Consumer standards
The Regulator of Social Housing checks and inspects landlords who provide social housing (low cost rental and/or low cost home ownership), to make sure they meet a set of consumer standards.
These standards make sure people living in social housing have safe, good-quality places to live.
Find out more about how the regulator inspects social landlords (GOV.UK).
The standards
The Safety and Quality Standard
Requires landlords to provide safe and good quality homes and landlord services to tenants.
The Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
Requires landlords to be open with tenants and treat them with fairness and respect so that tenants can access services, raise complaints, when necessary, influence decision making and hold their landlord to account.
The Neighbourhood and Community Standard
Requires landlords to engage with other relevant parties so that tenants can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel safe in their homes.
The Tenancy Standard
Sets requirements for the fair allocation and letting of homes and for how those tenancies are managed and ended by landlords.
Housing inspection 2024
In November 2024, the regulator carried out an inspection of our Housing Service.
Social landlords are given a grading between C1, the highest achievable, and C4, the lowest. We were graded C3. This means significant improvement is needed to deliver the outcomes of the consumer standards.
Read the full inspection on the government's website.
Following the inspection, several areas of the housing service were identified where improvements are needed. We accepts the findings of the inspection and has developed a clear plan to put things right. This plan is set out in the Housing Regulatory Improvement Strategy which we have summarised below.
Improving housing services for tenants
Our commitment
We are committed to providing safe, decent homes and reliable services while building trust, transparency and tenant satisfaction.
Safer homes
Keeping tenants safe is our highest priority.
Work is underway to strengthen building safety checks, improve the management of damp and mould, and ensure that safety information is accurate and up-to-date. We are also improving how safety actions are tracked and monitored to make sure issues are dealt with promptly.
These improvements will help provide greater assurance that homes are safe and that legal safety requirements are being met.
Better repairs
Tenants have said that communication about repairs can be frustrating, particularly when appointments are changed or repairs take longer than expected. The regulator also found weaknesses in how repairs were tracked and monitored.
To improve services, we are:
- improving communication throughout the repairs process
- strengthening oversight of contractors and repair quality
- introducing better systems to track repairs from start to finish
- making it easier for tenants to report and monitor repairs.
The goal is to provide a repairs service that is reliable, efficient and easier for tenants to use.
Better information about homes
We need accurate information about every home to make informed decisions about maintenance and investment.
A programme of home surveys is being carried out to improve understanding of the condition of properties and ensure homes meet the Decent Homes Standard. Better information will help target improvements where they are needed most and support long-term investment in tenants' homes.
Improving the customer experience
Feedback from tenants has highlighted the need for clearer communication and more accessible services.
We are therefore:
- providing information in a wider range of formats
- improving face-to-face, telephone and online services
- developing a Tenant Portal to make accessing services easier
- improving understanding of tenants' individual needs and communication preferences.
These changes will help create services that are more responsive, accessible and inclusive.
Strengthening tenant influence
A key part of the improvement programme is ensuring that tenants have meaningful opportunities to influence housing services. The regulator found that more needed to be done in this area.
We are committed to:
- expanding tenant involvement opportunities
- supporting tenant panels and focus groups
- involving tenants in reviewing services and policies
- demonstrating how tenant feedback has influenced decisions.
The aim is for tenants to play a genuine role in shaping the services they receive.
Greater accountability
We have established a Landlord Assurance Board, which includes tenant representatives, to oversee progress and provide additional scrutiny of housing services.
Regular information will be shared on service performance, including repairs, safety, complaints and tenant satisfaction. This will help tenants better understand how housing services are performing and how improvements are being delivered.
Learning from complaints
Complaints are an important source of feedback and can highlight where change is needed.
We are improving how complaints are handled by:
- responding more quickly and consistently
- improving oversight and reporting
- using feedback to improve services
- supporting tenant scrutiny through the Complaints Panel.
The focus is not only on resolving complaints but also on learning from them to improve outcomes for all tenants.
Looking ahead
The Housing Regulatory Improvement Strategy sets out a clear programme of work to improve housing services over the coming years. Progress will be monitored closely and reported regularly.
We recognise that trust is earned through action and is committed to delivering meaningful improvements that make a positive difference to tenants' lives.