Tenants’ Annual Report 2025-2026

Introduction

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the tenants’ annual report for 2025-2026, and to introduce myself as the new housing portfolio holder following the election of the new city council administration in May 2026.

I have lived in Norwich for 45 years, having moved here from Suffolk. Norwich is a special place, and one of the reasons for that is the city’s proud record of providing social housing.

As tenants, you are at the heart of life in Norwich. I want to reinforce an important message: the council is here to serve you.

We want to hear from you so that we can continue to improve and maintain your homes and the neighbourhoods where you live.

I am fortunate to be working with an outstanding housing team at City Hall, and I have joined at a time when the council’s work has been recognised by the Regulator of Social Housing. At the time, we were one of just nine councils in England to have received the top C1 rating for meeting consumer standards, which cover areas including safety, quality of homes and how we engage with tenants.

That is something we can be proud of, but we will not rest on our laurels. With your involvement and feedback, we will continue to look for ways to improve the services we provide.

During my first few months, I have been pleased to meet the tenant representatives who sit on our Tenant Involvement Panel and play an important role in holding the council to account. I am also looking forward to meeting more of you during our estate inspection walkabouts.

One of the priorities of the new administration is to improve communal areas in our social housing and the quality of our neighbourhoods. Working with tenants and leaseholders will be an important part of making that happen.

Best wishes,

Denise Carlo

Portfolio holder for housing and communities 

This report is also available as a downloadable PDF.

If you need this information by email for use with the read-aloud function or in an alternative format, please contact us on 0344 980 4444 or visit www.norwich.gov.uk/intran

Your landlord

As your landlord, we’re responsible for keeping your home safe, well maintained and managed fairly, and for making sure you are listened to and treated with respect.

Our housing inspection result – what it means for you

Earlier this year, the Regulator of Social Housing inspected the council. They check how well social landlords look after tenants and their homes.

We received a C1 grading, the highest possible rating. This means your home meets national expectations for safety, repairs and day to day management. Only a small number of local authority landlords currently hold this top grade.

You can read the Regulator’s judgement on their website.

The Regulator sets four national standards for all social landlords:

Safety and quality – making sure homes are safe and in good condition

Tenancy – managing tenancies fairly and offering support

Neighbourhood and community – keeping estates safe and tackling issues like anti social behaviour.

Transparency, influence and accountability – being open and giving tenants a real say.

We're prepared for the new Competence and Conduct Standard, which came into effect in October 2026. Over the past year, we've worked with tenants to define the behaviours and standards they expect from our staff and contractors. This has helped shape our new Housing Services Code of Conduct and training programme, helping ensure services are delivered by skilled, knowledgeable and professional people who put tenants first.

How inspections work

Large social landlords are inspected around every four years. The process includes:

• Reviewing performance data and safety records
• Looking at policies and reports
• Speaking with tenants, councillors and staff
• Observing council meetings

Landlords can receive one of four grades: 

• C1 - meeting the consumer standards
• C2 - some weaknesses
• C3 - serious failings
• C4 - very serious failings needing urgent action

Every landlord should aim for C1. 

What a C1 grade means

The Regulator highlighted that we are performing well in:

• Keeping homes safe and compliant
• Providing a repairs service that works and improves when needed
• Completing emergency repairs on time
• Working with partners to prevent and respond to anti social behaviour and hate incidents
• Treating residents fairly and keeping people informed

This rating supports our commitment to work with residents, improve neighbourhoods and make sure everyone living in a council home in Norwich feels safe, heard and supported. 

Value for your money

Affordable homes

Living in a council property is considerably cheaper than renting privately, as shown below.

Size of property	Council home: average weekly rent for a low-cost rental	Affordable rent weekly rent	Private sector home: average weekly rent for Norwich*
1 bed	£86.26	N/A	£180.23
2 bed	£93.53	£145.54	£224.69
3 bed	£103.07	£171.65	£262.62
4 bed +	£111.82	£246.67	£365.77

*Source: The Office for National Statistics as at May 2026

The income for providing housing services comes from rent (houses/garages), service charges and rechargeable repairs.

Expenditure in 2025-2026 financial year

This chart shows how money from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was spent during 2025-26. The largest areas of spending were planned home improvements, housing management, and repairs and maintenance. Other spending included work on empty homes, estate management, sheltered housing, and caretaking services.

