A new law will subject social housing landlords to “Ofsted-style” inspections to improve tenants’ wellbeing. The Social Housing Regulation Bill will make it easier for tenants to highlight dangerous or unsanitary conditions and have them fixed.
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Mentioned in the Queen’s Speech in May, this new approach is part of the “Levelling Up” agenda published by the government in February 2022. Drawn up by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the White Paper is aimed at creating a new social and economic programme to spread opportunity more equally among the population.
Introduced in Parliament on 8th June, the new bill aims to regulate all social housing to an acceptable and safe level. It will introduce improved ways for tenants to complain about housing issues. A Social Housing Regulator will be empowered to investigate and resolve complaints more quickly.
Social housing spending
According to government statistics, there are 4.4 million social housing homes in the UK. The majority of landlords are reputable and spend money on repairs when needed. According to Inside Housing, a massive £5.5 billion is spent on upgrading, repairing and maintaining social housing properties in England in one year.
The average spend by a landlord is £1,500 per property in their portfolio. The highest spend is £7,000 per property and the lowest £559.
In June 2021, a spokesperson for the National Housing Federation apologised after a series of reports on ITV News revealed the problems of disrepair some social housing tenants were suffering. These included damp, mould and signs of vermin infestation.
However, a report published by Nat Barker in the industry magazine Inside Housing concluded it was wrong to assume the whole sector was rotten, adding, “It is absolutely not rotten.”
The Social Housing Regulation Bill is aimed at landlords who are not fulfilling their responsibilities, leaving tenants living in conditions that could threaten their health.
Emergency repairs
Under the new legislation, if a tenant complains that repairs haven’t been carried out in a timely manner, the Regulator of Social Housing can enter properties to inspect the problems with only 48 hours’ notice and subsequently complete the repairs, leaving landlords footing the bill – a drastic reduction from the current 28 days’ notice.
There will also be regular Ofsted-style inspections for the biggest social housing organisations to ensure standards remain high. New powers will ensure that emergency repairs can be carried out by regulators and paid for by landlords.
Tenants will be able to rate the services they receive from the landlord and access required information about the landlord in a similar manner to existing freedom of information requests.
Residents’ panel
A 250-strong residents’ panel will be created and will convene every four months. Its aim will be to collate information, share experiences with ministers and help them to make informed decisions to drive change in the sector.
Landlords will be required to name the individual responsible for health and safety at their properties. The bill also removes the “serious detriment” test with regard to whether a problem in the home is causing a serious harm to tenants’ health.
This is largely viewed as a legislative barrier that slows down the complaints and repairs procedure. Once axed, it will make it simpler and faster for the Social Housing Regulator to tackle poorly-performing landlords.
Unlimited fines
Housing associations and councils that are found to be persistently underperforming in terms of keeping their properties well-maintained can be penalised with unlimited fines.
The Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove will “name and shame” the worst offenders to ensure residents continue to live in good quality homes. He says it’s “disgraceful” that anyone is living in homes that are “cold, damp and unsafe”.
Mr Gove believes no one should have to wait months for repairs and be ignored by their landlord once a problem has been reported. He says the new laws will “end this injustice” and strengthen the regulator’s powers to take on social landlords who aren’t fulfilling their legal obligations.
Fire safety standards
The existing law demands landlords adhere to strict safety regulations with regard to the furniture provided for tenants. Furniture and upholstery must meet stringent fire safety standards and tenants also have a right to check whether it is safe.
Breaking the law can leave landlords with a fine of up to £5,000 per item of furniture that fails to meet safety standards. The legislation places a responsibility on every social landlord to carry out regular fire safety assessments and act on the recommendations.
Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation, Kate Henderson, welcomes the latest laws to improve tenants’ wellbeing. She says having a home that is “warm, dry, secure, safe and affordable” is the right of every person in this country.