March 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
On 1 April, the Regulator for Social Housing will launch the new, proactive consumer regulation regime. This is a significant milestone in the government’s programme to improve the quality of social housing, representing the most significant change to the regulation of social housing in a decade.
As part of the new regime the Regulator will proactively seek evidence and assurances that registered providers are meeting the requirements set by the revised consumer standards, which were published on 29 February following consultation. To achieve this, there will be new routine inspections for large providers, ensuring the Regulator can hold providers to account for meeting the standards. Following these inspections, new consumer gradings will ensure that it is clear how providers are performing against the new standards.
Social housing tenants will be better equipped to hold their landlords to account, with new tenant satisfaction measures making clear how tenants feel about their landlord’s performance. This will provide greater transparency across social housing and help to bridge the gap between landlords and their tenants.
Decency
Awaab’s Law: time limits for landlords to fix hazards
Awaab’s Law was introduced through the landmark Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023. It enables the Secretary of State to set out new legal requirements for social landlords to address hazards such as damp and mould within a strict timeframe. Awaab’s Law will be included in social housing tenancy agreements so that, once regulations are in force, all social landlords will have to comply with the requirements of Awaab’s Law. If they fail to comply, then residents will be able to hold their social landlords to account by taking legal action through the courts for a breach of contract.
We have now consulted on the proposed requirements to be set under Awaab’s Law, including timescales for repairs, to make sure they are effective and proportionate and deliver the best long-term outcomes for social housing residents.
The consultation closed on 5 March 2024 and we are now analysing responses. Once this has been completed, we will publish a response setting out findings and will bring requirements into force via secondary legislation as soon as possible.
Quality of service
Competence and conduct standard for social landlords
Last month, we launched a consultation about introducing a new Competence and Conduct Standard for social housing landlords. This standard will require social landlords to ensure their staff have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience and that they 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.
The consultation, which seeks views on our detailed proposals in relation to the new standard, will be open until 2 April. When it closes, we will consider the responses before directing the Regulator of Social Housing to publish the standard.
You can read and respond to the consultation at Competence and Conduct Standard for social housing: consultation.
Making tenants’ voices heard
Make Things Right campaign for residents
We’ve been running a communications campaign – Make Things Right – to help tenants know their rights and how to complain if they have an issue with their home or landlord.
Advertisements in this financial year’s campaign ended on 20 March. Adverts were running on social media, online search engines, commercial radio (like Heart and Kiss), community radio (such as stations in other languages) and digital audio (like Spotify and SoundCloud).
However, that is not the end of the campaign, with residents still being encouraged to visit gov.uk/social-housing for advice on how to raise issues and complain. You can also use our communications toolkit – including downloadable and print-ready leaflets, posters and translated assets – by searching ‘Make Things Right toolkit’ on online search engines.
In March, we improved the accessibility of the campaign by publishing an animated explainer of the complaints process with signing in British Sign Language. You can view the video on the campaign website at gov.uk/social-housing.
Please share the campaign, if you can, because it could mean more tenants who have issues with their housing or the services from their landlord see them resolved.
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.
This month we have run webinars feeding into the consultation on competence and conduct standards for social housing staff, and how respectful communications by staff can contribute to tackling stigma in the social housing sector more widely. Our training sessions have focused on different options for resident control, ownership and management of their homes and assets.
Following the announcement of the new regulatory requirements at the end of February, we are updating all our Four Million Homes materials to reflect changes in regulation. Throughout April we’ll be running sessions on these, so make sure you keep an eye on the Four Million Homes website and sign up to the newsletter to receive information as we publish it.
Resident Panel
The Resident Panel will be meeting next month to hear how the discussions they held on landlord engagement in the community and respectful communications are shaping the Department’s work.
Housing Ombudsman
The Housing Ombudsman has launched two consultations this month. The first is on their latest Business Plan, which sets out their aims for the year and their proposed increased fee to landlords. You can find more information here: 2024-25 Business Plan consultation
The latest consultation published by the Housing Ombudsman is on its proposed approach to issuing good practice guidance and potential topics the guidance could cover. You can find more information here: Consultation launched on proposed approach to Good Practice.
Looking ahead
All timings are indicative and subject to change.
Winter / Spring 2024
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The government will keep pushing forward its reforms to social housing. We have launched consultations on a number of key policies already, and have plans to publish consultations on minimum energy efficiency standards in social housing and also on a new Social Tenant Access to Information Scheme for private registered providers.
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Once our consultations close, we will consider how people responded to the proposals before publishing a response, and setting out next steps to implement any changes to legislation or regulation as needed.
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We are continuing our 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.
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The Housing Ombudsman will consult on its approach to issuing good practice and requiring landlords to carry out a self-assessment against it.
April 2024 onwards
The Regulator of Social Housing’s new consumer regime will come into effect from 1 April 2024, and it will start a programme of routine inspections of large landlords (those with over 1,000 homes). As part of the new regime the Regulator will proactively gather assurance that registered providers are meeting the outcomes set by the revised consumer standards, which were published by the Regulator on 29 February 2024.
By Autumn 2024
Publication of the first Tenant Satisfaction Measures data, provided by 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 to 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.