Long awaited reforms to social housing recently became law on the 20th of July as the government’s new Social Housing (Regulation) Act received Royal Assent.

The Act is intended to bring in significant change by holding negligent social landlords and operators to account, and according to the government: ‘placing the needs of tenants at the heart of reforms to improve the quality of life for those living in social housing across the country.’

The Act is intended to drive forward the following ground-breaking changes:
• strengthening the Regulator of Social Housing to carry out regular inspections of the largest social housing providers and the power to issue unlimited fines to rogue social landlords
• additional Housing Ombudsman powers to publish best practice guidance to landlords following investigations into tenant complaints
• powers to set strict time limits for social landlords to address hazards such as damp and mould
• new qualification requirements for social housing managers
• introducing stronger economic powers to follow inappropriate money transactions outside of the sector

It is intended that new enforcement powers will be made available to local authorities to tackle failing social housing landlords who are not pulling their weight in taking swift action to address damp, cold and unsafe homes.

The government states that it has taken action following the tragic death of Awaab Ishak last year, and also committed to introducing Awaab’s Law where all landlords must fix reported health and safety hazards within a strict timeframe.

The Act, says the government is also the latest step in ‘addressing systemic issues identified following the Grenfell Tower tragedy, not just on the safety and quality of social housing, but about how tenants are treated by their landlords.’

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Rt. Hon Michael Gove MP said: “The Social Housing Act will help to ensure that tenants get the safe, warm and decent homes they deserve – and those who have seriously neglected their responsibilities for far too long will face the consequences. Awaab’s Law will force social landlords to take immediate action on dangerous damp and mould as we introduce new strict time limits to fix their homes.