Spending area	Amount
Planned upgrades and improvements	£22m
Housing management	£15.3m
Repairs and maintenance	£15.3m
Empty property works	£4.8m
Estate management	£3.4m
Sheltered housing	£1.2m
Amount spent on caretaker services	£0.8m

Find out more - the full Housing Revenue Account income and expenditure statement can be found in our Statement of Accounts on page 118. Statement of Accounts

Housing directors’ remuneration and management costs 2025-2026

The Regulator of Social Housing, Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard, requires all registered providers to provide tenants with accessible information about directors’ salaries and some of our housing management costs.

Measure	Amount
The remuneration payable to the highest paid director, relative to the size of the landlord:	£5.61 per property.
The aggregate amount of remuneration paid to directors, relative to the size of the landlord:	£31.30 per property.
Management costs relative to the size of the landlord:	£1,818.74 per property.

Your home

Breakdown of our housing stock

13,947 properties, made up of: 

Property type	Number
flats and maisonettes	7,270
houses	5,741
bungalows	867
bedsits	69

Classification	Number
are classed as General Needs	13,032
are classed as Sheltered Housing	915

Planned works programmes 

Measure	Result
repairs completed (all repair types)	40,065
of homes achieved the Decent Homes Standard	99.7%

Numbers of completed under planned works programmes includes:

Work programme	Completions	Average cost
Electrical upgrade	2838	£704
Kitchen replacements	386	£5,369
Bathroom replacements	488	£3,572
Boiler replacements	690	£4,250
Air source heating system	15	£12,329
Insulation improvements	262	£1,951
Solar panels	263	£4,018
Window replacements	196	£3,402
Door replacements	62	£841
Block door access control systems	32	£14,630
Roof replacements	244	£8,471

Adaptations

£2,358,238.64 spent on major adaptations to homes for people with disabilities. 

Energy efficiency

The council is improving energy efficiency by replacing old boilers, upgrading insulation, and installing low carbon systems such as air source heat pumps and solar panels.

Solar panels are added either during roof replacements or as standalone installations to help reduce energy costs and support future heating upgrades.

These measures contribute to targets of achieving EPC rating C or above by 2030 and full decarbonisation by 2045. Suitable empty homes are upgraded before re letting.

Currently, the average energy rating of homes is in band C (71.25), with over 77% of properties meeting EPC C or higher.

NCC Energy score bands 

Score band/EPC band	%
(92+) A	0.26
(81-91) B	4.15
(69-80) C	72.88
(55-68) D	22.15
(39-54) E	0.39
(21-38) F	0.16
(1-20) G	0.01
% A-C	77.29

Compliance

Your safety is our priority. We regularly inspect, maintain, and monitor our homes and buildings to make sure they are safe and comply with legal standards. This includes checks on fire safety, gas and electrical systems, lifts, water hygiene, and asbestos so that residents can feel safe in their homes.

Fire safety

Fire risk assessments are carried out in all blocks of flats, along with any follow-up repairs or improvements that are needed. We also inspect, test, and maintain fire alarm systems where required, and carry out regular checks of flat entrance doors and communal fire doors to help keep residents safe.

100% of relevant homes had fire risk assessments carried out in 2025-2026.

Asbestos management

Asbestos surveys are undertaken in communal areas and individual homes to enable safe working when repairs or planned works eg kitchen and bathroom replacements, are due. Communal areas are reinspected on a yearly basis and where planned works are due, we will remove asbestos materials in most situations.

99.9% of relevant homes had an asbestos management survey or reinspection carried out in 2025-2026. 

Water hygiene

We carry out checks and risk assessments to help prevent Legionella and maintain safe water systems. This includes inspecting cold water storage tanks and testing, maintaining and repairing water supply equipment where required.

100% of relevant homes had legionella risk assessments carried out 2025-2026.

Lift management

We carry out inspections, testing, maintenance and repairs to keep lifts safe and reliable. Independent inspections are also completed to make sure lifts meet all required standards. We use the results of these inspections to plan future upgrades and replacements.

100% of communal passenger lift safety checks were carried out in 2025-2026.

Gas safety

We carry out annual Landlord Gas Safety Records (LGSR) inspections for all homes; this includes domestic and communal boilers servicing and we deliver repairs for all relevant homes and buildings.

100% of homes requiring a gas safety check received one in 2025-2026.

