Social Housing Regulation Act becomes law
Yesterday, Thursday 20th July, was a historic day for social housing – just over six years since the tragedy at Grenfell tower, the Social Housing Regulation Bill finally received Royal Assent and is now law.
It marks the end of a long road for campaigners and activists who have fought tirelessly for justice for all of those living in unsafe and non-decent homes in the social housing sector.
And it marks a step change for social housing landlords like settle, one for which we have long been preparing and are ready for – but equally one which we must not take lightly. Being proud to work in social housing means welcoming any changes that seek to drive up standards and rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords.
So, what does this legislation mean for us? We’ll keep residents and partners updated with details and how we are continuing to respond, but the main measures include:
- Greater powers for the Regulator, including the ability to enter properties with only 48 hours’ notice in ‘Ofsted-style’ inspections and issue unlimited fines;
- Qualification requirements for social housing managers;
- Strict timescales to address reported health hazards such as damp and mould;
- Strengthened consumer standards, for which a consultation will begin shortly.
We’ll continue our focus on getting the basics right and all of the areas we know are so important – improving complaint handing, professionalism, listening to tenants and investing more in existing homes. We know there is still work to be done, but for today, this video from Shelter reminds us of the road the sector has taken to get here and why this change is needed.
