Summary: The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has published revised consumer standards to enhance transparency, tenant influence, and accountability in social housing. These changes, including new Competence and Conduct and Social Tenant Access to Information requirements, will come into effect from October 2026 with transition periods.
RSH publishes updated consumer standards for social housing
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has announced new measures designed to improve transparency and raise standards for social housing tenants in England. The updated standards follow a consultation on revisions to the Transparency, Influence and Accountability (TIA) standard, including Social Tenant Access to Information (STAIRs) requirements, alongside a new separate Competence and Conduct (C&C) standard.
Consultation outcomes and new standards
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) had previously consulted on C&C and STAIRs requirements. RSH’s consultation aimed to ensure these government directions were accurately reflected in its standards.
Initially, RSH proposed including the C&C requirements within the TIA standard. However, after considering consultation feedback, it decided to establish a separate C&C standard to enhance its visibility for tenants and landlords. The C&C standard focuses on ensuring housing staff possess the necessary skills, knowledge, experience, and behaviours to provide a high standard of service. Senior housing managers and executives will also be required to hold, or be working towards, a housing management qualification.
The STAIRs requirements will provide tenants of private registered providers (PRPs) with access to information about social housing management comparable to that available to local authority tenants. From 1 October 2026, PRPs must proactively publish specified information about their activities, with tenants able to formally request relevant information and expect timely responses from April 2027.
Implementation timeline and additional measures
The new standards will come into force from October 2026, with transition periods for some STAIRs and C&C elements. Additionally, following consultation feedback, a new Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) for electrical safety checks was introduced in June 2026. Large social housing landlords (those with over 1,000 homes) must publish this TSM for the 2026/27 reporting year, with smaller landlords required to publish from their reporting years ending 31 March 2027 onwards.
Background and context
The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 empowered the government to direct RSH to introduce new C&C requirements, setting professional standards for housing staff. MHCLG consulted on these directions and policy statements for C&C and STAIRs, which RSH reflected in its standards following a consultation period from December 2025 to March 2026.
The STAIRs requirements align PRPs’ tenant information access with that of local authorities under the Freedom of Information Act. RSH will also reissue the Tenant Satisfaction Measures using its new powers of direction, an administrative change to align the TSMs with their legal context.
Practical implications for landlords and tenants
Landlords should prepare for the new standards by reviewing staff qualifications and training to meet the C&C requirements. PRPs will need to establish processes for proactively publishing information and responding to tenant requests under STAIRs. The introduction of the electrical safety checks TSM adds a further reporting obligation for landlords, particularly larger providers.
Keeping your rental properties compliant
As the social housing sector adapts to these updated standards, landlords and agents must ensure their teams meet the new Competence and Conduct expectations and that tenant information access requirements are fully implemented. TLA’s new property management and compliance platform, ORBIT™, currently in BETA testing, is being developed to help landlords organise property records, manage key documents, and maintain compliance with evolving regulations.
TLA membership offers access to practical guidance, compliance resources, and document support tailored to the changing social housing landscape. Members can explore how to prepare for these new requirements and maintain clear records of tenant communications and staff qualifications. For more information, landlords can explore TLA membership and learn about ORBIT™ BETA access.
By proactively managing these changes, landlords will be better positioned to meet regulatory expectations and support tenant engagement and satisfaction.
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