Council housing chiefs will soon find out whether their services meet new national standards.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is currently being inspected by the Regulator of Social Housing, following the introduction of new consumer standards in 2024.

All social landlords with 1,000 or more properties, including councils, will be inspected by the regulator at least once every four years under the new regime.

Councils are graded from C1 to C4 – so far only 10 out of 83 authorities have achieved the top C1 rating, with more than half being rated C3 or C4, indicating serious or very serious failings.

The city council, which has around 18,000 homes, is due to receive its inspection report in July. Inspectors visited the authority last month, speaking to senior staff and councillors and sitting in on a tenants' board meeting.

Members of the housing, regeneration and operations scrutiny committee were told the council had made good progress in achieving the required standards in most areas, but further work was still required.

Paul Parkinson, director of housing management, said the council's own assessment has indicated high compliance in the three of the four areas being inspected: tenancy, neighbourhood and community, and transparency.

But the council has given itself a score of just 64 per cent in the area of 'safety and quality'.

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Mr Parkinson said: "That does not mean our homes are unsafe, or that they're not of quality. It just means our actions that we needed to do are not at the point where we need them to be."

These actions include the introduction of a new computer system for booking repairs, and the collection of more personal data from tenants, in addition to age, ethnicity and sex.

Mr Parkinson added: "It's not about us not being safe, it's not about being unfit. It's just that we felt there was a higher standard to achieve, and the new computer system will help us get to that level. The regulator came in a bit too soon for us to get to that level."

Once the council has received its official rating from the regulator in July, it will draw up a new improvement plan to address any issued raised by inspectors.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, believes the council will receive a good rating. He said: "I'd be very disappointed if it was a C3. I'd be happy if it was a C2. Because we do have to improve."