A new report from the
Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) sets out the importance
of social landlords understanding the condition of tenants'
homes. The report concludes that this is essential for keeping
tenants safe and underpins effective long-term investment
planning.
RSH's standards
require landlords to have a strong understanding of stock
condition. Through its regulatory activity, including
inspections, RSH has found that
landlords who demonstrated a stronger approach had some or all of
the following features:
-
Having up to date stock condition survey coverage of their
homes, which they use to respond quickly to rectify hazards
and Decent Homes Standard failures.
-
Using stock condition data to build a strategic approach to
investment and provide better value for money, by proactively
addressing potential issues through planned major repairs,
rather than fixing issues responsively.
-
Demonstrating effective data management processes, by
triangulating data from a range of sources to inform
long-term financial planning and stress test business plans.
-
Having effective governance processes and oversight, with
clear reporting to boards or councillors.
-
Using suitably skilled and accredited surveyors to carry out
the work.
Almost all the C3 and C4 judgements that RSH has published since
April 2024 related at least in part to the landlord failing to
meet the Safety and Quality standard. In nearly three quarters of
these cases, the issues included low stock condition survey
coverage or a failure to demonstrate an understanding of tenants'
homes. Weaknesses in data quality has also been an important
theme in governance downgrades, where some landlords have failed
to use data to support key decisions including long-term
investment planning.
Boards and councillors must ensure their organisation has an
accurate, up-to-date and evidenced understanding of stock
condition. This enables the provision of good quality homes and
supports the strategic planning of major repairs
programmes.
RSH will
continue to use a range of regulatory tools to ensure landlords
deliver the outcomes of its standards.
Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said:
Many social landlords are putting significant time and resources
into understanding and improving the quality of tenants' homes.
This is a crucial requirement of our standards and underpins good
governance, sound financial decision making, delivering value for
money, and providing good quality homes and services for tenants.
Having a strong understanding of tenants' homes enables landlords
to provide more and better homes for people who need them. All
landlords should read this report and use the findings to improve
their approach.
Most landlords continue to improve stock condition survey
coverage. The average landlord reported surveying 75% of homes in
the last five years (as of 31 March 2024), compared with 68%
reported as of March 2023.
The vast majority (87%) of housing associations reported that
they had undertaken a stock condition survey within 2023/24.
These landlords reported physically inspecting over half a
million homes in their most recent survey – equivalent to 20% of
the total homes they own.
Notes to Editors
-
In April 2024 RSH introduced new
consumer standards for all social landlords, as well as a
programme of inspections for large landlords (those with
1,000 homes or more).
-
RSH gathers a range
of information from landlords beyond its inspections. This
includes the annual Statistical Data Return (which requires
landlords to report on stock condition survey coverage and
homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard). Landlords
are also required to produce and publish Tenant Satisfaction
Measures which include questions about stock
quality.
-
All social landlords must deliver the requirements of
the Safety and Quality
Standard. This includes the following required
outcomes:
-
Registered providers must have an accurate, up to date and
evidenced understanding of the condition of their homes that
reliably informs their provision of good quality, well
maintained and safe homes for tenants.
-
Registered providers must ensure that tenants' homes meet the
standard set out in section five of the Government's Decent
Homes Guidance and continue to maintain their homes to at
least this standard unless exempted by the regulator.
-
Registered providers must have an accurate record at an
individual property level of the condition of their homes,
based on a physical assessment of all homes and keep this up
to date.
