The Week in Housing: arrests made in fraud probe, and government believes supply data shows ‘green shoots’

Addressing fraud and how landlords should respond was also the focus of Inside Housing’s Board Member Briefing this month.

At the same time, new guidelines are being proposed to help courts in England and Wales sentence rogue landlords for offences such as unlawful evictions, which can have “devastating impacts” on victims.

Sticking with legal duties, one MP has asked a Manchester hotel to “urgently explain” why two men experiencing homelessness were told they could not stay in rooms booked for them amid sub-zero temperatures.

Scrutiny of the government’s housebuilding targets erupted into a full-on row this week after London’s deputy mayor for housing strongly denied allegations of housing start figures being “embellished”.

This came as the government said it believes there are “green shoots of recovery” in its latest housing supply figures, pointing to an 18% rise in new build starts in the year to September 2025.

An MP-led inquiry session revealed that a consultation on the chosen locations for new towns can be expected in the “coming weeks”, with a final decision expected later in the spring.

Investment in existing stock continues to hit record levels. Housing associations spent £10bn on repairs and maintenance between April 2024 and March 2025.

Following the publication of the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) annual Global Accounts update, the RSH also found that Broxtowe Borough Council is failing to meet the outcomes of the consumer standards.

Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly spoke exclusively with Inside Housing to explain his somewhat controversial opinion on regulation being “always the wrong answer”, in a wide-ranging discussion on Grenfell, the Renters’ Rights Act and the Conservative Party’s pledge to end stamp duty.

In Wales, a new requirement for social landlords to investigate serious hazards within 24 hours will come into force under the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, starting in April this year.

This will undoubtedly keep the consultants at JLL busy, since the firm has expanded its affordable housing business by launching a new team based in Cardiff.

The Scottish government confirmed it will invest a record £4.1bn of public money in funding affordable housebuilding over the next four years, but sector bodies warn that the planned package will not be enough to meet the country’s housing need.

There was a flurry of new appointments this week, as it was revealed that Homes England’s assistant director for the North will take on a new role at a Teesside-based housing association.

A2Dominion appointed two senior figures to its executive and operational leadership teams in roles focusing on property and people.

Plus, the chief executive of Two Rivers Housing will step down after around three years in the role.

Have a great weekend.

Stephen Delahunty, news editor, Inside Housing

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