RSH Consumer Standards 2026: What registered providers need to know

By Paul O’Callaghan · 9 July 2026

The RSH Consumer Standards 2026 revisions reinforce the Regulator of Social Housing’s continued focus on professionalism, transparency and accountability. They also place greater emphasis on the evidence providers must be able to demonstrate during regulatory engagement.

Three developments stand out as requiring immediate attention:

• The introduction of the new Competence and Conduct Standard.
• The implementation of the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRS).
• The introduction of a new Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) for electrical safety checks.

A new Competence and Conduct Standard

A significant development is the introduction of the Competence and Conduct Standard. For the first time, the regulator has established a standalone consumer standard that places explicit expectations on registered providers to ensure that those responsible for delivering housing services have the appropriate skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours required for their roles.

The new standard reflects an increasing recognition that organisational compliance is driven by workforce capability as much as by policies and procedures, and it aligns with wider reforms across the housing sector that seek to strengthen professionalism and improve outcomes for residents.

For providers, this means looking beyond mandatory training records and considering competence across the organisation. Boards should be asking questions such as:

• Do we have clearly defined competency frameworks for housing management and operational roles?
• How do we assess and maintain professional competence?
• Are managers equipped to identify and address skills gaps?
• Can we evidence continuing professional development?
• How do we promote professional conduct and accountability throughout the organisation?

STAIRS raises the bar for tenant transparency

The introduction of the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRS) represents another significant shift in consumer regulation. STAIRS is designed to make it easier for tenants to access clear, consistent and meaningful information about how their landlord is performing and how decisions affecting their homes are made.

For many providers, this will require a review of both the information they publish and how accessible that information is. The emphasis is no longer on simply making documents available, but on ensuring tenants can easily understand organisational performance and hold their landlord to account. Registered providers should ensure they can provide accessible information covering areas such as:

• Organisational performance
• Governance and decision-making
• Complaints handling and learning
• Housing management services
• Opportunities for tenants to influence decisions.

Many organisations already publish a significant amount of information, but STAIRS reinforces the expectation that transparency should be embedded within day-to-day business rather than treated as a compliance exercise. As the RSH puts it, these changes are intended to help create a culture where tenant voices are heard, trust is strengthened, and the factors that can contribute to stigma are reduced.

Electrical safety: a new Tenant Satisfaction Measure

The RSH has also introduced a new Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) for electrical safety checks, further strengthening the sector’s focus on statutory compliance and transparency.

Introduced on 11 June 2026, the new measure will require all large registered providers (those managing more than 1,000 homes) to publish their performance on electrical safety checks for the first time as part of the 2026/27 reporting year. Smaller providers will need to publish the measure for reporting years ending 31 March 2027 onwards.

This new TSM reflects the growing regulatory emphasis on electrical safety as a key aspect of landlord compliance and gives tenants greater visibility of how providers are meeting their obligations. For registered providers, it’s likely to prompt a renewed focus on:

• The completeness and accuracy of electrical safety records
• The effectiveness of inspection and testing programmes
• Data quality and assurance processes supporting TSM reporting
• Board oversight of compliance performance and associated risks.

What should registered providers do now?

Although the changes are targeted, they provide an ideal opportunity for providers to review whether existing governance, assurance and compliance arrangements remain fit for purpose. Key actions include:

• Undertaking a gap analysis against the Competence and Conduct Standard
• Reviewing workforce competency frameworks and professional development programmes
• Assessing compliance with the new STAIRS requirements and identifying any gaps in published information
• Reviewing electrical safety data, inspection programmes and reporting processes in preparation for the new TSM
• Validating compliance data to ensure confidence in published performance; and
• Ensuring Boards receive meaningful assurance that enables effective scrutiny and informed decision-making.

Beyond compliance: building organisational capability

Ultimately, these revisions show that consumer regulation is evolving beyond policy compliance and towards organisational capability. For registered providers, the focus is on embedding the changes across the organisation and being able to demonstrate, with confidence, that they are delivering them in practice.

How ARK can support you

We have significant experience in supporting both local authorities and housing associations with Mock Inspections, Compliance Health Checks and preparing for legal and regulatory changes through gap analysis.

To find out how we can support you ahead of these changes, get in touch with our team.

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