Decision

Decision Statement: Consultation on an Electrical Safety Checks TSM

Updated 11 June 2026

Applies to England

1 - Introduction

On 9 December 2025, the Regulator of Social Housing published a consultation on proposed changes to the Transparency, Influence and Accountability (TI&A) Standard and Consumer Standards Code of Practice (the Code), and on the introduction of an electrical safety checks Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM). We also asked for views on our approach to assessing the regulatory and equality impacts of the proposed changes. The consultation closed on 3 March 2026.

This Decision Statement provides a summary of the key areas of feedback for the electrical safety checks TSM and our final decision on the implementation of this TSM.

We have carefully considered all the responses we received in making the decisions outlined in this statement. The new TSM is implemented from the publication date of this document. This means large landlords are required to publish the electrical safety checks TSM for the first time covering the 2026/27 reporting year, with small landlords require to publish for their reporting years ending 31 March 2027 onwards.

Responses to the other parts of the consultation are due to be published during Summer 2026, in line with the draft timetable published in the consultation document.

2 - Overview

The purpose of the consultation was to seek views from social housing tenants, landlords, service providers and from other interested organisations across the sector, on the proposed introduction of a TSM covering electrical safety checks.

The government has recently introduced The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) (Amendment) (Extension to the Social Rented Sector) Regulations 2025. These new regulations apply certain duties to carry out electrical safety checks to the social rented sector.

The definitions and common requirements set out in ‘Tenant Satisfaction Measures - Technical Requirements’ apply to the TSM, which is intended to be read alongside the existing building safety TSMs. These cover statutory obligations for gas, fire, asbestos, water and lift safety checks. We previously consulted on the common approach underpinning the building safety TSMs as part of the consultation on the suite of TSMs.

In the consultation document we explained our view that maintaining this broad approach for electrical safety makes a clear and consistent set of building safety TSMs that can be read alongside each other.

In line with the other building safety TSMs the consultation draft TSM covered all statutory obligations in relation to carrying out electrical safety checks relating to the dwelling unit (including all checks required both for the dwelling and on any communal or relevant part that serves the dwelling). Those statutory obligations are wider than those in the new regulations referred to above.

The consultation draft of the electrical safety checks TSM aimed to provide a baseline level of assurance that required safety checks have been completed. The TSMs do not change the requirement for landlords to comply with all health and safety obligations and to inform the regulator of any significant health and safety compliance issues (including any relating to outstanding remedial actions) in a timely manner.  

As the TSM relates to checks as at the year end, it will be in place to cover the 2026/27 reporting year for large landlords, and all subsequent reporting years^{[footnote 1]}.

We recognise that the government has committed to exploring the option of legislative changes to mandate electrical installation checks within owner-occupied leasehold homes in social housing blocks^{[footnote 2]}. This could include low cost home ownership accommodation. We plan to consider this TSM in the light of any legislative changes in this area once these have been brought forward. 

Our consultation asked respondents to consider whether they agreed or disagreed that the proposed TSM will provide an appropriate level of information about landlord performance in carrying out required electrical safety checks. Respondents were able to provide further comments and had the opportunity to provide alternative suggestions if they disagreed with the proposal.

3 - Summary of responses received

We received a total of 872 responses to the wider consultation.

152 responses were received online (via our consultation survey) and 21 were in writing, predominantly via email. Six stakeholders responded twice, via both the survey and email; in each case both responses were considered but counted as one stakeholder response. 

Most of the feedback to the consultation (699 responses) was in response to a social media campaign led by Shelter relating only to another part of the consultation (TI&A Standard changes – competence and conduct) which will be responded to in the later publication covering this area.

The following table breaks down the 173 non-campaign responses received to the consultation by respondent type:

	Count	%
A social housing tenant in rental accommodation	21	12
A shared owner in social housing	4	2
A private registered provider	67	39
A local authority registered provider	49	28
A stakeholder organisation	12	7
Other / unspecified	20	12
Total responses	173	100

Not every respondent chose to answer the question on the electrical safety checks TSM. In total 165 responses, including don’t know responses, were received covering this specific area.

When responding to the consultation via our survey, respondents were given the option to provide comments to explain their response. This Decision Statement is not intended to include all comments received. It summarises the key themes that emerged that were in scope of the consultation and amendments we have subsequently made to our proposals following careful consideration of all responses.

Organisational respondents to the consultation that gave their permission to be named are listed at Annex 2.

4 - Responses to the consultation question

Numerical results

Do you agree or disagree that the proposed TSM will provide an appropriate level of information about landlord performance in carrying out required electrical safety checks?  

Please state if you agree or disagree, or if you don’t know. If you disagree, please explain and provide any alternative suggestions on the proposed TSM. 

Please tell us if you have any other comments on the electrical safety checks TSM.

There were 165 responses to this question.

	Responses	Agree		Unsure		Disagree
		%	No.	%	No.	%	No.
Total	165	87	144	5	8	8	13
Social housing tenant in rental accommodation	21	81	17	10	2	10	2
Shared owner with a registered provider	4	50	2	50	2	0	0
Other individual	5	80	4	0	0	20	1
Private registered provider	66	86	57	2	1	12	8
Local authority registered provider	48	94	45	2	1	4	2
Stakeholder organisation	8	100	8	0	0	0	0
Other organisation	13	85	11	8	1	8	1

Summary of consultation responses

Overall, a significant majority of respondents (87%: 144 respondents) agreed that the proposed draft provides an appropriate level of information about landlord performance in carrying out required electrical safety checks.

Local Authority respondents demonstrated very strong agreement at 94% (45 respondents). Agreement with the question amongst private registered providers (86%, 57 respondents) and all other stakeholders (82%, 42 respondents) was also clear. Thirteen respondents disagreed, with both those agreeing and disagreeing given the opportunity to provide further information to explain their response and provide alternative suggestions. Where respondents disagreed this was often related to the technical details in components or particular aspects of the TSM rather than disagreement with the broad aims of the TSM.

