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Regulator of Social Housing proposes doubling fees to deliver expanded role
A new consultation by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is proposing a doubling of the fees social landlords pay to “ensure it can deliver its expanded role”.
Under the new plans, the English regulator would charge larger social landlords almost double the amount for each social home they provide - from £5.40 to between £9 and £10.
Housing associations with fewer than 1,000 homes would continue to be charged a flat annual fee, but this will also amount to double the current rate of £300 - to between £600 and £700.
The consultation document launched today is inviting the sector to share its views on the proposed fee increase before Tuesday 31 October.
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As part of the proposals, the RSH will start charging fees to councils owning over 1,000 homes for the first time, at £7 to £8 per unit.
Organisations will also be charged £3,000 when they apply to become registered social landlords, instead of the current approach where landlords pay fees after they have successfully registered.
From April 2024, the English regulator aims to implement sweeping reforms to the regulation of social housing that were first proposed more than six years ago in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
The Social Housing (Regulation) Act, which became law in July, gave the RSH stronger powers to scrutinise landlords’ performance and new fee-charging powers.
The expanded regime includes regular inspections of larger social landlords, including councils, to assess whether they meet new requirements, as well as additional powers to take action if they do not.
The RSH said that increasing fees would “ensure it has the resources, skills and capacity to deliver its new, proactive consumer role, building on its existing regulation of landlords’ viability and governance”.
The consultation follows an announcement by the government that social landlords will need to pay for the full costs of their regulation, similar to other regulated sectors.
Fiona MacGregor, chief executive of the RSH, said: “Our stronger regulatory remit will empower tenants and help us to hold social landlords to account. We need to make sure we have the resources to deliver this expanded remit, building on our regulation of landlords’ governance and viability.”
“That is why we’re proposing changes to our fee principles, and we encourage landlords, tenants and others in the sector to respond to this consultation.”
Subject to the consultation and approval by the secretary of state, the revised fee principles and changes to the fees regime will apply from 1 July 2024.
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