UK Construction and Law
Two landlords move up to C1 on the strength of stock condition data, while a newly merged group is held at C2 on repairs and damp
By Staff Writer | 27 August 2026
The Regulator of Social Housing published four judgements on 26 August. Knowing the condition of the homes, and being able to show it, is what separated the two upgrades from the group that was marked down on the timeliness of its repairs service and on meeting the new damp and mould requirements.
Livin Housing Limited, based in County Durham, and Community Gateway Association Limited, based in Preston, both moved from C2 to C1 on the consumer standards. Amplius Living, based in Milton Keynes, received a first consumer grading of C2. Watford Community Housing Trust received an interim judgement only. All three graded landlords were dealt with through responsive engagement rather than a routine programme, and the two upgraded landlords keep the G1 governance and V1 viability grades they already held.
What earned the two upgrades
In both cases the reasoning is about information rather than expenditure. Livin was found to have strengthened its understanding of the condition of its homes since its inspection in November 2024, to have improved how it monitors that condition, and to use what it learns to plan repairs and investment. It also showed that it works more effectively with residents to keep homes safe and of good quality.
Community Gateway was found to have strengthened its health and safety management since its inspection in July 2025. It had improved governance and accountability, showed that its repairs and maintenance services are working, was communicating better with tenants and had increased its understanding of their different needs.
The common thread is that both landlords could evidence the position rather than assert it. Stock condition data that is current, connected to a programme and capable of being shown to a regulator is the thing being graded here.
Landlords that achieve a C1 grading show they are putting tenants at the heart of their services, maintaining safe and decent homes, and responding effectively when issues arise.
Kate Dodsworth, Deputy Chief Executive at the Regulator of Social Housing
Where Amplius fell short
Amplius Living was formed from the merger of Longhurst Group Limited and Grand Union Housing Group Limited in December 2024, and this is its first consumer grade. The regulator accepted that it has appropriate systems for tenant health and safety and a good understanding of what compliance requires. The C2 comes from elsewhere: weaknesses in providing an effective, efficient and timely repairs service, with complaints and customer feedback showing problems with service quality and communication.
It was also found to have experienced difficulty meeting the increased legal requirements for tackling damp and mould that came with Awaab's Law. That is the part of this judgement most likely to recur. The obligation has fixed timescales attached to it, and a landlord that cannot get an operative to a property inside those periods is exposed whatever its intentions. Amplius is addressing the issues, and the regulator has said it will need to show continued and consistent improvement rather than a one off recovery.
The fourth judgement is procedural but worth noting for anyone tracking merger activity. Watford Community Housing, which trades as Chime Housing, merged with Thrive Homes in June 2026. The regulator has issued an interim judgement confirming G1 governance and V2 viability, and has said in terms that it has not yet assessed the merged entity against the consumer standards. An interim judgement of that kind carries forward a view of the constituent bodies; it is not a verdict on the organisation that now exists.
For contractors and consultants working in the sector, the practical reading of the four is that the consumer grade now turns on two operational capabilities rather than on strategy. The first is a live and defensible picture of stock condition. The second is a repairs service that meets its dates, because damp and mould duties are measured in days and the evidence of failure sits in the complaints record.