Scottish Housing Regulator
As a Registered Social Landlord we are regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR). SHR are the independent regulator of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and local authority housing services in Scotland.
They have one statutory objective to:
“safeguard and promote the interests of current and future tenants of social landlords, people who are or may become homeless, and people who use housing services by RSLs and local authorities”.
There are several ways in which we are regulated ranging from analysis of the returns we are required to return each year which include our Annual Accounts and our Annual Performance Statistical Return. This gives the Scottish Housing Regulator an overview of how we perform in areas such as arrears, lettings, debt management etc.
To find out more on how the Scottish Housing Regulator regulates us please click here to view their guide.
How we are performing
Cathcart & District Housing Association is required to submit our Annual Return on the Scottish Social Housing Charter each year to the SHR. All of our returns are published on the Regulator's website, where it is also possible to compare our performance to other RSLs.
All RSLs must submit an Annual Assurance Statement to the SHR by the end of October each year. This provides assurance that the Asssociation is complying with the relevant requirements of Chapter 3 of the SHR's Regulatory Framework. This includes the regulatory requirements which apply to social landlords and the Standards of Governance and Financial Management that apply to RSLs.
In addition, each year we send our tenants and factored owners our Performance Report Against the Housing Charter to keep them updated on our performance.
For an overview on our performance, please view SHR's Landlord Report. We also have an Engagement Plan with SHR which shows how they are engaging with us and any areas of our performance that they are concerned about.
Serious Concerns
The SHR defines a serious concern as when your social landlord:
- has acted in a way which puts tenants’ interests at risk and this affects, or could affect, a group of tenants or all tenants; or
- repeatedly fails to achieve outcomes in the Social Housing Charter or outcomes agreed with tenants; or
- has not reported its performance annually to its tenants or has reported it inaccurately; or
- does not meet our standards for how an RSL should govern itself and manage its finances; or
- has not met any targets we have set it.
Examples of a serious concern includes:
- fails to consult with tenants on a rent increase; or
- regularly fails to do gas safety checks when it should; or
- regularly does not do repairs when it should; or
- does not allow tenants to apply for another house; or
- does not respond formally to complaints.
For further information, please read the SHR Complaints and Serious Concerns factsheet which identifies the difference between a complaint and serious concern, lets you know what to do and who to contact.
BSL Video Links:
How to make a complaint or raise a serious concern about a social landlord - information video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O3HDcGyIbI
How we regulate: A guide for tenants and service users https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeV7DgiGwDg