The Scottish Housing Regulator today published an engagement plan for every social landlord across Scotland. This marks the first of the changes introduced under the new Regulatory Framework which went live today. The Regulator also published a summary of its engagement plans for social landlords this year.
The main areas of engagement with local authorities will be the delivery of services for people who are homeless and the standards within sites provided for Gypsy/Travellers.
The main areas of engagement with registered social landlords (RSLs) will be financial health, governance and delivery of services for tenants and service users. The Regulator has identified significant increases in the scale of the planned development programmes of some RSLs and a corresponding increase in debt, and it is engaging with a number of RSLs about their development and funding plans.
The new Framework introduces changes in social housing regulation. The main changes include new assurance statements for all social landlords and the publication of a Regulatory Status for each RSL.
Michael Cameron, Chief Executive said:
“We want to see well-run social landlords, that deliver good services and good outcomes for tenants, people who are homeless and Gypsy/Travellers. And our new Regulatory Framework has been designed to promote openness, transparency and self-assurance.
"Landlords will soon be thinking about preparing their first Annual Assurance Statements. These are due by October. We’ve published guidance and frequently asked questions to support landlords to do this. We will consider the Annual Assurance Statements as part of our risk assessment in the coming year. We will publish a regulatory status for every RSL from April 2020.”
Read the engagement plans on our Social Landlord Directory
Read a summary of the outcomes of our risk assessment
Read the Regulatory Framework and Statutory Guidance
Read the Assurance Statements: Frequently Asked Questions
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.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk
- SHR regulates around 160 registered social landlords and the housing activities of 32 local authorities.
- SHR sets out its approach to regulation in its published Regulatory Framework – Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland.