Riverside

Housing association Products & services: Social housing.

Updated: 3 August 2026

Company Overview

Industry: Social housing (housing association / registered provider) and care
Parent company: The Riverside Group (merged with One Housing in 2021)
Regulator: Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)
Ombudsman: Housing Ombudsman Service (binding)
Customers: Around 71,000 homes (approx. 75,000 across the group at the time of the 2021 merger)
Legal entity: The Riverside Group Limited (registered society IP030938; RSH no. L4552)

What customers complain about

Customers complaining to Riverside most often raise property-condition problems, above all damp, mould, leaks and outstanding repairs, followed by the way Riverside handles complaints. The Housing Ombudsman's 2024-25 landlord report for The Riverside Group Limited records 109 determinations and a 77% maladministration rate, up from 71% in 2023-24 and 46% in 2022-23, and above the 71% national average. Of 228 findings, property condition accounted for 92 (80% maladministration) and complaints handling 50 (84% maladministration); there were 9 severe maladministration findings, 3 complaint-handling failure orders, 351 orders and £73,342 in ordered compensation. Riverside runs a two-stage complaints procedure under the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code (acknowledge Stage 1 within 5 working days, respond within 10; acknowledge Stage 2 within 5, respond within 20). If unresolved, the Housing Ombudsman Service can investigate and issue a binding decision. Riverside is regulated by the RSH (G1/V2, December 2025).

Complaint categories

1
Property condition: damp, mould, leaks and repairs40%
Complaints about the state of the home dominate Ombudsman cases against Riverside, especially damp and mould, leaks and delayed responsive repairs.
In the Housing Ombudsman's 2024-25 report, property condition accounted for 92 of Riverside's 228 findings, with an 80% maladministration rate (above the 73% national rate). Sub-categories included responsive repairs (31 findings), leaks/damp/mould (31 findings) and heating and hot water (16 findings).
2
Complaint handling22%
How Riverside handles complaints is itself a major source of Ombudsman findings, including for delay and failing to follow its own procedure.
Complaints handling produced 50 findings against Riverside in 2024-25 with an 84% maladministration rate (national average 77%), and the Ombudsman issued 3 complaint-handling failure orders (CHFOs).
3
Anti-social behaviour7%
How Riverside responds to reports of anti-social behaviour is a recurring, though smaller, source of complaints.
Anti-social behaviour produced 15 findings against Riverside in 2024-25 with a 40% maladministration rate (below the 66% national average for this category).
4
Charges and service charges
Disputes over rent, service charges and account management feature among escalated complaints.
The 'charges' category produced 15 findings against Riverside in 2024-25, with service charges (amount or account management) a highlighted sub-category (12 findings).

Latest statistics

77%(up from 71% in 2023-24 and 46% in 2022-23; national average 71%)Maladministration rate (Housing Ombudsman)Cases determined April 2024 - March 2025

Figures come from the Housing Ombudsman Service's Landlord Performance Report for The Riverside Group Limited, covering cases determined April 2024 - March 2025 (data refreshed May 2025, published September 2025). Social landlords have no Citizens Advice star rating and no Financial/Energy Ombudsman, so none is shown. The maladministration rate is the share of the landlord's findings that were maladministration or severe maladministration.

Contact methods

Complaint journey

1
Raise a Stage 1 complaint with Riverside
Tell Riverside what has gone wrong.
Typical responseAcknowledged in 5 working days
What happens
Contact Riverside on 0345 111 0000 (or 0300 123 9966 if you were a One Housing tenant), or use live chat or the online 'send us feedback' form. Explain what has gone wrong and what you want put right. Under its complaints policy Riverside acknowledges a Stage 1 complaint within 5 working days.
2
Get Riverside's Stage 1 response
Riverside investigates and replies.
Typical response10 working days
What happens
Riverside aims to respond to a Stage 1 complaint within 10 working days of acknowledgement. If it needs more time for a complex case, it should explain why and can extend by up to a further 10 working days, in line with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.
3
Escalate to Stage 2 (final review)
Ask for a review if you are still unhappy.
Typical responseAcknowledged in 5 working days
What happens
If you are unhappy with the Stage 1 outcome, ask Riverside to escalate to Stage 2. Riverside acknowledges a Stage 2 escalation within 5 working days. Stage 2 is Riverside's final internal stage.
4
Get Riverside's Stage 2 final response
Riverside issues its final decision.
Typical response20 working days
What happens
Riverside aims to respond at Stage 2 within 20 working days of acknowledgement (with an explained extension of up to a further 20 working days if a case is complex). This final response should tell you how to take the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.
5
Refer to the Housing Ombudsman Service
Free, independent, binding decision.
Typical responseAfter final response
What happens
If you remain unhappy after Riverside's final Stage 2 response, refer the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service (0300 111 3000). It is free and independent, can investigate, and can order Riverside to apologise, carry out works and pay compensation. Its decisions are binding on Riverside. You can also contact the Ombudsman earlier for advice, and it can step in if Riverside unreasonably delays.