Electrical safety

We carry out electrical safety inspections in homes and buildings every five years through Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs). We also regularly inspect and maintain emergency lighting, estate lighting and door entry systems to help keep residents safe.

98.6% of homes had an electrical installation condition report carried out in 2025-2026.

Your tenancy

Housing advice and allocating homes

Measure	Result
housing applications processed	816
introductory tenancies started	449
social housing properties allocated	836
homes sold through Right to Buy	178
days was the average re-let time (the number of days a property was empty between tenants) for council homes when the property required standard works.	54
of households who approached us about facing homelessness were prevented from becoming homeless, helping clients in crisis and saving money on temporary accommodation.	82%

Rent collection 

Measure	Result
Rent due for 2025-2026 financial year	£79,271,065
total rent collected in the year, as a % of rent due in the year	100.16%
total rent collected (including arrears payments made by current and former tenants)	£79,398,006
arrears brought forward from previous years	£4,011,273
of all rent due (including arrears) was collected	95.34%

Your neighbourhood

Estate aesthetics improvements

During 2025-2026, the estate aesthetics programme delivered a range of practical improvements across our estates to make shared spaces safer, greener and more welcoming for residents.

Keeping shared areas safe and protected

• We installed bollards to stop unsafe parking and protect green spaces at:
  • Holls Lane
  • Millers Lane (64/66 sheltered scheme)
  • West Pottergate Community Garden
• We added 18 metres of fencing on Edward Street to keep pedestrians and cyclists safe along a busy route.

Improving community gardens and green spaces

Location	Improvement
Lefroy Road	We installed a large water butt, improved drainage and carried out tree maintenance.
West Pottergate Community Garden	We improved access and removed hazards.
Pilling Patch (Pilling Park Road)	We repaired and replaced fencing and gates to improve security.
Bacton Road Community Garden	Replaced old water systems, added hard standing and supported tree planting and wild meadow growth.

These changes help create greener, more sustainable spaces that residents can enjoy and help look after. 

Tidying up unused areas for use

Ely Street (former basketball court)

Cleared overgrown vegetation and removed old equipment, improving the look of the area and creating opportunities for future community use.

Overall impact

These improvements have made shared spaces safer, easier to use and more attractive, helping to create neighbourhoods where residents feel proud to live.

Anti-social behaviour (ASB)

We want residents to feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods. Our ASB team responds to reports of anti-social behaviour and works with residents and partners to take appropriate action.

The team deals with issues such as harassment, intimidation, nuisance behaviour, hate incidents, drug-related concerns and domestic noise. We focus on early intervention, supporting those affected and preventing problems from escalating.

The figures below show the enforcement actions taken over the past year to tackle ASB and support our communities. 

Enforcement action	Number
Community protection warnings	14
Community protection notices	4
Partial closure orders	7
Notice possession	15
ASB Injunctions	3
Full closure orders	14
Eviction	1

Tenant involvement

Reflections on our Tenant Engagement Strategy

Our 2023-2026 Tenant Engagement Strategy set out three priorities to strengthen tenant involvement, improve communication and enable greater scrutiny of our services.

Priority 1 - strengthen engagement, participation and empowerment

We have created more opportunities for tenants to influence services through consultations, surveys, estate inspections, tenant panels and involvement in service improvement projects.

We have also started to embed co-design approaches, giving tenants a stronger voice in shaping services and helping us make decisions based on tenant feedback and everyday interactions.

Priority 2 - improve communication and interaction

We have invested in digital services including the Housing Hub on Get Talking Norwich, Housing Online and offered a digital version of our TLC magazine, making it easier for tenants to access information and get involved in ways that work for them.

We have also expanded the range of channels we use to communicate with tenants and sought feedback to better understand what matters most to tenants. 

Priority 3 - enable scrutiny

We have improved transparency by launching the Housing Highlights dashboard, giving tenants easier access to information about how we are performing. We have also expanded opportunities for tenants to challenge and influence services through our new tenant panels. We’re continuing to develop a stronger tenant-led scrutiny approach, with tenants telling us what they’d like us to focus on.

We are now developing our 2026-2029 Tenant Engagement Strategy and will be asking for your views. Your feedback will help shape how we work with tenants in the future and ensure you continue to have a strong voice in improving our services.

