On 1 April 2024, a number of provisions in the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 came into force, by virtue of the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2024. Providers of social housing should make sure they are aware of the changes to the way the sector is regulated.
The Regulator of Social Housing will proactively make sure that providers are meeting consumer standards, and now carries out inspections of large social landlords. Landlords that do not abide by the rules can face an unlimited fine. Other possible sanctions include the appointment of new management.
The Complaint Handling Code published by the Housing Ombudsman is now statutory, so social landlords are legally obliged to follow its requirements. The Code aims to achieve best practice in complaint handling and provide a better service to residents of social housing. The Housing Ombudsman now publishes monthly reports detailing findings it has made against social landlords.
A new regulatory standard relating to the competence and conduct of staff in the social housing sector is also set to be introduced.