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Scottish landlords agree formal transfer of services after regulator intervention
Stricken landlord Fairfield Housing Association has agreed to a “formal transfer of engagements” to another registered provider following continued scrutiny from the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR).
Today the regulator published an updated engagement plan confirming that 550-home Fairfield had made good progress since it discovered weaknesses with the landlord’s governance and financial management, but said some services would now be transferred to Kingdom Housing Association.
Kingdom and Fairfield entered into a shared services arrangement in May last year after the SHR discovered “a number of areas of serious concern”, including “the inappropriate receipt of payments and benefits” in 2018.
The regulator took the unusual step of appointing a statutory manager to take control of Fairfield in December 2018, following the discovery of governance issues. The manager was then removed in May 2020.
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Fairfield has now decided that it is in the best interest of its tenants to develop proposals for a formal transfer of engagement to Kingdom to fully address the risks to tenants from Fairfield’s failure to comply with regulatory standards, the regulator said.
Helen Shaw, assistant director of regulation at the SHR, said: “We have decided to continue the statutory appointment of four people to Fairfield’s governing body to provide the necessary support and expertise as it develops its proposals to transfer its homes to Kingdom.
“Tenants will be consulted on the development of the proposals and the proposal will be subject to an independent tenant ballot. We will continue to engage with Fairfield as it develops these proposals.”
As part of the shared services arrangement with Kingdom, Fairfield had to relinquish chief executive services, governance and organisational support, financial and payroll services and a strategic asset management service.
