Islington Council downgraded to C3 by RSH, Islington 2026

Key Points

• The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has given the London Borough of Islington a C3 regulatory grading after an inspection that found serious failings in housing management.
• Inspectors found the council lacks an accurate, up-to-date picture of the condition of tenants’ homes, with most surveys more than ten years old and no formal Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessments, leaving Decent Homes Standard compliance unassured.
• RSH identified weaknesses in health and safety compliance data and recorded more than 1,000 overdue lift remedial actions; the council says those issues do not represent immediate critical safety risks or require lifts to be taken out of service.
• The regulator found that, despite technical failings, Islington Council treats tenants with fairness and respect and uses tenant feedback to inform services.
• Islington Council has engaged constructively with the regulator, accepts the findings, and says it is accelerating an existing improvement programme with clearer accountability and closer regulator engagement.
• Cllr Una O’Halloran, leader of Islington Council, acknowledged the need for stronger systems and assurance and reiterated the council’s commitment to delivering safe, decent, well-maintained homes.

Islington (Extra London News) May 13, 2026 – The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has downgraded the London Borough of Islington to a C3 regulatory grading after inspectors identified serious shortcomings in how the council understands and manages the condition and safety of its housing stock.

Why did the regulator downgrade Islington to C3, and what does C3 mean?

As reported by the Regulator of Social Housing in its inspection outcome, the council received a C3 grading because inspectors found it could not provide assurance that its properties meet minimum statutory standards, primarily due to outdated and incomplete information on the condition of tenants’ homes.

The RSH’s C3 designation, the regulator said, reflects serious regulatory failings that require prompt and sustained action to protect tenants’ health, safety and wellbeing. The grading places Islington under heightened regulatory oversight and signals that the council must deliver measurable improvements within a specified timeframe.

What did inspectors find about the condition of tenants’ homes?

Inspectors reported that the council does not have an accurate understanding of the condition of tenants’ homes because the majority of property surveys were carried out more than ten years ago and were not completed using a formal Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessment, leaving the council unable to assure itself that homes meet the Decent Homes Standard, the RSH stated.

The regulator added that the lack of up-to-date, systematic survey data undermines the council’s capacity to prioritise works, quantify risk and plan investment effectively.

What safety and compliance weaknesses were identified?

The RSH’s inspection found limited assurance about the accuracy of the council’s health and safety compliance data, and inspectors recorded more than 1,000 overdue lift remedial actions across Islington’s housing stock, the regulator said.

Although the council reported that these lift issues did not pose immediate critical safety risks and did not require lifts to be taken out of service, the regulator emphasised that overdue remedial actions and incomplete compliance records represented a significant lapse in proper assurance and management processes.

How have tenants been treated according to the inspection?

Despite these technical failings, the RSH found that Islington Council treats tenants with fairness and respect and takes tenant feedback seriously when shaping services, the regulator noted in its findings. Inspectors observed positive tenant engagement practices, including mechanisms for listening to residents and reflecting their experiences in service design, which the RSH described as a mitigating factor in its overall assessment.

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What is the council’s response to the regulator’s findings?

As reported by Cllr Una O’Halloran, leader of Islington Council, the authority accepts the RSH’s judgement and says it is taking the findings seriously, acknowledging weaknesses in how it understands the condition of its housing and how it assures safety data. Cllr O’Halloran told the press:

“We take the Regulator of Social Housing’s judgement seriously and fully accept that improvement is needed. The findings highlight weaknesses in how we understand the condition of our homes and how we assure ourselves on safety data, and that is not good enough.”

She added that the issues were not due to a lack of commitment but to shortcomings in systems and assurance, and that the council is accelerating a pre-existing improvement programme with clearer accountability and close engagement with the regulator to ensure residents have safe, decent, well-maintained homes.

What immediate actions is the council taking to address the failings?

According to the council’s public statements, Islington had already launched an improvement programme before the RSH inspection and is now accelerating those reforms, introducing clearer lines of accountability and stepped-up engagement with the regulator to address the gaps identified in surveys, compliance data and remedial programmes.

The council has committed to refreshing property condition information, conducting proper HHSRS assessments where required, and addressing overdue safety actions, including lifts, as part of a prioritised plan to restore regulatory confidence.

How will this affect tenants day-to-day?

Tenants may see a programme of survey work, remedial repairs and clearer communications as the council implements its improvement plan; the RSH noted that, despite system failures, tenant-facing treatment was fair and respectful, which suggests services will continue while structural and assurance changes are made.

The council’s assurance that lift faults did not pose immediate critical safety risks aims to reassure residents, but the regulator’s concerns imply some works will be prioritised and scheduled to close the identified assurance gaps.
A C3 regulatory grading increases scrutiny from the regulator and can lead to mandated actions, performance monitoring and potential intervention if the council fails to deliver required improvements within established timeframes, the RSH framework explains.

While the grading itself does not automatically reallocate funding, it can influence ministerial, regulator and stakeholder attention on capital and revenue programmes and may constrain the council’s ability to demonstrate value for money until compliance is restored.

What has the regulator said about the council’s engagement?

The RSH reported that Islington Council has engaged constructively throughout the inspection process, acknowledges the issues, and is taking steps to address them, the regulator said.

That cooperative engagement, the RSH indicated, is important to ensure that a credible and deliverable improvement plan is developed and monitored until the necessary standards are demonstrably met.

What do housing experts and campaigners say about the findings?

Independent housing campaigners and sector commentators note that the Islington judgment underlines a national challenge: many local authorities carry out property surveys infrequently or inconsistently, which can mask long-term deterioration and safety risks unless systematic HHSRS assessments and robust compliance tracking are in place (sector commentary and expert analysis).

Observers warn that councils must invest in both accurate stock condition data and the management systems to convert that knowledge into timely works and effective resident safeguarding.

How will progress be measured and reported?

Under regulatory practice, the RSH expects the council to produce an improvement plan with clear milestones, measurable outcomes and governance arrangements; the regulator will monitor progress, request evidence of improvements and may re-inspect to assess whether the council’s actions have addressed the failings that led to the C3 grading. Islington has said it will work closely with the RSH and set out accountable action plans to restore assurance on property condition and safety compliance.

What does this mean for other councils and the housing sector?

The Islington outcome is a reminder to other social housing landlords—both local authorities and housing associations—of the regulator’s focus on accurate stock condition data, robust assurance systems and timely remedial action, the sector guidance emphasises. Inspectors are increasingly scrutinising data quality and the systems that underpin health and safety compliance, meaning providers must invest in up-to-date surveys, HHSRS assessments and effective asset management to avoid similar regulatory action.

Who should tenants contact with concerns in the meantime?

Tenants with immediate concerns about safety or repairs should continue to use Islington Council’s existing reporting channels, the council advises, while also engaging with tenant participation bodies and elected councillors to ensure issues are recorded and escalated as necessary; tenants may also refer serious unresolved issues to the regulator’s complaints process if local remedies are exhausted.