Social housing landlords slammed for ‘creating harm to tenants’

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has revealed that 13 social landlords have breached current consumer standards over the past year.

The regulator says in breaching the standards, the landlords posed actual – or created the potential for – serious harm to tenants.

And now the regulator, which protects thousands of tenants in England, wants all social landlords to read its report and learn from the mistakes being made.

Its annual review of how social landlords have performed in meeting the needs and expectations of tenants highlights serious issues.

The report also showcases some of the best practices and solutions that helped landlords return to compliance and improve their services.

‘Every tenant deserves to live in a safe and decent home’

The chief of regulatory engagement at RSH, Kate Dodsworth, said: “Every tenant deserves to live in a safe and decent home.

“Our work shows that some tenants have been let down by their landlord, and this needs to change.

“We expect all social landlords to be respectful, transparent and responsive to their tenants when things go wrong, and we will hold them to account if they fail.”

She adds: “We’re gearing up for stronger consumer regulation, with our inspections starting from April next year.

“All social landlords should read our report carefully, and make sure they are providing a good quality service to their tenants.”

Social housing sector prepares for a major overhaul

As the social housing sector prepares for a major overhaul of its regulatory framework in the coming months, the report’s key findings include:

• Many landlords failed to keep track of the quality and condition of their properties, resulting in poor maintenance and repairs
• Landlords must listen to their tenants’ complaints and respond promptly and effectively, as shown by the tragic case of Awaab Ishak, who died from mould in his Rochdale home
• Local authorities accounted for most of the breaches this year, indicating a lack of oversight and accountability by councillors and senior leaders
• Landlords must comply with all legal health and safety requirements, such as completing Gas Safety checks on time, to protect their tenants from harm
• Landlords who successfully resolved their issues worked closely with the RSH and addressed the root causes of their problems.

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