Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
Outcomes landlords must deliver about being open with tenants and treating them with fairness and respect so that tenants can access services, raise complaints, influence decision making and hold their landlord to account.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Consumer standards 1 April 2024
1. Required outcomes
1.1 Fairness and respect
1.1.1 Registered providers must treat tenants (see the glossary of terms for a definition) and prospective tenants with fairness and respect.
1.2 Diverse needs
1.2.1 In relation to the housing and landlord services they provide, registered providers must take action to deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants and, where relevant, prospective tenants.
1.3 Engagement with tenants
1.3.1 Registered providers must take tenants’ views into account in their decision-making about how landlord services are delivered and communicate how tenants’ views have been considered.
1.4 Information about landlord services
1.4.1 Registered providers must communicate with tenants and provide information so tenants can use landlord services, understand what to expect from their landlord, and hold their landlord to account.
1.5 Performance information
1.5.1 Registered providers must collect and provide information to support effective scrutiny by tenants of their landlord’s performance in delivering landlord services.
1.6 Complaints
1.6.1 Registered providers must ensure complaints are addressed fairly, effectively, and promptly.
2. Specific expectations
2.1 Diverse needs
2.1.1 Registered providers must use relevant information and data to:
a) understand the diverse needs of tenants, including those arising from protected characteristics, language barriers, and additional support needs; and
b) assess whether their housing and landlord services deliver fair and equitable outcomes for tenants.
2.1.2 Registered providers must ensure that communication with and information for tenants is clear, accessible, relevant, timely and appropriate to the diverse needs of tenants.
2.1.3 Registered providers must ensure that landlord services are accessible, and that the accessibility is publicised to tenants. This includes supporting tenants and prospective tenants to use online landlord services if required.
2.1.4 Registered providers must allow tenants and prospective tenants to be supported by a representative or advocate in interactions about landlord services.
2.2 Engagement with tenants
2.2.1 Registered providers must give tenants a wide range of meaningful opportunities to influence and scrutinise their landlord’s strategies, policies and services. This includes in relation to the neighbourhood where applicable.
2.2.2 Registered providers must assist tenants who wish to implement tenant-led activities to influence and scrutinise their landlord’s strategies, policies and services. This includes in relation to the neighbourhood where applicable.
2.2.3 Registered providers must provide accessible support that meets the diverse needs of tenants so they can engage with the opportunities in 2.2.1 and 2.2.2.
2.2.4 Registered providers must support tenants to exercise their Right to Manage, Right to Transfer or otherwise exercise housing management functions, where appropriate.
2.2.5 Registered providers, working with tenants, must regularly consider ways to improve and tailor their approach to delivering landlord services including tenant engagement. They must implement changes as appropriate to ensure services deliver the intended aims.
2.2.6 Where a registered provider is considering a change in landlord for one or more tenants, or a significant change in management arrangements, it must consult affected tenants on its proposals at a formative stage and take those views into account in reaching a decision. The consultation must:
a) be fair and accessible
b) provide tenants with adequate time, information and opportunities to consider and respond
c) set out actual or potential advantages and disadvantages (including costs) to tenants in the immediate and longer term, and
d) demonstrate to affected tenants how the consultation responses have been taken into account in reaching a decision.
2.3 Information about landlord services
2.3.1. Registered providers must provide tenants with accessible information about the:
a) available landlord services, how to access those services, and the standards of service tenants can expect
b) standards of safety and quality tenants can expect homes and communal areas to meet
c) rents and service charges that are payable by tenants, and
d) responsibilities of the registered provider and the tenant for maintaining homes, communal areas, shared spaces(^1) and neighbourhoods.
2.3.2 Registered providers must provide tenants with accessible information about tenants’ rights in respect of registered providers’ legal obligations and relevant regulatory requirements that registered providers must meet in connection with the homes, facilities or landlord services they provide to tenants. This must include information about:
a) the requirement to provide a home that meets the government’s Decent Homes Standard;
b) the registered provider’s obligation to comply with health and safety legislation;
c) the rights conferred on tenants by their tenancy agreements including rights implied by statute and/or common law, in particular—
i) the right to a home that is fit for human habitation; and
ii) the right to receive notice of a proposed visit to carry out repairs or maintenance or to view the condition and state of repair of the premises; and
d) the rights of disabled tenants to reasonable adjustments.
2.3.3 Registered providers must communicate with affected tenants on progress, next steps and outcomes when delivering landlord services.
2.3.4 Registered providers’ housing and neighbourhood policies must be fair, reasonable, accessible and transparent. Where relevant, policies should set out decision-making criteria and appeals processes.
2.3.5 Registered providers must make information available to tenants about the relevant roles and responsibilities of senior level employees or officers, including who has responsibility for compliance with the consumer standards.
2.4 Performance information
2.4.1 Registered providers must meet the regulator’s requirements in relation to the tenant satisfaction measures set by the regulator as set out in Tenant Satisfaction Measures: Technical requirements and Tenant Satisfaction Measures: Tenant survey requirements.
2.4.2 Registered providers must:
a) collect and process information specified by the regulator relating to their performance against the tenant satisfaction measures. The information must be collected within a timeframe set by the regulator and must meet the regulator’s requirements in Tenant Satisfaction Measures: Technical requirements and Tenant Satisfaction Measures: Tenant survey requirements
b) annually publish their performance against the tenant satisfaction measures. This should include information about how they have met the regulator’s requirements set out in Tenant Satisfaction Measures: Technical requirements and Tenant Satisfaction Measures: Tenant survey requirements. This information must be published in a manner that is timely, clear, and easily accessed by tenants; and
c) annually submit to the regulator information specified by the regulator relating to their performance against those measures. The information must be submitted within a timeframe and in a form determined by the regulator.
2.4.3 In meeting 2.4.1 and 2.4.2 above, registered providers must ensure that the information is an accurate, reliable, valid, and transparent reflection of their performance against the tenant satisfaction measures.
2.4.4 Registered providers must provide tenants with accessible information about:
a) how they are performing in delivering landlord services and what actions they will take to improve performance where required
b) how they have taken tenants’ views into account to improve landlord services, information and communication
c) how income is being spent, and
d) their directors’ remuneration and management costs.
2.5 Complaints
2.5.1 Registered providers must ensure their approach to handling complaints is simple, accessible and publicised.
2.5.2 Registered providers must provide accessible information to tenants about:
a) how tenants can make a complaint about their registered provider
b) the registered provider’s complaints policy and complaints handling process
c) what tenants can do if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint or how a complaint was handled, and
d) the type of complaints received and how they have learnt from complaints to continuously improve services.
2.6 Self-referral
2.6.1 Registered providers must communicate in a timely manner with the regulator on all material issues that relate to non-compliance or potential non-compliance with the consumer standards.
(^1)‘Shared spaces’ are those spaces associated with a registered providers’ homes and used by their tenants that are not the responsibility of the landlord, as opposed to communal areas where landlords have direct responsibilities for ensuring their safety and maintenance.