Decision

Decision Instrument RSH12: Decision to revise consumer standards and requirements

Updated 9 July 2026

Applies to England

Introduction

A - Pursuant to the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (the ‘Act’), the regulation of registered providers of social housing (‘registered providers’) in England is the responsibility of the Regulator of Social Housing (the ‘regulator’). The regulator is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

B - Under the Act, the regulator has specific powers to set, revise or withdraw standards for registered providers in relation to certain matters (‘standard setting powers’), including standards requiring registered providers to comply with specified rules about competence and conduct (section 194A) and information and transparency (section 194C).

C - Under section 195 of the Act, the regulator may issue a code of practice which relates to a matter addressed by a standard and amplifies the standard. It may also revise or withdraw a code of practice.

D - Under section 198C of the Act, the regulator may give directions to registered providers requiring them to collect, process and publish information about their performance in relation to matters covered by standards under sections 193, 194, 194A and 194C. This would enable the regulator to issue a direction relating to the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs).

E - Under section 197 of the Act, the Secretary of State has the power to direct the regulator to (among other things) set a standard under section 194A or (if the direction relates, in the Secretary of State’s opinion, to a matter listed in section 194C(2)(a) of the Act), to set a standard under section 194C of the Act. The Secretary of State may also direct the regulator to have regard to specified objectives when setting such standards. The regulator must comply with any direction made by the Secretary of State in the exercise of their powers under section 197 of the Act (‘direction making powers’).

F - On 30 September 2025, in the exercise of their direction making powers, the Secretary of State made the Direction on the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements 2025 which came into force on 30 September 2025 and provides that (among other things) the regulator must set a standard that requires private registered providers to provide information to their tenants of social housing concerning the accommodation, facilities and services provided by them in connection with social housing.

G - On 30 September 2025, in the exercise of their direction making powers, the Secretary of State made the Direction on the Regulatory Standards (Competence and Conduct) 2025 which came into force on 30 September 2025 and provides that (among other things) the regulator must set a standard for registered providers in matters relating to the competence and conduct of relevant individuals.

H - Under section 196 of the Act, the regulator has a duty to consult with a number of listed bodies before setting standards, or issuing, revising or withdrawing a code of practice.

I - On 9 December 2025 the regulator launched a consultation on changes to the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard and the Consumer Standards Code of Practice. These changes were intended to reflect the Directions issued by the Secretary of State and the regulator’s intent to issue a TSM direction. The consultation also covered the introduction of a new TSM on electrical safety checks. The consultation closed on 3 March 2026.

J - Under section 92O of the Act, the regulator has the power to delegate any of its functions to a member or a member of staff. The regulator delegated authority to its Chief Executive and/or Deputy Chief Executive (on the basis that any one of them may exercise such authority) to exercise the regulator’s standard setting powers to approve:

i) the revision of the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard; and

ii) the issuing of the Competence and Conduct Standard; and

iii) the revision of the Consumer Standards Code of Practice; and

iv) the issuing of the Direction on TSMs.

K - This document sets out the decision made for and on behalf of the regulator under the delegated authority referred to in paragraph J above (the ‘delegated authority’) following the completion of the consultation referred to in paragraph I.

Decision

Date decision made: 2 July 2026

Decision made by: Deputy Chief Executive

• Having noted the matters referred to in paragraphs A to K above, under the delegated authority the Deputy Chief Executive has decided the following for and on behalf of the regulator in the exercise of its standard setting powers:

1. to publish the decision statement on changes to the consumer standards set out in Schedule 1;

2. to revise the standard set out in Schedule 2 (the ‘Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard’) for all registered providers with effect from 1 October 2026;

3. to issue the standard set out in Schedule 3 (the ‘Competence and Conduct Standard’) for all registered providers with effect from 1 October 2026;

4. to revise the code of practice set out in Schedule 4 (the ‘Consumer standards code of practice’) with effect from 1 October 2026;

5. to issue the Direction on TSMs set out in Schedule 5 with effect from 1 October 2026.

Authentication

Name: Kate Dodsworth

Position: Deputy Chief Executive

Signature:

Schedule 1 to Decision Instrument RSH12

Decision statement following consultation on changes to the consumer standards

Schedule 2 to Decision Instrument RSH12

Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard

Schedule 3 to Decision Instrument RSH12

Competence and Conduct Standard

Schedule 4 to Decision Instrument RSH12

Consumer Standards code of practice

Schedule 5 to Decision Instrument RSH12

Direction on Tenant Satisfaction Measures