How your voice shapes services

Your voice creates change. By working together, we aim to give you the opportunity to scrutinise, influence and shape your housing services. Some of the ways tenants can get involved are:

Housing Hub

Based on tenant feedback, we created the Housing Hub on Get Talking Norwich, as a central online space where you can have your say on housing services. You can join discussions, take part in polls, surveys and consultations, stay informed about what’s happening, and help influence decisions that matter to you.

Tenant involvement panel

Our Tenant Involvement Panel is a group of Norwich City Council tenants who meet around every six weeks, to help improve housing services. Together, they review policies, finances, and service performance – working directly with council officers to understand how things work and where improvements can be made.

In 2025-2026 our panel members made a significant contribution to improve housing services:

• Taking part in a workshop where they assessed the council’s current tenant engagement structure and helped us to codesign our new panel structures. This includes our new topic specific panels, terms of reference and code of conduct.
• Suggesting the introduction of an annual stop tap check as part of the new safety inspection contract with Gasway. This included reviewing and making suggestions for the Gasway contract letter wording, content and communications.
• Suggesting a tutorial video be made on our Housing Highlights performance dashboard, to make it easier for tenants to understand.
• Helping to reword the “Your Home” leaflet to be clearer for tenants starting a new tenancy. 

During our Social Housing Regulatory Inspection, the Regulator observed one of the panel meetings and met with panel members to hear about their experiences working with the council.

Panel members also attended the Tenant Participaction Advisory Service (TPAS), Eastern Region Conference, sharing experiences with other tenants and bringing back learning from the Stop the Social Housing Stigma campaign.

New opportunities to get involved

You told us that repairs, anti social behaviour (ASB) and building safety were most important to you. We launched a new tenant engagement panel for repairs in March 2026, looking at our performance, how we manage repairs, damp and mould, communicate with residents and manage complaints.

We are setting up new tenant panels for ASB and Building Safety in 2026-2027. If you would like to get involved, you can register your interest online.

Estate inspections

During 2025-2026, we carried out estate inspections across a number of neighbourhoods, working with tenants to identify what is working well and where improvements are needed. Together, we looked at issues such as communal areas, grounds maintenance, fly-tipping, signage, lighting and pathways.

Tenant feedback helped us identify and address a range of issues, including repairs, grounds maintenance, bin areas, signage and fly-tipping. The inspections also helped us plan longer-term improvements and focus on the issues that matter most to tenants.

Estate inspections are a great way to raise local concerns, share your ideas and help improve your neighbourhood. We would like more tenants to take part in future inspections.

You can find upcoming inspections and get involved.

Other ways you shaped the service

Between April 2025 and March 2026, we recorded 3,844 of your contributions across a wide range of engagement formats: 

Contribution	Number
responses on surveys and quick polls (TSM, Repairs, ASB, Lettings, Stock Condition, Estate Inspection Surveys)	3,163
responses on housing consultations	453
responses on annual rent review communication	373
responses on good neighbourhood policy	72
responses on tenancy services	8
tenants came along in person to estate inspections	12
attendees to Tenant Engagement Panel meetings (Tenant Involvement Panel and Repairs Panel) in 2025-2026	56

This means your voice is helping shape how services are designed, improved and delivered. 

You said, we did

Tenant feedback led to direct service improvements: 

You said	We did
Rent information could be clearer and easier to understand.	We are reviewing our rent letters and communications, using plain English and providing clearer information about how rent is spent.
Repairs are one of the services that matter most to you.	We created a dedicated Repairs Panel, giving tenants a stronger role in reviewing and improving the repairs service.
More residents should be able to join tenant panels, even if they cannot attend meetings in person.	We introduced more flexible ways to participate, allowing tenants to review documents and share feedback digitally.
Anti-social behaviour cases need clearer communication and more regular updates.	We updated our processes, so residents know what to expect and receive more regular communication throughout their case.
Communal spaces at Bradecroft could be improved.	We worked with residents to choose new furnishings and make improvements, helping create communal spaces that better reflect tenants’ needs.
Issues affecting your quality of life were noise, rubbish/fly‑tipping, and parking. You also requested clear details on what should be expected as good neighbourly behaviour, and how to resolve disputes.	Added a “how to be a good neighbour” section to our new Good neighbourhood policy, alongside clearer behaviour expectations and dispute resolution pathways including mediation options and housing officer support.
That your individual needs or vulnerabilities aren’t always recognised when we provide services.	Reviewed and updated all the information and warning flags on our systems so they’re clear, respectful and consistent. This helps our staff understand your needs better and make the right adjustments to support you.
You wanted more information to be given to you in the ways that you prefer.	Improved our Housing Online system to notify you when a new letter or document is added so that you can login to see it and download it if you prefer. This means that you have immediate access to the information you need, whenever you need it, and in the format that suits you best.
During a Tenant Involvement Panel meeting in late 2025, the members requested a review about what condition your home will be in when it is allocated to you.	In March 2026, the panel reviewed the standard and suggested that some of the wording was not clear enough, so we have changed parts of the “Your Home” leaflet to be clearer for tenants.

