A year in review: the impacts of post-consumer regulation on UK social housing  

Fifteen months after the implementation of the new Consumer Regulation Framework under the Social Housing Regulation Act 2023, the landscape of social housing in the UK is shifting. Designed to put tenants at the forefront of housing decisions, these regulations aim to drive improved services to tenants, including the quality of their homes, safety standards and tenant engagement. However, as with any large-scale regulatory change, challenges and variations in how landlords have responded have emerged.  

This blog from Angela Holden, Director of Regulatory Engagement at The Regulator of Social Housing looks into the early impacts of these regulations, what landlords are doing well, the challenges still faced, and the lessons that can steer the sector towards enhanced tenant outcomes. From the role of governance to the rising standards of health and safety, every insight points to one overarching goal – delivering a safe, fair, and respectful living environment for tenants.  

What was the vision behind consumer regulation?  

The regulatory changes introduced in 2024 aimed to strengthen consumer protections and ensure tenants live in safety and dignity. The key goals included:  

• Providing good-quality, safe homes for tenants.  

• Enhancing tenant engagement and ensuring their voices are heard.  

• Building a respectful and fair relationship between landlords and tenants.  

• Establishing robust processes to handle tenant complaints and resolve issues promptly and effectively.  

At the foundation of these regulation lies a fundamental principle: no service is perfect, but landlords must demonstrate commitment to addressing issues promptly and transparently when they arise.  

What have we learned since April 2024?  

• Wide variation in tenant services: One of the most significant findings has been the considerable disparity across landlords in meeting consumer standards. Some landlords have earned the higher consumer grade (C1), while others faced challenges resulting in lower grades such as C3 and C4. We are seeing a gap emerge between private registered providers and local authorities. While private registered providers have, overall,  achieved higher consumer gradings, this is not unexpected given some of the pressures facing local authorities and how new the regulation is to local authorities.  

• Commitment to progress is evident but requires more time: The sector has shown a strong willingness to adapt and improve. However, the scale of some changes, such as those related to tenant engagement and decency standards, requires time. Whether it’s understanding the condition of homes or embedding tenant communication structures, these shifts are evolutionary, not instantaneous.  

Four key areas driving change  

1. Governance as the cornerstone of success

Good governance is critical for driving positive outcomes for tenants. Robust leadership and oversight mechanisms play a role in ensuring landlords manage risks effectively and deliver on their responsibilities.  

One emerging practice seen among local authorities, and which appears to be helping in some cases, is the creation or use of independent Housing Oversight Boards. These boards provide transparency, accountability, and independent challenge, which help ensure tenant needs are being met.  

2. Focus on health and safety compliance 

Ensuring tenant safety is a regulatory priority, yet compliance levels remain inconsistent. While the sector has made progress in areas like gas and fire safety, gaps remain, in areas such as electrical safety, and also in newer legal requirements like carbon monoxide and smoke alarm standards. Addressing these gaps requires continued vigilance and proactive efforts.  

3. Enhancing tenant engagement 

Tenant engagement has seen innovative approaches from many landlords, including customer committees and tailored communication initiatives. However, embedding these practices within the organisation and its governance structures, and ensuring they work effectively, is a process that takes time and consistent effort.  

4. Data quality and transparency 

Accurate and reliable data is fundamental to improving outcomes for tenants. Many landlords are investing time in performing data cleansing exercises to ensure their systems better support decision-making. Examples include using Tenant Satisfaction Metrics (TSM) and stock condition surveys to design and adjust services based on tenant needs.  

Challenges still ahead  

Decency standards  

While the data shows that the overall decency of homes is improving, with non-decent homes in the private registered sector falling from 12% (2019) to 9% (2023), progress is slower in local authorities. The challenge lies not just in identifying areas of concern but also in allocating sufficient resources to address them.  

Complaints handling  

Complaints continue to be a pain point for tenants. A lack of clear, seamless processes frustrates tenants and undermines trust. To build better relationships with tenants, landlords must focus on resolving complaints efficiently while extracting key learning points that can prevent future issues.  

Early signs of progress  

Improved tenant satisfaction  

We have seen evidence of landlords focusing on improving services to tenants in order to drive improved levels of satisfaction.  Landlords have sought to understand what tenants are telling them through their TSMs and use this information to improve services. We will complete our analysis on the second year of TSM data in the Autumn. 

Reducing non-decent homes  

The decline in non-decency rates and increased stock condition survey coverage are positive signs. For example, stock condition survey coverage in the private registered sector has increased by 7%, reflecting a commitment to understanding housing conditions better.  

What landlords can do to improve outcomes for tenants  

1. Foster an organisational culture of improvement: Leadership that prioritises tenant outcomes and transparency sets the stage for success. Landlords must establish a culture where both frontline and executive teams are committed to continuous improvement. 
2. Strengthen data systems: Robust data collection and analysis systems ensure informed decision-making. Landlords must ensure their technology and processes provide real-time insights into tenant satisfaction, property conditions, and service effectiveness. 
3. Listen to tenants: The tenant voice must resonate at all levels of decision-making. Complaint trends, surveys, and direct feedback are invaluable tools for understanding tenant experiences and making the necessary adjustments. 
4. Plan and communicate clearly: When services fall short, tenants expect honesty and a clear roadmap for improvement. Open communication builds trust and fosters stronger relationships between landlords and tenants. 

Moving forward  

Fifteen months into the social housing consumer regulation framework, the sector is making strides toward a housing landscape that is fairer, safer, and more respectful to tenants. Success, however, requires a sustained commitment from landlords to improve governance, listen to tenants, and ensure compliance with health and safety standards.  

For landlords, the path forward is clear. It involves investing in decency standards, refining complaints processes, and using data to design services that meet tenant needs. Above all, it demands a tenant-first mindset, with every decision and action focusing on improving outcomes for those who call social housing their home.  

Angela Holden presented this topic at PfH Live 2025