Failing social landlords to be named and shamed by government

The government will ‘name and shame’ failing social housing providers as part of major reforms to give residents a stronger voice and drive up standards in the sector.

Social landlords providing sub-standard housing and services would be publicly called out on the government’s website and across social media channels under the move.

The measures also include a Resident Panel that will allow tenants who live in social housing to be heard directly by government.

Around 250 social tenants from across England will be invited to share their experiences and help to ensure that reforms in the sector work.

As set out in the Social Housing White Paper, the reforms are expected to transform the experiences of residents and the way that social landlords are regulated.

Minister for Social Housing Eddie Hughes MP said: ‘Everyone in this country deserves to live in a safe and decent home. It is unacceptable that anyone should have mould covering their walls, risk slipping on a wet floor or have water dripping from the ceiling.

‘We have published draft legislation today to toughen up regulation of social housing landlords. This includes naming and shaming those landlords who fail to meet acceptable living standards and giving tenants a direct channel to raise their concerns with government.

‘This package will help to deliver on our commitment in the Levelling Up White Paper to halve the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030.’

Today’s announcement follows the government’s campaign to help people secure improvements to their living conditions.

The government’s ‘Make Things Right’ campaign helps residents raise complaints if they are unhappy with their landlord’s services and struggling to get problems resolved, with advice on how to progress issues to the Housing Ombudsman if necessary.

Adverts have run on digital and social media channels, as well as music streaming sites, to raise awareness of the complaints process and barriers to these being progressed.

Photo by Norbert Levajsics