RSH to de-register small lease-based provider over long-standing failings

Pivotal has not yet been de-registered and the regulator has given the landlord a notice of its proposal. Pivotal is able to appeal the decision and has until 23 June. 

The group said it was “disappointed” the regulator had not helped it to achieve compliance.

The RSH added: “Pivotal has had an extensive opportunity to make improvements to achieve better outcomes for its tenants and has failed to do so.”

The landlord had been registered with the RSH since 2013.

Five years ago, Pivotal was initially found non-compliant with the regulator’s Governance and Financial Viability Standard and the Rent Standard.

Last year, the RSH issued an enforcement notice to the provider urging it to take action to address “serious failures”.

In January this year, it warned that it was considering removing Pivotal from its register altogether as it had not resolved the “serious regulatory concerns”.

Jonathan Walters, chief executive of the RSH, said today: “Being a registered provider of social housing is an important and serious undertaking, carrying clear responsibilities and obligations.

“We are prepared to take action where a landlord fails to take prompt and effective action to meet regulatory standards and protect homes.

“Removal from the register is not an action we take lightly, however, Pivotal was not able to resolve very serious failures and did not respond adequately to enforcement action.”

Pivotal is still able to be a private landlord and the decision does not affect individual tenancy agreements, the RSH said.

The landlord is also a registered charity.

In a statement issued to its stakeholders, Pivotal said: “We take this development extremely seriously and we are fully engaged with the regulator to understand and respond to the issues identified in the regulatory judgement.”

A statement from its board added: “The board has sought to work closely with the regulator to provide it with assurance of the issues it has referred to in the regulatory judgement, and we feel strong progress has been made.

“We are therefore disappointed that the regulator has not continued to support us to achieve full compliance. We are working with independent advisors to explore our options and review our strategy in response to the regulatory judgement.”

In 2023, two landlords were also de-registered by the regulator for persistently breaching the agency’s standards. 

Update: at 1.00pm, 04.06.26

This story was updated to reflect that the RSH has made the decision to de-register Pivotal, but has not yet removed the provider from its register. Pivotal is able to appeal the decision.