In 2024/25, the RSH received almost 250 self-referrals from landlords. It also issued more than 100 regulatory judgements.
The report encourages social landlords to:
- Have strong governance and manage risk effectively, including by keeping robust data on the safety and quality of tenants’ homes and other key issues. Landlords are advised to ensure they set a clear strategic direction, that their activities match their intended risk appetite, and they manage associated risks effectively.
- Demonstrate that tenants are safe in their homes, with effective oversight from boards and councillors. The need to keep tenants’ homes safe is a fundamental responsibility of all landlords regardless of their size, the RSH said, adding that it had asked landlords whether they can assure themselves that they have identified any gaps and be able to show how they are putting things right.
- Keep up-to-date and comprehensive data on homes and tenants to make the right, evidence-led decisions across all areas of their business. The RSH said that landlords can only manage risks and make decisions that deliver the right outcomes for current and future tenants if they are basing those decisions on up-to-date and comprehensive data.
- Embed tenants’ views into decision making. Ensuring sure there is equitable opportunity for all tenants to be listened to is identified as a key success factor, alongside demonstrating that governance arrangements facilitate genuine consideration of tenants’ views.
- Manage financial viability so they can prioritise efficiency and value for money, maximising resources to invest in current and future homes.
- Refer themselves to RSH if they find or suspect a failure to meet the Regulator’s standards.
Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive at RSH, said: “Landlords should carefully consider the insights from this report to see how they can improve their ways of working and outcomes for tenants.
“There are early signs that our new proactive approach is already making an impact. We will continue to hold landlords to account to make sure current and future tenants have a safe, decent place to live.”
Harry Rodd