County Durham Housing Landlord Believe Housing Ltd Retains Regulatory Rating in Latest Stability Check
- teessidetoday
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
County Durham Housing Provider Believe Housing’s Regulatory Rating Remains Intact Despite claims of ‘Material Financial Risks’ being present...
6th Jan 2026
A County Durham Private Landlord has managed to retain its regulatory rating with the government, despite concerns of material Financial Risks being Present...
In the most recent regulatory judgement published by the Regulator of Social Housing following a stability check completed in December 2025, Believe Housing Limited has retained its existing governance and financial viability ratings, with no change made to its grading. The outcome is said to confirm that Believe Housing continues to meet regulatory expectations in both governance and financial resilience in the current environment.
Despite this compliance, its claimed the regulator highlighted material financial risks still exist, with ongoing investment in maintaining the quality and safety of existing homes, combined with the financial commitments associated with developing new properties, means that Believe’s capacity to respond to financial shocks is more constrained than in less pressured times however, the regulator stopped short of downgrading its viability rating.
It means the County Durham Landlord retains its G1, V2 rating.
The ratings are derived from a stability check, part of the regulator’s annual programme, and focuses specifically on governance and viability standards. This type of check does not assess compliance with consumer standards, which are covered under separate regulatory activities.
Believe Housing, which currently manages around 18,000 homes across County Durham has previously faced criticism following its Severe Maladministration notice issued against it by the Housing Ombudsman back in February 2023, a move which seen its CEO resigning in disgrace following the incident. The County Durham landlords retention of its G1/V2 ratings signals continued confidence from the regulator in Believe’s operational and financial management, however, its claimed the management of its housing stock is still overshadowing its ability to operate to a higher regulatory standard.
