The Scottish Housing Regulator has today published a summary of the risks that it will focus on in its next annual risk assessment.
The main areas the Regulator will focus on are homelessness, landlord performance in delivering services, quality of homes, tenant and resident safety, the development of new homes, financial health, and governance in RSLs.
The Regulator’s annual risk assessment sets out the engagement it will have with social landlords and is the main way it delivers its statutory objective to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants and service users.
John Jellema, Assistant Director of Regulation, said:
“Landlords and tenants are facing significant economic challenges.
“Landlords are dealing with increasing interest rates, high inflation in their costs including energy prices and obligations around net-zero and rent affordability. The Scottish Government will announce its rent policy by mid-January.
“Tenants are also facing significant challenges from the rise in cost of living, particularly in food and energy prices which could see many facing real financial hardship.
“In our risk assessment this year, we will take these challenges into account. And, we will continue to respond to the changing landscape and challenges landlords and their tenants face.
“We work closely with social landlords, tenants, the Scottish Government and all of our stakeholders in tackling the significant challenges ahead.”
The Regulator will publish the outcome of its risk assessment along with an engagement plan for each social landlord by the end of March 2023.
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 housingregulator.gov.scot
- SHR sets out how it regulates social landlords in its published framework – Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland.