Regulator of Social Housing launches fees consultation
This follows a government announcement that, from July 2024, social landlords need to pay for the full costs of regulation, in line with other regulated sectors
The Regulator of Social Housing has today (Tuesday 5 September) launched a consultation on proposed changes to way it charges fees to social landlords.
RSH is gearing up for the biggest change to social housing regulation in a decade, including regular inspections of larger social landlords (including councils). The proposed changes to RSH’s fee principles are designed to ensure it has the resources, skills and capacity to deliver its new, proactive consumer role, building on its existing regulation of landlords’ viability and governance.
The consultation follows an announcement by the government that, from July 2024, social landlords will need to pay for the full costs of their regulation, in line with many other regulated sectors. The Social Housing Regulation Act, which received Royal Assent in July 2023, gives new fee-charging powers to RSH to ensure it can deliver its expanded role.
RSH is proposing to:
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increase the fees social landlords pay, to recover the full cost of regulation including its expanded consumer remit.
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continue to charge a flat annual fee to smaller housing associations (those with fewer than 1,000 homes), and charge larger social landlords for each social home they provide.
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start charging fees to councils owning over 1,000 homes - this is in response to the government’s requirements on funding and because councils will be included in the new programme of regulatory inspections.
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charge organisations when they apply to become registered social landlords (instead of the current approach where landlords pay fees after they have successfully registered).
The consultation is running for 8 weeks, finishing on Tuesday 31 October 2023.
Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive of RSH, said:
“Our stronger regulatory remit will empower tenants and help us to hold social landlords to account. We need to make sure we have the resources to deliver this expanded remit, building on our regulation of landlords’ governance and viability.”
“That is why we’re proposing changes to our fee principles, and we encourage landlords, tenants and others in the sector to respond to this consultation.”