Implementation of new regulations for consumer protection: Introduction of novel social housing laws
The new regulatory regime for English social housing providers, effective from April 2024, brings about significant changes aimed at enhancing tenant rights, improving living conditions, and fostering transparency.
Updated Consumer Standards
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has introduced new consumer standards to ensure tenants live in safe, decent, and good-quality homes. These standards focus on delivering safe homes, improving the quality of homes and services, building respectful and fair relationships, and robust complaint handling processes [2][3][4].
Inspection and Regulatory Process Changes
The previous In Depth Assessments (IDAs) have been replaced with a new inspection program. The regulator now carries out programmed inspections of landlords, especially those owning 1,000+ homes, to assess compliance with these consumer standards. Regulatory judgements are publicly issued, highlighting any material failures by landlords to deliver required standards [1][2][4].
Consultation and Standard Updates
Since April 2024, the government initiated consultations to revise the Decent Homes Standard and set Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for social housing, with expectations that such updates will be reflected in future consumer standards managed by RSH [4].
Regulatory Approach Starting with the Board
The regulator focuses regulation at the landlord level, meaning the registered provider’s board or governing body is held accountable for delivering outcomes aligned with the standards. This includes ensuring governance is robust and that landlords are both financially viable and efficient [1][3].
Enhanced Powers and Legal Duties
The Social Housing Regulation Act 2023 grants the regulator stronger powers to hold landlords accountable for failures. Complementing these, new laws such as Awaab’s Law (effective October 2025) impose strict legal duties on landlords to promptly address hazards like damp and mould, with specific timelines for investigation, repair, and re-housing if necessary [2][5].
Proactive Inspections and Regulatory Judgements
Proactive inspections will result in Regulatory Judgements, and their use will expand to cover reactive engagement, including with smaller providers. Regulatory Judgements will be used, resulting in a consumer 'C' rating for housing associations, added onto the existing G and V ratings [1].
Focus on Tenant Engagement and Inclusion
Residents should have an active seat at the table, moving beyond engagement to real inclusion and influence. A range of tenant engagement mechanisms will be used, including time spent with a tenant scrutiny group, neighbourhood walkabouts, surveys, or something else [1].
Key Changes in the New Regulatory Regime
Together, these reforms represent a shift towards more tenant-centered regulation with greater transparency, stronger enforcement, and a focus on board-level responsibility to ensure landlords deliver safe, high-quality housing and responsive services.
- Curiosity at board level is crucial for meeting the new regulatory requirements.
- Requirements have been extended to prospective tenants, such as understanding diverse needs, and to tenant engagement, such as providing feedback on the impact of engagement to tenants.
- Requirements for the provision of tenants' rights and complaints information have been added based on government direction.
- The Regulator has set a likely range of outcomes from C1 to C4 for Regulatory Judgements.
- Organizational culture is central to meeting the new regulatory requirements.
- Good quality data is essential to meeting the standards.
- Landlords may use external data and information to meet the requirements around diverse needs.
- The four consumer standards remain the same, with some amendments for clarity in certain areas.
- Collaboration, sharing good practice, and challenges, can help to create an environment of transparency and ambition.
- Awaab's Law and the Competence and Conduct standard are still to come, with consultations closed in March and April respectively.
- The Rent Standard may be included in local authority inspections.
Inspections will consist of a document review, follow-up observations, interviews with the executive team, the Chair, the Chair of audit committee, and possibly the Chair of customer committee (or the equivalent) [1]. Inspections for local authorities won't be carried out during a local election, but the RSH makes no such commitment for reactive engagement [1].
Landlords are expected to be aware of legal requirements, the advice of the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and tenant privacy [1]. The Neighborhood and Community standard has been changed to focus more on the safety of shared spaces and anti-social behavior, including hate incidents [1].
The four-year inspection cycle for proactive inspections has been confirmed, with more visits where risk is found, and a six-week notice period [1]. The webinar held in March discussed the regulator's approach, which will be steady, roll out across a four-year cycle of inspections, and be a process of continual learning for providers [1].
References:
[1] Regulator of Social Housing. (2023). Regulatory Approach and Framework. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/regulatory-approach-and-framework
[2] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2023). Social Housing Regulation Act 2023. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/12/contents/enacted
[3] RSH. (2024). Consumer Standards. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/consumer-standards-for-social-housing
[4] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2024). Consultation on Decent Homes Standard and Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards for Social Housing. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-decent-homes-standard-and-minimum-energy-efficiency-standards-for-social-housing
[5] Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (2025). Awaab's Law. Retrieved from https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2025/10/contents/enacted
- The new regulatory regime for English social housing providers, effective from April 2024, not only enhances tenant rights but also emphasizes the importance of community safety, particularly in shared spaces and addressing anti-social behavior.
- The housing industry is expected to adapt to the introduction of new consumer standards, focusing on resident inclusion and engagement, with a key emphasis on tenant feedback and representatives having an active role in decision-making processes.
- The regulatory approach will hold housing providers accountable at the board level, focusing on governance, financial sustainability, and the delivery of safe, high-quality housing and responsive services.
- In the financial sector, landlords must be aware of legal requirements and tenant privacy guidelines, as outlined by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), to maintain transparency and ensure compliance in the new regulatory regime.