Consultation that made a difference

Tenants and residents contributed to a wide range of consultations and engagement activities this year, helping to shape decisions across housing, parks, planning, and the environment.

Skateparks at Heartsease and Eaton

Following an online consultation and two in-person sessions held on site, the original designs for both skateparks were changed as a direct result of community feedback.

At Heartsease, a covered seating area was added alongside the new mini ramp and roller skate loop. Biodiversity improvements including hedging and a Miyawaki forest have also been planted, with wildflower meadow planting still to come.

Annual rent review communications

We asked tenants for their views on our annual rent review and how we communicate rent information. More than 370 residents took part. You told us that rising living costs make rent increases challenging, and that you would like clearer information about rent changes and how your rent is spent. We are using this feedback to improve our rent letters, website information and future communications.

Sloughbottom Park and Dolphin Path project

Residents were engaged on improvements to Sloughbottom Park and Dolphin Path, including a new play area. The community selected their preferred design, which will be installed with some adjustments based on feedback.

Good Neighbourhood Management policy

73 tenants and residents contributed to the development of a new Good Neighbourhood Management Policy, helping to shape how the council manages neighbourhoods and supports communities.

Physical activity research

Consultation on physical activity in Greater Norwich received 2,213 responses, helping shape future sport and leisure investment.

Homelessness strategy and housing allocations policy

70 residents contributed to consultations on the Homelessness Strategy and Housing Allocations Policy, ensuring these reflect local needs.

Air Quality Action Plan

558 residents responded to our consultation on Norwich’s updated Air Quality Action Plan 2026, helping to shape how the council tackles air pollution across the city. 

Cow Tower bathing area

The council supported the Cow Tower Dippers’ bid for designated bathing status on the River Wensum, which would enable regular water quality testing. The group ran a strong community campaign, gathering 1,108 responses with 98% support. Although the application was unsuccessful, efforts to improve water quality monitoring are ongoing.

Pride in Place – Heartsease and Pilling Park and West Earlham and Bowthorpe

The council has launched a new Get Talking Norwich space to support the £20m Pride in Place programme at Heartsease and Pilling Park, where residents will decide how funds are used. A Neighbourhood Board is being recruited to lead this community-driven work.

This reflects the council’s commitment to listening to residents, acting on their feedback, and showing how it makes a difference.

Tenant Satisfaction Measures

Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) are a set of measures introduced by the Regulator of Social Housing to help tenants understand how well their landlord is performing. They cover services such as repairs, safety of homes, communication, neighbourhood management and overall satisfaction with housing services.

During 2025-2026, Viewpoint, an independent research company surveyed 1,002 council tenants.

Overall satisfaction with our housing service: 

• Overall satisfaction with our housing service increased by 4.2% to 75.3%
• We were pleased that 11 of the 12 tenant satisfaction measures improved compared with last year.
• 75% of tenants were satisfied with the overall service provided by the council. Up 4.2% on the previous year.
• 60% were satisfied with the overall repairs service. Up 2.9% on the previous year.
• 77% were satisfied with the time taken to complete their most recent repair. Up 2.8% on the previous year.
• 64% were satisfied that their home is well maintained. Up 3.2% on the previous year.
• 74% were satisfied that their home is safe. Up 0.8% on the previous year.
• 81% felt the council listens to their views and acts upon them. Up 2.2% on the previous year.
• 62% were satisfied that the council keeps them informed about matters that affect them. Up 2.2% on the previous year.
• 75% agreed that they are treated fairly and with respect. Up 0.2% on the previous year.
• 78% agreed that they were satisfied with their landlord’s approach to handling complaints. Up 0.4% on the previous year.
• 30% were satisfied with the maintenance of communal areas. Up 2.0% on the previous year.
• 70% felt the council makes a positive contribution to their neighbourhood. Up 1.8% on the previous year.
• 59% were satisfied with the council’s approach to tackling anti-social behaviour. This is the only measure which has decreased on the previous year, down by 2%. 

