Thirteen Group

Thirteen Group: housing, communities and tenant support in Middlesbrough

Thirteen Group is a housing association that describes its purpose as providing homes, communities and support to help people live well. Its website is organised around three broad areas of activity: housing, communities and support, alongside a corporate section covering governance, strategy and performance.

Housing options and tenancy routes

The organisation sets out several ways of accessing a home. These include renting a home, with information on how to rent and on the right to rent, and buying a home through shared ownership or right to buy or acquire. It also covers supported housing, including extra care and sheltered schemes, housing for people with complex needs and housing for Chinese elders. Further categories listed are specialist housing for business owners, NHS staff and student accommodation, mutual exchange for swapping a home, and homes in development.

Services for existing tenants

For people already living in its properties, Thirteen Group provides guidance on paying rent, reporting repairs and emergency repairs, home maintenance and investment, service charges, tenancy matters, leaseholders and shared owners, appeals, and dealing with a tenancy after someone dies. It also offers help with managing money and benefits and a tool to find a coordinator.

Home safety and estate management

The site includes a dedicated home safety section covering fire safety, balcony safety, window safety and the prevention of pests, including how to report them. On estates, the organisation describes estate walkabouts, maintenance of green areas and reporting of fly-tipping. It also explains how to report anti-social behaviour and how it responds to anti-social behaviour and hate crime.

Community and support programmes

Under community involvement, Thirteen Group lists an upcycling shop for reused furniture and housewares, a community fund open to applications, and ways for customers to become involved. Its support offering spans tenancy support, support for families, employment support, a furniture support scheme, homelessness support, domestic abuse support, support for ex-offenders and mental health support.

Accountability and performance

The organisation publishes Tenant Satisfaction Measures and states that these show how customer feedback shapes its work. The figures displayed on the site at the time of collection were, for year-to-date rental properties: 78.5% overall satisfaction, 81.7% satisfied with the repairs service, 85% satisfied that their home is a safe place to live, 72.9% satisfied that Thirteen listens to their views and acts upon them, and 69.5% satisfied with how it handles anti-social behaviour. It also publishes Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) information, an annual report for customers and service standards.

Governance and organisation

Corporate information covers strategy, vision and values, governance, policies, procurement, environmental sustainability, housing partnerships, contractor access and permits, and the leadership team, board directors and committee members. The site notes that Railway Housing Association and Thirteen Group were exploring an opportunity to join together. It also lists jobs and apprenticeships.

News and recognition

Among the items published in the news section were recognition for an improved rent payment service, an award for a diverse and inclusive culture, an ESG report for 2025-26, a national design award for a Middlesbrough housing development, and the creation of a new team to prepare empty homes faster.

Thirteen Group is registered as a society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 with register number 7522, and gives its registered address as 2, Hudson Quay, Windward Way, Middlesbrough TS2 1QG.