The Scottish Housing Regulator has today published a summary of the outcome of its annual risk assessment of social landlords, along with engagement plans for registered social landlords (RSLs) and local authorities. The plans for RSLs include a regulatory status which describes whether the RSL complies with the Regulatory Standards. 134 RSLs are compliant while two are not compliant and working towards compliance.
The summary report sets out the key strategic areas the Regulator will focus on in its engagement with social landlords this year. It continues to highlight the significant challenges within the homelessness system, especially in the provision of suitable temporary accommodation in some local authorities. Two local authorities are impacted by systemic failure and a further nine are at heightened risk of being impacted by systemic failure.
The report also highlights the importance of landlords ensuring that they have robust information on the condition of their homes and are assured they are complying with all of their tenant and resident safety obligations.
John Jellema, Assistant Director of Regulation, said:
“Social landlords and their tenants have faced significant challenges over the past few years, and while most landlords have continued to perform well despite the pressures, significant risks remain. For example, recent instability in the global geopolitical and economic environment is likely to lead to materially higher inflation, higher interest rates and further cost of living challenges for many tenants and service users. At the same time, landlords are having to plan for new costs such as the provision of net zero. These financial pressures mean that some landlords will continue to have less capacity to respond to unforeseen or emerging risks and this emphasises the critical importance of good governance.
“Over the coming year, we’ll continue to work with landlords, tenants, and all of our stakeholders to deliver our statutory objective to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants and service users. We will also engage with stakeholders on how we work, to ensure we continue to deliver effective, sustainable regulation with the resources we will have.”
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 seven Board members. More information about the Regulator can be found on its website 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.