TSA unveils final version of regulatory standards
The social housing watchdog has published the standards it will use to regulate housing associations, councils and co-operatives from 1 April.
The Tenant Services Authority has published the final version of its standards today. It issued a consultation document on its proposals in November, with a deadline for responses of last month.
The TSA said its standards will apply to nearly 1,800 social housing providers and benefit more than eight million tenants. It said tenants will get similar levels of protection and services regardless of who their landlord is, for the first time.
The six standards in the regulatory framework cover:
- Tenant involvement and empowerment, including customer service, choice and complaints, and understanding and responding to diverse needs
- Home, including repairs and maintenance and quality of accommodation
- Tenancy, including allocations, rent and tenure
- Neighbourhood and community, including neighbourhood management, local area co-operation and anti-social behaviour
- Value for money
- Governance and financial viability.
As well as the national standards, social housing providers will also be subject to further standards agreed locally.
TSA chief executive Peter Marsh said the authority’s approach to regulation would mean tenants will have more influence and the ability to hold their landlord to account.
He added: ‘I am pleased we have achieved a broad consensus amongst tenants and landlords on our co-regulatory approach – one that ensures that poorly performing landlords are quickly identified but a system that lets good performing landlords get on with that they do best – providing excellent services.’
Have your say
You must sign in to make a comment
Readers' comments (5)
the purple avenger | 16/03/2010 2:45 pm
Well, this news item appeared at around 9.45am and as at 2.45pm the new standards had not appeard on the TSA website. I cant help but feel that this lack of urgency rather sums up the TSA. It takes them two years to publish something - and then they keep it quiet. Perhaps the tories are right about them. I wonder what the TSA view would be of a housing association who did not keep their website up to date...or am I being too harsh?
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Editor's comments
As getting hold of the standards is obviously proving a problem, I've attached a pdf at the end of the story.
ronnie gill | 16/03/2010 3:20 pm
i quite agree with the purple avenger. it is very ,very odd.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Mark Greenwood | 16/03/2010 3:28 pm
Thank you for the pdf thus making the Standards immediatly accessible.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Editor's comments
The document is now on the TSA website, so the link above will now take you to their site.
the purple avenger | 16/03/2010 3:50 pm
yes, thank you Inside Housing. The sandards are now on the TSA website - but this episode put me in mind of situations where people learn stuff that effects them through inappropraite means (like learning through the press that you had lost your job or receiving a redundancy notice by text). It would be nice if the TSA got these little things right - in the scheme of things its not that important - but I find that the little things (like eitiquette) make a lot of difference in how someone (or some organisation) is perceived. Perhaps we can advise tenants of their rent increase (or lack of it) via the press in future rather than communicating pesonally? If the TSA are selling themselves as perfect, which they need to be to criticise eveyone else, they shouldn't make silly errors like this one. It just hacks people off.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment
Junior | 16/03/2010 4:24 pm
I agee thank you very much Mr/Mrs Editor much appreciated.
Unsuitable or offensive? Report this comment