Response times

Riverside operates a two-stage complaints procedure aligned to the Housing Ombudsman's statutory Complaint Handling Code (April 2024). At Stage 1 it acknowledges a complaint within 5 working days and aims to respond within 10 working days of acknowledgement, with an explained extension of up to a further 10 working days for complex cases. If you escalate to Stage 2, Riverside acknowledges the escalation within 5 working days and aims to respond within 20 working days of acknowledgement, again with a possible explained extension of up to a further 20 working days. Stage 2 is Riverside's final response. There is no fixed 8-week clock as in energy or telecoms: once you have that final response (or if Riverside unreasonably delays), you can take the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service.

If your complaint isn’t resolved

If Riverside can’t put things right, you can escalate — free of charge — to an independent body:

Housing Ombudsman ServiceSocial landlords
The Property OmbudsmanLetting & estate agents

Recent news

23 September 2025
The Housing Ombudsman published its Annual Complaints Review and landlord performance reports for 2024-25. The report for The Riverside Group Limited recorded 109 determinations and a 77% maladministration rate, up from 71% in 2023-24, with 9 severe maladministration findings, 3 complaint-handling failure orders, 351 orders and £73,342 in ordered compensation.
Read more
27 October 2025
Phase 1 of Awaab's Law came into force for social landlords in England, setting legal timescales for tackling emergency hazards and significant damp and mould (including investigating within a set period and giving tenants a written summary of findings).
Read more
17 December 2025
The Regulator of Social Housing published a regulatory judgement retaining Riverside's G1 (governance) and V2 (viability) gradings, following a stability check that did not assess consumer standards. V2 means Riverside meets viability requirements but needs to manage material risks.
Read more

Earlier cases

1 December 2021
Historic: Riverside completed its merger with One Housing Group, which joined as a subsidiary on 1 December 2021 and was later fully integrated, creating one of England's largest housing and care groups with around 75,000 homes at the time.
Read more

Know your rights

Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, section 11
Riverside, as your landlord, has a legal duty to keep the structure and exterior of your home in repair and to maintain installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation, heating and hot water. Where it fails to carry out repairs within a reasonable time, you may have a disrepair claim. This is general information, not legal advice.
Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018
Your home must be fit for human habitation at the start of and throughout the tenancy. Serious damp and mould can make a home unfit, giving you a route to require Riverside to put it right. Not legal advice.
Awaab's Law (Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023)
From 27 October 2025, social landlords such as Riverside must investigate and act on emergency hazards and significant damp and mould within fixed legal timescales, including giving you a written summary of findings. This strengthens your position when reporting damp, mould or leaks. Not legal advice.
Decent Homes Standard
Social homes are expected to meet the Decent Homes Standard (free of serious hazards, in a reasonable state of repair, with reasonably modern facilities). Persistent failure to meet it can support a complaint to Riverside and, if unresolved, the Housing Ombudsman. Not legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a complaint to Riverside?

Contact Riverside on 0345 111 0000 (or 0300 123 9966 if you were a One Housing tenant), or use live chat or the online 'send us feedback' form on its complaints page. Riverside runs a two-stage procedure and acknowledges a Stage 1 complaint within 5 working days.

How long does Riverside take to respond to a complaint?

Riverside aims to reply at Stage 1 within 10 working days of acknowledgement and at Stage 2 within 20 working days, with explained extensions of up to a further 10 and 20 working days respectively for complex cases, in line with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code.

Which ombudsman handles Riverside complaints?

The Housing Ombudsman Service (0300 111 3000), not the Financial or Energy Ombudsman. It is free and independent, can investigate once you have Riverside's final response, and can order Riverside to apologise, carry out works and pay compensation. Its decisions are binding.

What do people most often complain to Riverside about?

Property condition, especially damp, mould, leaks and repairs, is the biggest source of Ombudsman findings against Riverside (92 findings, 80% maladministration in 2024-25), followed by how it handles complaints (50 findings, 84% maladministration).

Is Riverside a good or badly performing landlord for complaints?

The Housing Ombudsman's 2024-25 report shows a 77% maladministration rate across 109 determinations, up from 71% the year before and above the 71% national average, with 9 severe maladministration findings. Riverside holds a G1 (governance) and V2 (viability) grade from the Regulator of Social Housing.

Can the Regulator of Social Housing sort out my Riverside complaint?

No. The RSH sets and enforces standards and can intervene in systemic failings, but it does not resolve individual disputes. For a personal complaint, use Riverside's two-stage procedure and then the Housing Ombudsman Service.

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