RSH response to Dispatches programme

The Regulator of Social Housing has issued the following statement in response to the Channel 4 Dispatches programme, ‘New Landlords from Hell’, aired on Monday 25 March.

Where tenants directly approach or are referred to the Regulator of Social Housing, it will consider whether there has been a breach of its standards, and if so, whether there has been, or is a risk of ‘serious detriment’. The programme refers to cases that the regulator is already considering. We cannot comment on current cases.

Since October 2013, RSH has published 30 Regulatory Notices against registered social housing providers for breaches of the consumer standards, and in 17 of those cases it also downgraded the organisation’s governance grading at the same time. In cases where it finds a breach of the consumer standards and serious detriment, the regulator expects the provider to resolve those issues promptly, and works directly with the provider as it develops and implements a plan to do so. Each year RSH publishes on its website a Consumer Regulation Review setting out statistics for the numbers of cases it has dealt with and highlighting specific examples.

Further information about the role of the RSH is on the About us page.