Consultation Launch: Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs)
Wednesday 29th of May 2024
Information published by The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
The Government is committed to building a culture of openness and transparency across the social housing sector. We believe this is crucial to empower tenants and ensure they can hold their landlords to account for the quality of the housing and services they provide.
Following the commitments made in the Charter for Social Housing Residents: Social Housing White Paper, I write to inform you of the launch of a consultation on the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs).
STAIRs will enable tenants of Private Registered Providers (PRPs) and their representatives to access information about the management of their housing held by their landlord or by other bodies responsible for the management of their housing on behalf of the PRP. STAIRs will also require PRPs to proactively publish certain information about their activities through a publication scheme.
STAIRs will be tailored to meet the needs of private registered providers and their tenants. This includes appeals via the Housing Ombudsman, mirroring the process for other complaints. This will ensure ease-of-use and accessibility for tenants.
The consultation seeks views on the contents of the policy statement, which sets out the requirements that registered providers will need to meet under STAIRs, and the Direction to the Regulator of Social Housing, directing the Regulator to require providers to comply with the policy statement.
Pending the outcome of this consultation, the Regulator will implement the scheme through their regulatory standards.
The consultation on STAIRs will close on 15 July: Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements: consultation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). We welcome your organisation’s view in in response to this consultation.
This consultation is part of a wider package of reform to drive up standards in the social housing sector. The government closed two consultations earlier this year on a Direction to the Regulator to set a new Competence and Conduct Standard , and on ‘Awaab’s Law’ (timescales for repairs). The government is carefully analysing the responses to these consultations and will publish responses in due course.