Letter to landlords - Advice on preparing Annual Assurance Statements
Dear colleague,
I am writing to provide advice on preparation of your next Annual Assurance Statement which you are due to submit to us by 31 October 2024.
In February 2024 we published revised guidance to support landlords when they are completing the Annual Assurance Statements. This guidance explains we may ask landlords to provide specific assurance on a particular issue in the Annual Assurance Statement.
This year, we have decided to continue with our request that landlords provide specific assurance on their compliance with relevant obligations in relation to tenant and resident safety. This will provide us with specific assurance that landlords are continuing to comply with their obligations in this important area while we engage with the sector on appropriate indicators which could be collected through the Annual Return on the Charter in the future.
In the Annual Assurance Statement to be submitted this year please confirm whether you meet all duties in relation to tenant and resident safety, and in particular that you have obtained appropriate assurance about your compliance with all relevant safety requirements including:
- Gas safety
- Electrical safety
- Water safety
- Fire safety
- Asbestos
- Damp and Mould
- Lift safety
We would also ask that any landlords which have identified Reinforced Autoclave Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in their homes and who don’t have a plan to manage the risks associated with this to highlight this in their Annual Assurance Statement.
The SFHA Self Assurance Toolkit may provide you with further information on the requirements on landlords in relation to tenant and resident safety, as will the SFHA’s advice note for governing body members on dealing with damp and mould.
In 2023 we carried out a programme of visits to landlords to discuss their Annual Assurance Statements. During the visits we asked how landlords had assured themselves about compliance with their duties in relation to tenant and resident safety. We published a report on the findings from the Annual Assurance Statement visits to share lessons learned.
I hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions about your Annual Assurance Statement, please contact your Engagement Plan lead officer.
Best wishes
Michael Cameron
Chief Executive