How we are regulated

We are regulated by the Regulator for Social Housing (RSH). To evaluate how well we are doing, the regulator assesses us against:

• Tenant Satisfaction Measures
• Regulatory standards
  • Rents are set in accordance with Government policy
  • Consumer standards: consumer objective is to make sure that tenants get quality accommodation, have choice and protection, and can hold their landlords accountable according to the Regulatory standards for landlords
• Complaints handling code
• Building safety regulations

The RSH requires social housing providers to provide them with figures against 22 indicators by June each year. These are called Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs). Registered social housing landlords have a duty to collect performance information in line with TSMs as required by the RSH. The TSMs are intended to help empower social housing tenants to scrutinise their landlord’s performance and in holding their landlords to account.

There are regulatory standards for all landlords of social housing, to ensure that all landlords provide high quality responsive services to their tenants.

Consumer standards

Regulatory standards for landlords set what is expected of social housing landlords, with the objective to protect tenants and improve the service provided by all social housing providers.

The consumer standards are:

• Safety and Quality Standard – This standard means landlords must provide their tenants with safe, good quality homes and effective landlord services. It includes a commitment to housing adaptations services.
• Tenancy Standard – This standard means landlords must allocate and let homes fairly. It also sets requirements for how landlords manage and end tenancies.
• Neighbourhood and Community Standard – This standard means landlords must work with other organisations to help make sure tenants can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods. It includes how we manage ASB (Anti-Social Behaviour) and domestic abuse as well as responsibilities for upkeep of communal areas and the locality
• Transparency, Influence and Accountability (including Tenant Satisfaction Measures) – This standard means landlords must be open with their tenants and treat them with fairness and respect. This means tenants should be able to:
  • make use of their landlord’s services, in a way that meets their needs
  • make complaints when necessary
  • influence their landlord’s decision-making
  • understand how their landlord is performing
  • hold their landlord to account.
• Consumer standards Code of Practice

Our named officer responsible for compliance with the regulatory standards is James Hill, Director of Housing, Neighbourhood and Building Services.

The Complaint Handling Code became statutory on 1 April 2024, meaning that landlords are obliged by law to follow its requirements.

The Code aims to achieve best practice in complaint handling and ultimately to provide a better service to residents.

The Building Safety Regulator is part of the Health and Safety Executive and was established under The Building Safety Act 2022 to:

• regulate higher-risk buildings
• raise safety standards of all buildings
• help professionals in design, construction, and building control, to improve their competence

They regulate high-rise residential buildings with:

• at least 7 floors or at least 18 metres in height
• at least 2 residential units

Portsmouth City Council is the “responsible person” for compliance with building safety regulations. Amy Holmes, Head of Compliance leads on this area of work and has responsibility for Health and Safety, in partnership with Portsmouth City Council’s corporate H&S team.

1.1.1 Registered providers must work co-operatively with tenants (see the glossary of terms for a definition), other landlords and relevant organisations to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of shared spaces

1.2.1 Registered providers must co-operate with relevant partners to promote social, environmental and economic wellbeing in the areas where they provide social housing.

2.1.1 Registered providers, having taken account of their strategic objectives, the views of tenants and their presence within the areas where they provide social housing, must:

• a) identify and communicate to tenants the roles registered providers play in promoting social, environmental and economic wellbeing and how those roles will be delivered; and
• b) co-operate with local partnership arrangements and the strategic housing function of local authorities where they are able to assist local authorities in achieving their objectives.