Consultation on the new Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements launched

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has launched a consultation on the introduction of the new Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs), which will allow social housing tenants and their representatives to access information relating to the management of their housing. The consultation also seeks to direct the Regulator of Social Housing (the Regulator) to introduce a new standard to facilitate the introduction of the STAIRs. 

STAIRs will require private registered providers (PRPs) to proactively publish certain types of information relating to the management of social housing, including (but not limited to): 

• Governance and decision making - such as organisational structure and governance arrangements, tenant meeting minutes and agendas, decision making processes and policies, senior staff names and roles. 
• Spending - such as spending, grants, use of service charge revenue. 
• Performance - such as inspection outcomes, performance reviews, health and safety performance and assessments, maintenance work, complaint metrics, information request responses. 
• Lists and registers - such as information held in registered required by law and other lists pertaining to the management of social housing. 

PRPs are not expected to publish information that would bring them into conflict with any statutory provisions. However, the information they can publish should be made accessible to all of their tenants, and be reviewed and updated regularly. 

STAIRs will also allow social housing tenants or their designated representatives (such as solicitors) to request information related to the management of their housing. This includes information held by the PRP's subcontractors, which PRPs must use all reasonable endeavours to obtain and provide to the tenant. 

Examples of relevant information that tenants may request under STAIRs may include, but are not limited to: 

• Rent collection. 
• Rent rates.
• Service charges for shared owners. 
• Occupancy rights.
• Estate management, management of communal areas and boundary issues.
• Property conditions, repairs, and improvements to property.
• Health and safety.
• Anti-social behaviour.
• Staffing and training.
• Complaint handling, procedures and performance.
• Compensation and redress.
• Data handling and privacy.
• Housing stock profile, transfers and mergers.
• Environmental and energy efficiency information. 

Information not considered relevant that tenants will not be able to request under the scheme includes, but is not limited to: 

• Matters determined by local councils, including allocation policies and homelessness. 
• Information about the management of property that is not related to the providers' social housing functions. 

If a tenant is not satisfied with how a PRP has handled their request for information (in cases where insufficient information is provided or a request is denied), they may take their complaint to the Housing Ombudsman (HO) to be dealt with under the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. Where appropriate, the HO will be able to refer issues indicative of system failure to the Regulator to investigate further. 

You can find the consultation here, and respond to the consultation by completing this online survey. The consultation will run for 8 weeks and is set to close on 15 July 2024. 

If you would like any further information, please contact Hetal Ruparelia, Rebecca Brady or Georgia Maskell.