How we will act to protect tenants

The tragic events that unfolded at Grenfell Tower in 2017 were testament to just how broken and neglected our system of social housing had become, and just how urgently tenants needed a new deal. It’s a day that will live in infamy – but it’s also one that led to real change.

Our Social Housing Bill sets out a major government rethink for social housing in the UK, with a suite of measures to shift power away from landlords, turn tenants’ voices off mute and give our social housing regulator teeth. 

This blueprint recognised that while many landlords behave responsibly, those who don’t have a devastating impact on people’s lives. For years Inside Housing has helped champion these social tenants and shone a spotlight on how mistreatment can leave people stuck in destitute housing that is low on quality, low on safety and low on energy efficiency.

But as readers will know, words are one thing. Action is another.

“While many landlords behave responsibly, those who don’t have a devastating impact on people’s lives”

So today we’re doing three things to uphold our commitment to treat tenants with respect and dignity: a new residents’ panel made up of some 250 social tenants; a commitment to name and shame landlords that fail to meet robust standards; and publishing new draft clauses to social housing legislation to beef up tenant powers.

The panel will have a hotline into government, and will be empowered to not only share their experiences, but also to shape our efforts to reform the sector.

If our reforms are going to take root, we need to go far deeper than simply addressing the visible symptoms of issues in the sector. An infusion of new ideas from tenants will help us to do that.

At the same time, we’re going to be removing the cloak of deniability for the immoral landlords that are out there by naming and shaming those who fail to meet the required standards.

This is not going to be an exercise in using sympathy for social tenants to create antipathy to landlords. It is going to be about putting the onus on landlords to be proactive in how they meet the standards set by the regulator and exposing those who fall foul of the Housing Ombudsman’s most serious finding: severe maladministration.

But these initiatives will be worth nothing if tenants don’t know the support is out there. Therefore, we’re stepping up efforts to clearly explain to tenants their rights with new factsheets and additional materials on the government website, as well as a dedicated campaign – Make Things Right – to show tenants that their complaints will no longer be met with stonewalling and inactivity.

“Tenants will be able to see that the government has listened, and will continue to do so”

This will all be complemented by new clauses for our social housing laws. Legislative clauses may sound dry, but they give you a clear sense of where we plan to go.

A consumer regime through which the regulator will be seeking solid assurances that standards are being met through an inspection regime for the largest landlords; new tenant satisfaction measures that all landlords will be required to report on; and strengthened enforcement powers for the Regulator of Social Housing to take action when things go wrong.

Taken together, tenants will be able to see that the government has listened, and will continue to do so. Barriers to complaints will be smashed through, tripwires will be erected for rogue providers, and landlords that behave responsibly and responsively will be championed.

Eddie Hughes, minister for homelessness and rough sleeping