You can see our full results here - www.norwich.gov.uk/tsm

These improvements reflect the changes we have made over the last year to repairs, communication, tenant involvement and the safety of our homes. They also show the difference tenant feedback is making, however we know there is more to do.

What we are doing to improve

Communal areas

Satisfaction with the cleanliness and maintenance of communal areas increased. 

from	to
57.6%	59.8%

Complaint handling

We know that when things go wrong, tenants expect us to listen, communicate clearly and put things right. During 2025-2026 we introduced a number of improvements to how we handle complaints, including quality checks on all complaint responses, additional staff training, clearer complaint handling guidance and an improved remedies framework.

We have also launched a Customer Resolution project as part of our Better Homes Improvement Programme. The project focuses on making our services easier to use, improving communication and helping us resolve issues more quickly and effectively for tenants.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey. Your feedback continues to shape our priorities and helps us focus on the improvements that matter most to tenants.

Tenancy support

Budgeting and money advice

The Budgeting and Money Advice Service (BAMA) provides free, confidential support to council tenants facing financial difficulties to help them sustain their tenancies. It offers budgeting advice, income maximisation, welfare support, help with rent arrears, and access to grants and emergency funding, while also recognising wider challenges such as stress and anxiety.

In 2025-2026, BAMA:

• Received 302 referrals and supported 265 tenants across 231 tenancies
• Achieved £964,513 in financial gains (including ongoing income and one-off payments) – its highest total to date
• Helped 177 tenants reduce rent arrears, including helping 35 tenants’ clear arrears completely
• Had a 66.3% engagement rate with the service
• 22% of the supported population had a declared disability.

Overall, the service plays a key role in reducing debt, increasing financial stability, and helping tenants remain in their homes.

Sheltered housing

• 915 sheltered housing properties across 26 schemes
• Sheltered housing support officers continued to provide support throughout the year to tenants who needed it.
• We have welcomed 83 new tenants
• We have completed 2 communal area upgrades at Bradecroft and Alnwick Court
• Appello remains our 24/7 alarm monitoring provider. 

Safe habitable homes team

The Safe Habitable Homes team supported 59 people to maintain their accommodation, address hoarding and make their homes safer.

Specialist support team

The specialist support team works with tenants to reduce the risk of eviction and abandonment. The team work alongside tenants to increase their ability to manage a healthy tenancy, for the long term.

Some tenants experience challenges, which can increase the likelihood of tenancy related difficulties.

Issues include experiencing self-neglect & hoarding, unmanaged mental health, domestic abuse, substance use, financial hardship and social isolation/exclusion.

In 2025-2026 the specialist support team supported 308 households to maintain their tenancy, reducing the risk of homelessness through eviction.

Customer service

The majority of council services, including non-emergency repairs, can be accessed through simple forms on our website:

Visit www.norwich.gov.uk/housing-and-community-safety to access information relevant to council tenants and leaseholders.

Sign up to www.norwich.gov.uk/homepage/online-accounts to:

• Keep track of rent payments
• Report non-urgent repairs
• Access benefits and council tax information and forms
• Service standards and contact us information. 

New council homes

No new council homes were built in 2025-2026, though 16 properties were delivered through Home Options via land disposals and Registered Providers.

Planning approval was granted for 81 new homes, with construction at Mile Cross and Argyle Street due to begin in 2026.

The council has also approved the acquisition of 21 affordable homes at Anglia Square, with work having started in summer 2026. 

Complaints

The Housing Ombudsman (the independent body that looks at complaints about social housing) sets standards for how landlords should handle complaints. Its Complaint Handling Code helps make sure complaints are dealt with fairly, effectively and promptly.

During 2025-2026, we carried out our annual self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code and achieved full compliance. We also updated our complaints policy to reflect the latest guidance and make the process clearer and fairer for residents.

Complaints are important because they help us understand where things have gone wrong and what matters most to residents. They give us the opportunity to put things right, learn from feedback and improve our services.

There are several ways you can give us feedback:

• Online: www.norwich.gov.uk/complaints
• Email: listening@norwich.gov.uk 
• In writing: Norwich City Council, City Hall, St Peter’s Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH
• In person to a member of staff or contractors, or by completing and returning satisfaction surveys. 

