Shelter response to consumer standards consultation - reshaping consumer regulation

For over a decade, the social housing sector has experienced wide-spread consumer deregulation combined with severe funding cuts. A push to cut ‘red tape’ and achieve greater financial ‘value for money’ has affected compliance with the consumer standards, both in terms of the physical standards of homes and the housing and neighbourhood management services provided to tenants.

It's vital we acknowledge that such political and landlord decisions can have a devasting impact on people’s lives when they result in the safety, health, well-being and voice of social housing tenants being compromised.

It’s essential that the new consumer standards result in meaningful improvements to the way social tenants are treated and how their homes are maintained and managed.