The Scottish Housing Regulator today published its annual report and accounts for 2022/23.
The report highlights the work the Regulator did during 2022/23 to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants, people who are homeless, and others who use the services of social landlords.
During 2023/23, the Regulator focused its work on its priorities around giving tenants a strong voice, the quality and safety of homes, discharge of homelessness duties, and rent affordability and supporting landlords. It worked with stakeholders to provide landlords with advice on damp and mould and published thematic reviews on rents and homelessness.
The Regulator also published its National Report on the Charter and findings from its research with the National Panel of Tenants and Service Users. It completed its annual regulatory risk assessment of social landlords and published the outcome in engagement plans for each landlord.
George Walker, the Regulator’s Chair, said: “Moving into 2023/24 social landlords are faced with cost inflation, higher interest rates, and increasing requirements on quality of homes. This is all combined with huge demand for support from tenants who are facing genuine financial hardship, and there is pressure to keep rents as affordable as possible. We are also seeing acute issues around homelessness, and temporary accommodation in particular. The year ahead is likely to remain unpredictable, volatile and difficult.
“We recognise that the current context means that social landlords are likely to have to prioritise their attention and resources on the most critical and immediate issues, including tackling the acute problems in homelessness, alleviating fuel poverty and maintaining tenant safety. We are working with our stakeholders to understand what achievable priorities at a sustainable pace look like for social housing for the next year.
“We will shortly consult on our future Regulatory Framework, building on the very useful initial informal discussion phase earlier this year. This work will shape our regulatory approach for the next five years, and it will very much take account of our engagement with all of our stakeholders.”
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.