More information on making a complaint

The Government’s Make Things Right campaign aims to inform residents on how to raise complaints if they are unhappy with the service from their social housing provider.

We also have lots of information on our website about our complaints process and how to contact the Ombudsman.

Housing complaints performance report

Each September, we publish a Housing complaints performance and service improvement report, showing how we’ve performed in handling complaints, what residents have told us about our services and the improvements we’ve made as a result of your feedback.

Stage 1

Measure	Result
complaints received (a reduction of 26% compared to 2024-2025)	679
responded to within Housing Ombudsman timescales	86%

Nature of highest volume of housing complaints received 2025-2026:

Nature of complaint	Percentage
Responsive repairs	44%
Tenancy and neighbourhood issues	19%
Contractors	9%

Stage 2

Measure	Result
complaints received (a reduction of 33% compared to 2024-2025)	116
responded to within Housing Ombudsman timescales	85%

Nature of highest volume of housing complaints received 2025-2026:

Nature of complaint	Percentage
Responsive repairs	44%
Tenancy and neighbourhood issues	19%
Contractors	9%

The number of housing complaints has reduced by 42% since 2023-2024. We believe this is a result of listening to residents, learning from complaints and making improvements to services, however there is still more to do.

Learning from complaints

We’re listening and making changes. During 2025-2026, we introduced new quality assurance checks, staff training, performance dashboard improvements and additional guidance for complaint handlers to help ensure residents receive a more consistent service.

We’re committed to learning from every complaint and using your feedback to help shape better housing services for all residents. 

You said	We did
You had to explain the same issue to different members of staff.	Train more than 100 housing staff on accurate record keeping so information is recorded consistently and residents receive a more joined-up service.
Communication about repairs could be clearer.	Introduce Total Mobile, which provides appointment reminders and better scheduling, helping to keep residents informed throughout the repair process.
It wasn’t always clear who was responsible for redecorating after repairs or improvement works.	Update our website to clearly explain tenant and council responsibilities, making it easier to find the information you need.
You weren’t always told about changes to energy suppliers or who was responsible for energy charges during tenancy changes.	Improve communication between teams, update tenancy documents and provide staff training to ensure residents receive clear and accurate information.
The same repair issue was sometimes reported several times without a lasting solution.	Change our process so repeat repair visits are reviewed earlier by senior technical staff, helping us identify recurring problems and find permanent solutions sooner.
We didn’t always take individual needs into account when arranging repairs.	Improve how vulnerability information is shared with repair operatives and reminded staff and contractors about the importance of reasonable adjustments.

Useful contacts

Online accounts

Check your rent and council tax balance: www.norwich.gov.uk/homepage/onlineaccounts

Customer contact:

0344 980 3333

Post: Norwich City Council, City Hall, Norwich NR2 1NH

Out of hours emergencies: 01603 412180

24/7 Payment line: 0800 021 7784

Text Relay users: 18001 0344 980 3333

Textphone for speech/hearing issues: 0800 328 0512 (Mon–Fri, 9am–4pm)

Money Advice

0344 980 3333

BudgetingAndMoneyAdvice@norwich.gov.uk 

Budgeting and money advice referral form

Leaseholders

HomeOwnership@norwich.gov.uk 

Repairs

Report a repair online

Out‑of‑hours emergencies: 01603 412180

Report leaseholder repairs online

Get involved (2026/2027)

with the following activities below by viewing the Housing Hub or emailing involvement@norwich.gov.uk 

• Tenant Involvement Panel
• Repairs Panel
• ASB Panel
• Building Safety Panel
• Estate Inspections

Antisocial behaviour

Report ASB online

Request free mediation

Report intimidation/harassment

Report a hate crime/incident

Report noise nuisance

Domestic abuse support (NIDAS)

Support for adults, children and young people affected by domestic abuse.

Core hours: Weekdays 9am-6:30pm, Weekends 9am-3pm

Call: 0300 561 0555

Out of hours: 0808 2000 247

Visit: www.NidasNorfolk.co.uk

Help with hoarding or clutter

Safe Habitable Homes can support you to make your home safer and more comfortable.

Contact: safehabitablehomes@norwich.gov.uk 

Home adaptations

Healthy homes referral form for Home Adaptations with our INTERACT Service.