RSH proposes new standards to protect social housing tenants
The proposed new consumer standards are designed to protect tenants and improve the service they receive.
Today (25 July 2023) the Regulator of Social Housing launched a consultation on a new set of standards for all social landlords, designed to protect tenants and improve the service they receive.
Social landlords (including councils and housing associations) already need to comply with standards set by RSH, and it takes action if they fail to do so. But the new requirements will be even stronger and give tenants greater power to hold their landlord to account.
The proposed standards will:
- protect tenants by strengthening the safety requirements that all social landlords need to meet
- require landlords to know more about the condition of their tenants’ homes and the individual needs of the people living in them – landlords will need to use this evidence to provide safe and decent homes with good-quality landlord services
- make sure landlords listen to tenants’ complaints and respond quickly when they need to put things right
- require landlords to be open and accountable to their tenants, and treat them with fairness and respect.
RSH is looking for a wide range of views on the proposed standards. This includes speaking directly to tenants and encouraging them to take part in the consultation.
The consultation is part of a major, positive change to social housing regulation. RSH has been given stronger powers by the government to scrutinise landlords’ performance from April next year. This will include regular inspections of landlords to help assess whether they meet the new requirements, as well as new powers to take action if they don’t.
The consultation on the consumer standards is running for 12 weeks, finishing on Tuesday 17 October 2023, and people are invited to have their say via RSH’s website.
Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive of the Regulator of Social Housing, said:
All social housing tenants deserve to live in safe and decent homes, and receive good-quality services from their landlords. We’re proposing new requirements to make sure this happens. We encourage tenants, landlords and others in the sector to have their say through our consultation.
We’re gearing up for the biggest change to social housing regulation for a decade. This will include our landlord inspections from next April, as well as stronger powers to make landlords put things right when they breach our standards.
Notes to editors
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The government is giving RSH stronger powers via the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which received royal assent on 20 July 2023. RSH is now consulting on the revised consumer standards that will underpin its new regulatory approach.
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RSH is proposing four new consumer standards:
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The Safety and Quality Standard will require landlords to provide safe and good-quality homes for their tenants, along with good-quality landlord services.
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The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard will require landlords to be open with tenants and treat them with fairness and respect so they can access services, raise concerns when necessary, influence decision making and hold their landlord to account.
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The Neighbourhood and Community Standard will require landlords to engage with other relevant parties so that tenants can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods, and feel safe in their homes.
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The Tenancy Standard sets requirements for the fair allocation and letting of homes, as well as requirements for how tenancies are managed by landlords.
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The proposed standards and the full suite of consultation material, including easy-read and plain English versions of the proposals, are available on RSH’s website.
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As part of this consultation, the regulator is also seeking views on its proposed consumer standards Code of Practice. This gives key examples of the work landlords might do to comply with the new standards.
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RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver and maintain homes of appropriate quality that meet a range of needs. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment to tenants or potential tenants.
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For press office contact details, see our Media enquiries page. For general queries, please email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk or call 0300 124 5225.