Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation 44

44 Accepted Paragraph: 163

We recommend that the Government use the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill to amend the Housing...

Recommendation
We recommend that the Government use the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill to amend the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 to place a much clearer requirement on the Regulator of Social Housing to engage with tenants whenever it investigates possible breaches of the consumer standards. Whether or not the Government does this, we call on the regulator to place tenants at the centre of its approach to regulation, to talk to tenants whenever it investigates a potential breach of the consumer standards, and to incorporate engagement between itself and tenants into its definition of co- regulation.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees that tenants' voices should be at the center of social housing regulation, and has amended the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill to strengthen tenant engagement with their landlords and ensure the Regulator engages with tenants when undertaking inspections. The Regulator has also introduced Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) to provide greater transparency on landlord performance.
Paragraph Reference: 163
Government Response Accepted
HM Government Accepted
The Government agrees that tenants’ voices should be at the centre of social housing regulation. The Social Housing (Regulation) Bill will ensure that the Regulator engages with tenants when undertaking inspections. The Regulator has also recently introduced Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), which will provide tenants with greater transparency on their landlord’s performance. The Government has amended the Social Housing (Regulation) Bill to strengthen tenant engagement with their landlords.