Independent review reports
What are wider orders?
The Housing Ombudsman has gained new powers to issue wider orders under the Social Housing Regulation Act, allowing us to not only address individual complaints from a landlord, but also extend fairness and protection to wider residents.
The expanded authority enables us to require landlords to go beyond the scope of individual complaints and seek to address wider issues.
As part of the new powers, we have ordered several landlords to undertake independent reviews to identify issues with policy and procedure.
2025-26 wider orders issued
C3 and C4 landlords
15 May 2025
We have published 4 independent review reports highlighting repair handling weaknesses.
This is prior to the landlords being handed a C3 or C4 judgement by the Regulator of Social Housing.
The landlords highlighted are:
- Southwark Council
- Wandsworth Council
- Newham Council
- Notting Hill Genesis
Housing for Women
3 April 2025
We have ordered an independent review of Housing for Women’s rent recovery practice following a significant failing in its approach to rent arrears and account management.
The landlord incorrectly told a resident they owed over £10,000 in missed rent payments.
2024-25 wider orders issued
One Housing
20 February 2025
We ordered One Housing to conduct an independent review after an Ombudsman investigation unearthed incorrect asbestos risk data.
The review found over 800 records of incorrect data on its asbestos register. The inconsistencies in data were caused by multiple factors, including external services being brought in-house and its knowledge and information management.
Sage Homes
16 January 2025
We ordered Sage Homes to conduct an independent review which found failings in Sage Home’s approach to addressing vulnerabilities and safeguarding concerns.
The independent review found several areas needing improvement including inconsistent safeguarding practices across the organisation. This included revising policies to address both child and adult safeguarding separately, identifying training gaps, and improving processes for handling safeguarding cases.
Aster Group
19 November 2024
We ordered an independent review of Aster’s living roof maintenance, which has revealed broader safety and maintenance issues and a series of recommendations to improve services.
The review followed an investigation by the Ombudsman into a complaint where the resident reported detachment of the roof planting due to adverse weather conditions. While leaks were not an issue, the complaint highlighted potential deficiencies in the maintenance and management of living roofs.
Peabody
29 August 2024
An independent review into repairs and decants ordered by the Housing Ombudsman has provided 31 recommendations for Peabody to improve services.
The independent review identified 180 other residents decanted since February 2021 for damp and mould, 6 of whom have been decanted for more than 300 days.
A2Dominion
16 July 2024
The Housing Ombudsman ordered an independent review of A2Dominion’s response to leaks, damp and mould following several severe maladministration findings that has made 37 recommendations for the landlord to improve.
The review, called a wider order, was made using new powers that require landlords to take steps to prevent future service failure by improving its policy or practice. These powers are part of a range of interventions the Ombudsman uses to address areas of repeated service failure.
Sanctuary Housing
16 May 2024
Sanctuary has undertaken a review of nearly 4,000 homes following a wider order from the Housing Ombudsman.
The order for an independent review of policy and practice was made after the Ombudsman made 2 severe maladministration findings for similar issues handling leaks, damp and mould.
Orbit Group
25 April 2024
After issuing 7 severe maladministration findings, we ordered Orbit Group to undertake an independent review into the main issues.
This independent review is one of the first uses of new powers given to us as part of the Social Housing Regulation Act to order wider reviews into a landlords policy, practice and root causes of complaints.
The report includes 15 recommendations made to tackle damp and mould failings.