Stoke-on-Trent City Council says it is continuing work to improve services for tenants after the national social-housing regulator awarded it a C2 consumer grade.

The Regulator of Social Housing published its first consumer-standards judgement for the council in July 2026. A C2 grade means the landlord is delivering the required outcomes overall but that there are some weaknesses and improvement is needed.

The regulator identified issues within the Safety and Quality Standard and the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard. The council says it accepts the findings and is preparing a Housing Improvement Plan setting out further action.

What inspectors found

The inspection found several areas of positive practice. These included the condition and safety of homes, relationships with tenants, the use of resident feedback and work with partners to tackle anti-social behaviour and hate crime.

Inspectors also found areas requiring improvement. The council needs to strengthen its handling of complaints and the way it reports performance, while making better use of information about tenants and their needs.

The official regulatory judgement says there were weaknesses in how the council recorded the condition of some homes, demonstrated compliance with health and safety requirements and used data to deliver fair and equitable services.

The regulator nevertheless found that the council was identifying risks and taking action, including through improvement programmes already under way.

Council sets out progress

A report due to be considered by the council's cabinet says nearly 90 per cent of council homes have been surveyed during the past five years.

It also points to continuing investment in safety and compliance work, efforts to involve tenants in decisions and programmes intended to improve energy efficiency across thousands of homes.

The council says the regulator recognised that tenants generally felt listened to and able to influence decisions affecting their homes and communities.

Stoke-on-Trent's C2 result places it in the second of four possible consumer-grading categories. C1 is the highest grade, while C3 and C4 indicate more serious failings.

Housing Improvement Plan being prepared

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the judgement recognised work already carried out by housing staff while providing a clear basis for further improvements.

“We are particularly pleased that the regulator highlighted the strong relationships we have built with residents and the ways in which tenant feedback is helping to shape our services.”

She said the council accepted the areas identified for improvement and had already begun taking action.

“Our Housing Improvement Plan will set out a clear programme of work to address the regulator's recommendations, improve how we use data and manage complaints, and ensure tenants continue to receive the high standard of service they expect and deserve.”

The improvement plan is expected to be presented later in 2026. The council says it will continue to listen to tenants and monitor progress against the regulator's recommendations.

This report is based on a Stoke-on-Trent City Council release and the Regulator of Social Housing's published judgement of 29 July 2026.