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Scottish Housing Regulator updates guide for tenants and service users
The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has updated its guide for tenants and service users.
The guide, titled ‘How We Regulate’, is designed to help tenants and service users find out more about what the regulator does and how it works.
It also explains how tenants can find out about their landlord, what they can expect from their landlord, and how they can raise a serious concern about a landlord.
The SHR has developed two short videos to support the guide, which include information about the regulator and its work and how to raise a concern about a social landlord.
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It has also developed a British Sign Language version of its updated guide and a factsheet for tenants on raising a serious concern about a landlord.
In April, the SHR published its latest regulatory framework, which expanded tenant safety indicators to monitor landlords’ management of damp and mould cases.
The framework also aims to make it clearer what issues tenants can bring to the regulator and when, and how this fits with other routes for tenants to complain to their landlord and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
Nicola Harcus, assistant director of regulation at the SHR, said: “We’ve written this guide to help tenants, people who are homeless, and other service users find out more about who we are and what we do to safeguard and promote their interests.”
She added: “I would encourage landlords to promote the guide, factsheets and our videos to people who use their services.”
The SHR is visiting 13 landlords this year to discuss standards and assurance, with a focus on tenant and resident safety duties and financial plans.
The list of providers the SHR is visiting in 2024 includes Govanhill Housing Association, Renfrewshire Council, West Dunbartonshire Council, Home in Scotland and Rosehill Housing Co-operative.
The regulator will publish a report on its findings from the meetings later this year, to share the lessons with all landlords.
In April, the SHR reported a sharp jump in the number of housing associations it is engaging with over the management of their finances amid the tough economic climate.
