National Standards.
Rotherham Federation of Tenants and Residents (RotherFed) welcomes Housing Minister John Healey’s announcement on 10th November 2009 that all tenants whoever their landlord is, can expect clear standards of service which will be protected by the new regulator, the Tenant Services Authority(TSA). Guaranteed national standards will be introduced for all social housing tenants whether they live in local authority or housing association homes. The Tenant Services Authority has put tenants at the heart of this regulation and RotherFed members are keen to examine the details of how this regulation will work, in particular ways tenants can trigger action in cases where a landlord does not perform.
There are six new standards. They place greater emphasis on the relationship between landlords and their tenants at the local level – one where tenants are at the heart of shaping, influencing and monitoring the services they receive. A credit card summary is here. (pdf file). This is called co-regulation, in which landlords are expected to make themselves more accountable and to work more closely with their tenants.
The proposed six new national standards are:
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Tenant involvement and empowerment
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Home
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Tenancy
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Neighbourhood and Community
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Value for Money
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Governance and Financial Viability
The Tenants Service Authority is the new regulator for social housing. It is a champion for tenants challenging social landlords to have the highest standards, providing choice and championing the needs and aspirations of tenants. 850 responses on 2nd stage of national conversation have now been recieved.
Rotherham tenants outside Leeds Town Hall at TSA Consultation