Safety and Quality Standard
Outcomes landlords must deliver about the safety and quality of tenants’ homes.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Consumer standards 1 April 2024
1. Required outcomes
1.1 Stock quality
1.1.1 Registered providers must have an accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding of the condition of their homes that reliably informs their provision of good quality, well maintained and safe homes for tenants (see the glossary of terms for a definition).
1.2 Decency
1.2.1 Registered providers must ensure that tenants’ homes meet the standard set out in section five of the Government’s Decent Homes Guidance and continue to maintain their homes to at least this standard unless exempted by the regulator.
1.3 Health and safety
1.3.1 When acting as landlords, registered providers must take all reasonable steps to ensure the health and safety of tenants in their homes and associated communal areas.
1.4 Repairs, maintenance and planned improvements
1.4.1 Registered providers must provide an effective, efficient and timely repairs, maintenance and planned improvements service for the homes and communal areas for which they are responsible.
1.5 Adaptations
1.5.1 Registered providers must assist tenants seeking housing adaptations to access appropriate services.
2. Specific expectations
2.1 Stock quality
2.1.1 Registered providers must have an accurate record at an individual property level of the condition of their homes, based on a physical assessment of all homes and keep this up to date.
2.1.2 Registered providers must use data from across their records on stock condition to inform their provision of good quality, well maintained and safe homes for tenants including:
a) compliance with health and safety legal requirements
b) compliance with the Decent Homes Standard
c) delivery of repairs, maintenance and planned improvements to homes, and
d) allocating homes that are designed or adapted to meet specific needs appropriately.
2.2 Health and safety
2.2.1 Registered providers must identify and meet all legal requirements that relate to the health and safety of tenants in their homes and communal areas.
2.2.2 Registered providers must ensure that all required actions arising from legally required health and safety assessments are carried out within appropriate timescales.
2.2.3 Registered providers must ensure that the safety of tenants is considered in the design and delivery of landlord services and take reasonable steps to mitigate any identified risks to tenants.
2.3 Repairs, maintenance and planned improvements
2.3.1 Registered providers must enable repairs and maintenance issues to be reported easily.
2.3.2 Registered providers must set timescales for the completion of repairs, maintenance and planned improvements, clearly communicate them to tenants and take appropriate steps to deliver to them.
2.3.3 Registered providers must keep tenants informed about repairs, maintenance and planned improvements to their homes with clear and timely communication.
2.3.4 Registered providers must understand and fulfil their maintenance responsibilities in respect of communal areas.
2.3.5 Registered providers must ensure that the delivery of repairs, maintenance and planned improvements to homes and communal areas is informed by the needs of tenants and provides value for money, in addition to the requirement at 2.1.2.
2.4 Adaptations
2.4.1 Registered providers must clearly communicate to tenants and relevant organisations how they will assist tenants seeking housing adaptations services.
2.4.2 Registered providers must co-operate with tenants, appropriate local authority departments and other relevant organisations so that a housing adaptations service is available to tenants where appropriate.