The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has published its Consumer Regulation Review 2012/13, which sets out its experience of the new consumer regulation regime for social housing that came into effect in April 2012.

The HCA still sets consumer standards covering a range of issues including the quality of accommodation; tenant empowerment and tenancy arrangements. Landlords are expected to meet these standards, but under the new system the Regulator does not have powers to monitor compliance. It does have intervention powers but, it can only use them following breach of a standard and when that breach has caused, or could cause, serious detriment to tenants.

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The report sets out the Regulator's approach and considers case studies and lessons learned.

Matthew Bailes, Director of Regulation at the HCA said: "This report explains how we have gone about implementing the new legislation. We hope by explaining the arrangements, and providing case studies, we can help landlords – and the local bodies that hold them to account – ensure that problems do not get to the stage where the Regulator has to get involved."

(CD/MH)