Key issues raised on the electrical safety checks TSM, and the regulator’s response

Many of the written responses supported the introduction of the TSM. This included confirmation that landlords were already reporting electrical safety checks internally and were ready to report this as part of the TSMs. The consultation responses indicate strong approval for the proposed TSM. We have therefore not made significant changes to the TSM but have sought to make improvements where these would be useful.

Clarity and guidance

We received feedback from a number of respondents that the requirements were lacking clarity in some cases. Several respondents suggested guidance was required, particularly on the definition of specific terms. More specifically, one respondent confirmed that the draft requirements relating to communal areas could be open to different interpretations by landlords, leading to a lack of consistency in reporting.

Following this feedback we have reviewed the wording of the TSM to ensure this meets the aims of the TSMs.

This review has confirmed that additional wording could be added in one place to resolve an ambiguity about the scope of electrical equipment in communal areas. We have slightly amended the further requirements of the TSM to be clear that this relates solely to electrical equipment provided by the landlord as part of the tenancy.

Secondly, we recognise that the specific wording used on communal areas has the potential to be interpreted differently by individual landlords. This could introduce inconsistencies between landlord reporting that would impact the comparability of the TSM. In order to resolve this we have added further wording, making clear the requirements we expect landlords to consider when assessing whether communal areas have all required electrical safety checks carried out.

We consider the resulting wording in the draft in general is appropriate and will allow the electrical safety checks TSM to provide timely and relevant performance information that supports effective scrutiny by tenants of their performance in a form which they seek to agree with their tenants.

We do not consider that more extensive guidance, for example setting out legal requirements that relate to health and safety, would be appropriate given the principal of co-regulation and the Safety and Quality Standard. We have published Frequently Asked Questions on the TSMs and will update this when required.

Access to properties and the role of third parties

A number of respondents confirmed that landlords can find it difficult to gain access to a small number of properties, in particular where tenants refuse entry. A few respondents suggested that units where landlords have taken all reasonable steps to gain access should not be included in the TSM. An alternative was proposed that this information was produced separately as context to the headline TSM.

Several respondents confirmed that in certain cases third parties have a responsibility to undertake building safety checks for units owned by the landlord. An example of this are units that are owned by one landlord but managed by another, or where the owner of a block of flats is responsible for checks in communal areas. Landlords can find it difficult to gain an appropriate level of assurance from third parties on whether checks have been completed.

In both these areas we consider the approach implemented for building safety TSMs more generally are also appropriate for electrical safety checks. We recognise that registered providers can experience difficulties in obtaining evidence from a third party or otherwise to demonstrate that the specified checks have been carried out. Similarly, we recognise that some tenants will refuse access to their homes for checks to be completed. However, the impact on tenant safety of checks being completed is clear. We consider that our approach is consistent with the aims of the White Paper, which emphasises the role of registered providers in supporting their tenants to feel safe.

Further investigative work

During the consultation period an amendment to the Wiring Regulations was published, which for the TSM provides clarity on the treatment of further investigative work. Having considered this we no longer consider it necessary to specifically mention further investigative work and have removed this text.

5 - Question 6 Impact Assessments

Consultation question 6

We want to explore whether there might be any regulatory impacts or impacts on people who share protected characteristics which we haven’t thought about in relation to our proposed changes (within the scope of this consultation). Do you agree or disagree with our regulatory and equality impact considerations in Annex 5? Please state if you agree or disagree, or if you don’t know.

Please provide comments if you wish to explain your response and include anything else you think we should examine.

The question covered the entirety of the consultation, which is wider than on the electrical safety checks TSM. Full consideration of this question will be included in the decision statement covering the remainder of the consultation.

This section covers the main comments relating to the electrical safety checks TSM only.

Summary of consultation responses on electrical safety checks TSM in question 6, and the regulator’s response

Regulatory impacts

On regulatory impacts (in question 6 and in response to question 5), many landlords confirmed that they were already performing checks in line with statutory requirements. We consider this as further evidence that the TSM will have limited impact. We continue to consider that the costs to the sector of introducing the proposed TSM are likely to be minimal.

Equality impacts

A few respondents raised concerns that the electrical safety checks TSM could incentivise landlords to take follow up action where they cannot gain access to units, which they consider may disproportionally impact some disabled tenants. It was noted that landlords need flexibility where safeguarding is concerned and that guidance should clarify expectations on this point to ensure proportionate and sensitive handling of such cases.

We consider that our proposed approach is consistent with the aims of the White Paper, which emphasises the role of registered providers in supporting their tenants to feel safe. Where a check has not taken place the level of safety of the unit is not known, which indicates a potential risk to the tenant.

Landlords’ ability to undertake follow up action is not set within the TSM. Ultimately landlords can provide context in their published documents (whilst being mindful of their duties around confidentiality) and submissions to the regulator to explain where results may be materially affected by particular circumstances.

We do not consider that more extensive guidance, particularly setting out legal requirements that relate to health and safety, would be appropriate given the principal of co-regulation and the Safety and Quality Standard.

Our considerations on the regulatory and equality impacts are shown in in Annex 3.

6 - Annexes to the Decision Statement

The annexes below are available on the RSH consultation webpage.

• Annex 1: Copy of electrical safety checks TSM
• Annex 2: List of organisational respondents to the consultation
• Annex 3: Regulatory and equality impact considerations

1. This is the year ending 31 March 2027. For small landlords this will cover reporting years that end on 31 March 2027 onwards ↩

2. See Government response to the call for evidence for leasehold properties in social housing blocks ↩