – Serious failings in delivering outcomes – February 2026

Runnymede BC made a self-referral to us in June 2025, following a tenant complaint about rent setting. It identified it had used erroneous property valuations to calculate rents on 13 homes since 2003 to the value of c.£300k in overpaid rent and housing benefit. An external audit found no clear accountability and a lack of rent setting procedures and so it has not been able to provide assurance on the accuracy of Runnymede BC’s rent setting. Runnymede BC has since developed a rent improvement plan. Despite most actions relating to the original complaint being complete, including refunds and compensatory payments to tenants, others are on hold until Runnymede BC introduces a new rents system. It expects this will provide improved assurance on rent setting and enable it to quantify the impact on tenants of any further errors.

We found that there are serious failings in how Runnymede BC is delivering the outcomes of the Rent Standard. Significant improvements to Runnymede BC’s rent setting are required so that it meets the requirements of the Rent Standard.

This will be a significant area of focus for our work with Runnymede BC.

Background to the judgement

About the landlord

Runnymede BC is a unitary authority in Surrey, and owns around 2,830 social housing 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