All change! An evaluation of the new frameworks for regulating social housing in England and Scotland

This briefing by Roger Jarman looks at how regulation of social housing in the biggest countries in the UK is changing. Both in England and Scotland the two social housing regulators – the Homes and Communities Agency and the Scottish Housing Regulator – introduced new frameworks for regulating social housing providers this month (April 2012). There are many similarities in the approaches that the two regulators have adopted – but there are significant differences too.

This briefing compares the key features of the two regulatory frameworks, focusing on the key disparities around:

• The institutional context and regulatory remit
• Consumer regulation
• Economic regulation
• Poor performance and how it is addressed
• The promotion of good practice.

The briefing’s conclusion suggests that the distinctive approaches to consumer regulation in England and Scotland provide an opportunity to test what type of system offers tenants the most effective protection and ultimately the best services from their providers.