Social housing regulator told to set new tenure standard
A government direction published after a consultation with 83 responses removes references to tenancy types that are being abolished, and asks landlords to consider the most secure tenancy suitable.
The Regulator of Social Housing must write a new standard on the types of tenancy social landlords offer, under a direction the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published on Thursday.
The move prepares the sector for the Renters' Rights Act 2025. That Act abolishes Section 21 evictions and replaces assured shorthold and fixed-term assured tenancies with rolling assured periodic tenancies. It began for private renting on 1 May 2026, and the government aims to bring it in for social housing in October 2027.
The Act does not reach non-assured tenancies, so councils can still grant fixed-term introductory and flexible tenancies.
What landlords will be asked to do
The direction lists the requirements the regulator's standard must aim to achieve. Registered providers must:
- grant tenancies that suit the purpose of the home, the household's needs, the sustainability of the community and the efficient use of their stock
- have regard to granting the most secure tenancy suitable
- give written notice before a fixed term ends, saying whether they propose to grant another tenancy
- take all reasonable steps to engage with tenants on finding somewhere else to live, where a move is necessary because of redevelopment or other works
They must also be clear with tenants and prospective tenants about the kinds of tenancy they grant, how to appeal or complain about decisions on type and length, and their approach to discretionary succession rights.
Council-owned social housing is covered whether or not it sits in a Housing Revenue Account. The government says this does not extend the regulator's oversight, because it already regulates all such stock.
Consultation results
The consultation ran from 2 April to 28 May and drew 83 responses. Most supported the direction. Some respondents were unsure how the most secure tenancy suitable would work in practice, or what reasonable steps meant.
The response points to the regulator's Code of Practice on both, although it says the code will not prescribe specific steps. The response gives no timetable for the standard or the code.
