The Scottish Housing Regulator has today published the Annual Assurance Statements submitted by social landlords at the end of October. The Regulator requires all social landlords to submit a Statement each year to confirm that they meet regulatory standards and requirements or to set out how they will address any areas of non-compliance.
Michael Cameron, Chief Executive at the Regulator said:
“Social landlords continue to operate in the most challenging context we’ve seen. Landlords face significant pressures including from cost increases, the cost of living crisis, and considerable uncertainty, for example about the future costs of de-carbonising their homes.
“The Scottish Government declared a housing emergency in May 2024 and in their Statements this year many local authority landlords again told us about the difficulties they face meeting their statutory duties in relation to homelessness including the requirement to provide temporary accommodation and breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order.”
This year the Regulator also asked landlords to provide specific assurance in their Statements about their compliance with their obligations in relation to tenant and resident safety.
The Regulator will assess the Statements as part of its annual risk assessment, which will take account of the challenging context for landlords. It will publish the outcomes from the risk assessment in updated Engagement Plans for each landlord by the end of March 2025. This will include any changes to the regulatory status for RSLs.
Notes to editors
- The Scottish Housing Regulator was established on 1 April 2011 under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010. Its objective is to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants and others who use local authority and RSL housing services. The Regulator operates independently of Scottish Ministers and is accountable directly to the Scottish Parliament. It assumed its full regulatory responsibilities on 1 April 2012. The Regulator consists of the Chair and eight Board members. More information about the Regulator can be found on its website at www.housingregulator.gov.scot
- SHR’s approach to how it regulates social landlords is set out in its current Regulatory framework – Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland.
- SHR has published Glasgow City Council’s annual assurance statement which is to be considered by the appropriate Council Committee.