April 2024 - update on the government’s work to improve the quality of social housing
The government is committed to improving the quality of social housing in England. In response to the tragic death of 2-year-old Awaab Ishak, we are reforming the sector so that every tenant has a decent, safe and secure home. We report our progress every month.
Applies to England
New consumer regime
The Regulator of Social Housing’s new consumer regime came into effect on 1 April 2024, and started a programme of routine inspections of large social landlords (those with over 1,000 homes). These inspections are now underway. As part of the new regime the Regulator will proactively make sure that registered providers are meeting the revised consumer standards, which were published by the Regulator on 29 February 2024. Landlords who do not abide by these new rules may face a range of sanctions, including appointing new management or unlimited fines.
Quality of service
Competence and conduct standard for social landlords
We will be introducing a new regulatory standard relating to the competence and conduct of staff in the social housing sector. This standard will require social landlords to ensure their staff have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience and demonstrate the right behaviours to deliver a good service to tenants. It will also require senior managers and executives working in the social housing sector to acquire required qualifications in housing management.
Our recent consultation which sets out further detail on our proposals for this new standard has now closed. We are now carefully analysing responses before we direct the Regulator of Social Housing later this year to set the standard.
Making sure tenants’ voices are heard
Four Million Homes
Our Four Million Homes programme provides free information, guidance, and training on residents’ rights. It will run until March 2025. It helps residents know their rights and to work with their landlords to make sure homes and neighbourhoods are well-maintained, clean, and safe.
In April, we have run training sessions on social housing regulatory requirements, particularly focusing on the new consumer standards. We have also updated the guidance sections on our website to reflect these changes and provide residents with the most up-to-date information on their rights.
In May, we are hosting two webinars. The first will be on 13 May and will feature a representative from the Regulator of Social Housing talking about the new standards, their approach to enforce these rules, and answering questions. The second will be on 15 May and will focus on service charges. We’re also going to be starting our Year 2 programme of training, which will run in person and online. You can find out more and book your space for any of these events at Four Million Homes.
The Resident Panel
On 20 April we held a feedback session with the Resident Panel exploring on how what residents told us recent discussions on neighbourhood management and effective, respectful communications has been shaping our policy thinking.
The Panel also told us their priorities for the coming 12 months. This included how the social housing quality programme reforms are being implemented in practice; how residents’ voices are being heard at the national and local level, and their experiences of contractors carrying out repairs & maintenance and other services on behalf of landlords.
Resident Panel members will be taking part in focus groups in May to discuss their experiences of having their voices heard by their landlords and of getting involved in their decision-making and governance.
Housing Ombudsman
The Housing Ombudsman Service’s Complaint Handling Code became statutory on 1 April 2024, meaning that social landlords are obliged by law to follow its requirements. The Code aims to achieve best practice in complaint handling and ultimately to provide a better service to social housing residents. See more information on the Complaint Handling Code.
The Housing Ombudsman has also changed the way it reports on findings they have made against landlords by publishing a monthly report. You can see the first report: Ombudsman highlights failings from 8 landlords in new approach to sharing learning from severe maladministration.
On 25 April, the Housing Ombudsman used their new power from the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 to order Orbit Group to review their damp and mould policy. You can see the details of the report: 15 recommendations to Orbit Group.
Looking ahead
All timings are indicative and subject to change.
Winter / Spring 2024
- The government will keep pushing forward its reforms to social housing. We have launched consultations on a number of key policies already, and will be publishing consultations on minimum energy efficiency standards in social housing and also on a new Social Tenant Access to Information Scheme for private registered providers in due course.
- Following conclusion of our consultations on Awaab’s Law and Competence and Conduct, we will consider how landlords and tenants responded to the proposals before publishing a response and will set out next steps to implement any changes to legislation or regulation as needed.
- We continue to review of the Decent Homes Standard - which sets minimum standards for the condition of homes and will set out next steps as soon as possible.
By Autumn 2024
- Publication of the first Tenant Satisfaction Measures data, provided by social landlords to the Regulator. This information will help show whether landlords are delivering the standards of accommodation, services and respectful treatment that residents deserve. Tenants will be able to see how well their landlord is doing and hold them to account for their performance.
Further information and resources
- Social housing issue? Know how to complain. Visit gov.uk/social-housing
- Read more about the government’s work on Social Housing Quality.