The Scottish Housing Regulator has written to all social landlords to inform them it is suspending the December COVID-19 monthly data return. The monthly return helps measure and manage the impact of COVID-19 on landlords and their tenants and service users.
The letter confirms to landlords that it recognises the pressures on resources that December normally brings for landlords. After discussing the timing with the other members of the Social Housing Resilience Group, the Regulator has therefore decided to suspend the return for December. It will ask for a monthly return on 8 February 2021 to reflect the position at the end of January.
The November return is due by 7 December and the Regulator plans to publish the dashboard with the November outcomes as usual later this month.
Ian Brennan, Director of Regulation, said:
“The monthly returns from landlords have provided important information to help understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on landlords and we share this information with the Scottish Government and the Social Housing Resilience Group. Due to the current pressures on landlords, we will not ask for a return by 7 January and have asked landlords to provide their next return by 8 February.”
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 scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk
- SHR sets out how it regulates social landlords in its published framework – Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland.