The standards set out the specific expectations and outcomes around:
- customer safety
- hearing the customer voice
- accountability to customers
- the need to use and collect data effectively
What are the Consumer Standards?
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The Neighbourhood and Community Standard
This requires landlords to engage with other relevant parties so that tenants can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel safe in their homes.
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The Safety and Quality Standard
This requires landlords to provide safe and good-quality homes for their customers, as well as good-quality landlord services.
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The Tenancy Standard
This sets requirements for the fair allocation and letting of homes, as well as requirements for how tenancies are managed by landlords.
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The Transparency, Influence, and Accountability Standard
This requires landlords to be open with customers and treat them with fairness and respect so they can access services, raise concerns, influence decision making, and hold their landlord to account.
How do the standards hold landlords to account?
The Regulator of Social Housing will hold landlords to account by:
- inspecting larger landlords regularly to check they are meeting the outcomes in the standards
- scrutinising data about tenant satisfaction, repairs, and other relevant issues
- continuing to push landlords to protect tenants and put things right when there are problems
- using a range of tools when needed, including new enforcement powers
- continuing to focus on the financial viability and governance of housing associations as part of its integrated regulation
The inspection programme started in April 2024 and will run in four-year cycles.