The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has launched a 12-week
consultation on 7 May 2019 on a revised Rent Standard that will
come into effect from 1 April 2020.
The consultation is a result of the Secretary of State for
Housing, Communities and Local Government's direction to RSH, which
was published in February 2019, following the Government's consultation on its proposed new social rent
policy in autumn 2018.
The Regulator is also required to have regard to the
Government's Policy Statement on rents, which was published
alongside the direction.
The key elements of the direction are:
Launching the consultation, Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive of
RSH said:
"This consultation focuses on whether we have appropriately
reflected the Government's Direction to us. The Direction itself
has previously been consulted on by Government. Our aim is to
ensure that the setting and management of rents is clear and easy
to understand for all registered providers of social housing.
The long-term rent settlement should help provide a stable
financial environment for the social housing sector to make the
best possible use of its resources in supporting the delivery of
new homes and effectively managing and maintaining properties,
while protecting the interests of social housing tenants."
A copy of the RSH consultation can be downloaded from the RSH
website.
ARCH Policy Adviser Matthew Warburton has produced a short ARCH briefing paper for ARCH members
and the consultation will close on 30 July 2019.