Scottish Housing Regulator: Regulatory Framework

Following consultation with stakeholders the SHR has published its new Regulatory Framework which covers all the housing and homelessness functions of all Local Authorities as well as all Registered Social Landlords.

Through the risk-based and proportionate approach to the regulation of social landlords they will:

• focus attention on the important risks and key aspects of landlord performance; 
• have different levels of engagement with different landlords depending on their risk and performance profile and our need for assurance; 
• use discretion and knowledge to ensure the right level of scrutiny and intervention is used to get the level of assurance and type of improvement needed; 
• have landlords’ own assessment of their performance as a central part of the regulatory framework; 
• help tenants to hold their landlord to account; 
• publish accessible information to encourage better comparison, performance management, public accountability and drive improvement; 
• highlight good innovation and best practice in achieving outcomes; 
• give landlords the opportunity to self-improve where problems have been identified, unless immediate regulatory action is needed; 
• use powers in a proportionate and fair way, to secure improvement or to protect the interests of tenants; and 
• help to ensure an orderly transition that protects tenants’ interests if a landlord is failing and going out of business.

A key function of the SHR will be to monitor the Scottish Social Housing Charter and a further consultation is expected in June as to how this is measured.