The Regulator of Social Housing’s revised and strengthened Consumer Standards come into effect on 1^st April 2024.

The standards set out what better quality social housing and services, and a stronger relationship between landlords and tenants, should look like in practice.

There are four standards landlords have to meet which are;

Revised consumer standards

• Safety and Quality Standard – outcomes about the safety and quality of tenants’ homes
• Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard – outcomes about how landlords provide information, listen to tenants, and act on their views
• Neighbourhood and Community Standard – outcomes about how landlords work with other organisations to help ensure tenants live in safe neighbourhoods
• Tenancy Standard – outcomes about how landlords allocate and let homes and manage tenancies

By meeting the standards, landlords will

• maintain tenants’ homes so that they are safe and of a decent standard and provide a quality service
• handle complaints effectively where things go wrong
• listen to tenants and support them to influence decisions
• have a relationship with their tenants that is underpinned by shared expectations of fairness and respect and a shared understanding of their respective rights and responsibilities
• demonstrate that they understand the diverse needs of the communities that they serve, and that their services reflect those diverse needs.

All landlords, no matter their size or organisational structure, will need to deliver the outcomes in these standards from 1 April 2024.

More information can be found on the Regulator of Social Housing website.

This document provides information in easy read about the standards. The document was used as part of the earlier consultation, which is now closed.