The social landlord group wants clarity on proposals giving tenants new rights to access information about their homes…

The G15 is calling for clear guidance and realistic timeframes in response to the government consultation on Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRS).

The consultation on the new rules, which was published in May under the 2022-2024 Rishi Sunak Conservative government, will allow social housing tenants or a representative, such as a lawyer, to request information for free about the management of their homes, for the first time. This could include:

• Damp and mould: tenants experiencing damp and mould could request information on how many other homes in their building have the same problem and what action the landlord has taken to repair, giving them the tools they need to take further action if they choose.
• Health and safety: including any information landlords hold about breaches in their properties and outcomes of any inspections. Tenants could take further action through the Housing Ombudsman if their landlord isn’t making the repairs they need to make by law.
• Repair times: under new rules brought in by the Social Housing (Regulation) Act landlords must fix emergency repairs within 24 hours, tenants will be able to see how often their landlord is meeting this target and challenge them through the courts or take them to the Housing Ombudsman if they don’t.

Housing associations will also be forced to publish information about their performance. The proposals are in response to a key ask from social housing residents for greater transparency following the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Landlords will have to provide the information unless it is reasonable not to, with clear expectations on how landlords should respond to requests.

The G15 – which is made up of representatives from London’s largest housing associations – supports the government’s aim of enhancing transparency and accountability in social housing to strengthen the relationship between social landlords and their residents.

However, the housing association collective, says it’s concerned ‘the current proposals lack the clarity and detail needed for successful implementation’ and ‘to best serve residents, G15 members require clear guidance, realistic timeframes, and consideration of our current capacity.’ In response to the STAIRS consultation, G15 members offer the following recommendations:

• The proposals should provide the necessary clarity and detail for effective planning. Without clear guidelines, it’s challenging to understand the requirements and their implications, making it difficult to plan and budget accordingly.
• Reflecting on the five-year preparation period granted for the Freedom of Information Act, we believe social landlords should be afforded sufficient time to adapt to new regulations. This will ensure a smoother transition and more effective implementation.
• We want to highlight the increasing regulatory demands on social landlords amid significant financial pressure. This includes compliance with new Consumer Standards, the Competence and Conduct Standard, Awaab’s Law and upcoming consultations such as the revised Decent Homes Standard. We urge the regulator to follow principles of proportionality and avoid overlapping regulations, particularly those related to existing rules under Leasehold reform, the Building Safety Act, and the Procurement Act 2023.

The G15 says they ‘remain committed to working with the government to develop balanced regulations that address residents’ concerns, promote cultural change, and enable residents to exercise their rights effectively.’