The Scottish Housing Regulator today published a summary of the risks 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 uses the information it gathers from social landlords in its annual risk assessment to decide upon the areas where it needs further assurance from landlords.
John Jellema, Assistant Director of Regulation, said:
“Landlords and tenants continue to face significant challenges. And, the coming period looks like it will remain unpredictable, volatile and difficult for those who rely on social housing and for those who provide it.
“Tenants continue to face significant challenges in their costs of living, particularly in food and energy prices which could see many facing real financial hardship.
“Landlords are dealing with cost inflation, higher interest rates, and increasing requirements on the quality of homes. As a result landlords face increasing, and sometimes competing, pressures on resources, whilst aiming to keep homes as affordable as possible.
“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, decarbonising homes and alleviating fuel poverty, and maintaining tenant and resident safety.
“We will take these challenges into account in our risk assessment this year. And, we will continue to respond to the changing landscape and challenges landlords and their tenants face.”
The Regulator will publish the outcome of its risk assessment along with an engagement plan for each social landlord by the end of March 2024.
Read the risks we will focus on
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 at housingregulator.gov.scot
- SHR sets out how it regulates social landlords in its published framework – Regulation of Social Housing in Scotland.