The UK's social housing sector is set to become even more transparent as large landlords are now required to publish electrical safety check data. This new mandate, introduced by the Regulator of Social Housing, forms part of its Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) framework aimed at boosting accountability and trust within the industry.
From next year, social housing providers with over 1,000 homes will be expected to report their electrical safety checks through TSM for the first time. Smaller landlords, however, will have until March 2027 to comply, as they are not required to submit data until the end of that financial year.
Will Perry, director of strategy at the regulator, stressed that this new measure reinforces existing legal obligations rather than introducing new duties. He highlighted the importance of electrical safety checks in maintaining regulatory compliance and ensuring tenants' well-being.
The introduction of electrical safety checks within TSM follows a thorough consultation process involving social housing tenants, landlords, service providers, and other relevant organisations. Initially omitted from the 2022 TSM framework due to pending government consultation on the matter, new requirements have now enabled the regulator to include electrical safety checks in its broader building safety measures.
This move builds upon existing tenant satisfaction measures, which provide a comprehensive overview of landlord performance across key areas. By making this data publicly available, the Regulator of Social Housing aims to empower tenants with more information about their homes' safety standards and hold landlords accountable for their responsibilities.