The UK government introduced new consumer standards for social housing from 1st April, 2024.
These standards are enforced by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) and apply to all social landlords, including councils and housing associations.
MSV welcomes the new regulatory standards as they provide tenants greater rights and protections and help to improve the quality of social housing and the service tenants receive overall.
There are 4 standards, plus the Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM):
- The Safety and Quality Standard
- The Transparency, influence and accountability Standard
- The Neighbourhood and Community Standard
- The Tenancy Standard
Watch the short animation below to find out our plans for each of the standards and the TSM's:
Getting the Basics Right
This is the over-arching theme for the Consumer Standards and something our customers have told us is important to them.
That means:-
- We must do repairs well, keep repairs appointments, and update customers if we can’t attend for any reason.
- We must get back to customers and keep them updated when we are dealing with issues on their behalf. We must not pass customers from pillar to post, instead we will be accountable and deal with the issue promptly.
- We will always take complaints seriously and deal with the issue – it’s about personal accountability.
This Standard is about making sure MSV offers customers:
- homes that are good and safe to live in
- and provide good services.
MSV will look after our homes by:
- doing checks on each home to make sure they are good and safe for customers
- looking after customer’s homes and keeping an accurate record so we know what condition they are in
This includes:
- fixing things it is MSV’s job to fix
- replacing things and keeping things up to date where it is MSV’s job to do so
- making sure things in the home are safe. Things like boilers and fire alarms
MSV must make sure their homes are good to live in. They must:
- be warm and dry
- be well looked after
- have good kitchens and bathrooms that are easy for customers to use.
They should also be safe for customers to live in, including any shared areas such as:
- hallways and stairs
- gardens and footpaths
- rooms that customers share with other customers
MSV will do safety checks on important things in customer’s homes. Things like gas, electricity and smoke alarms.
We must:-
- do any repairs it is our job to do, in the right way and as quickly as possible
- make it easy for customers to report a repair
- and let customers know what work needs to be done and how long it will take.
If a repair is an emergency, we will come and fix it straightaway for example if customers have no water or electricity.
Customers who want to, should be able to live safely and independently in their homes and some customers might need changes to their homes to meet their needs, such as adaptations. This might be things like putting in a stairlift or making bathrooms easy to use. MSV should work with customers to find those who can make these changes.
This Standard says MSV should help make sure customers live in safe and well-kept neighbourhoods and look after areas outside customers’ homes
These areas might be owned by the local council or another landlord. For example:
- where bins are stored or
- footpaths outside homes
MSV will work together with other organisations to keep neighbourhoods safe for example local councils, the police and other landlords.
We will let customers know what we are doing to achieve this.
MSV will support customers who are experiencing domestic abuse
Domestic abuse is when customers are harmed by their partner or someone close to them. This could be someone they are in a relationship with, like a husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend or maybe a member of their family.
We set out clearly how we will work with other partners to support customers with domestic abuse.
Customers who live in social housing are more likely to experience anti-social behaviour and crime. Anti-social behaviour is when neighbours or other customers make you feel worried or scared at home or near your home.
This could be by:
- playing music very loudly or
- shouting or swearing at you.
MSV works with other organisations to:
- support customers who have been affected by anti-social behaviour
- and help stop anti-social behaviour from happening
he Customer Satisfaction Measures, or TSM’s as they are known, is a system for assessing how well landlords like MSV are doing at providing good quality homes and services.
The TSM’s allow customers to measure and understand how well MSV are doing and challenge MSV in areas customers feel we are failing.
The TSM’s are published quarterly (end of April, July, Oct and Jan) on MSV’s website, social media and in the newsletter to customers.
We will provide a video highlighting performance for the website and social media so customers can get a better understanding of the figures we publish.
TSM’s are also reported to MSV’s Customer Committee and Customer Scrutiny Panel. You can read more here: Tenant Satisfaction Measures.
For more information on the consumer standards and MSV's plans to meet them, please click on the infographic on the right.
MSV will:
- treat customers fairly and with respect
- understand customers needs and support them in a way that meets their needs
- involve customers in plans and decisions
- tell customers and the regulator how well MSV is doing every year.
- give customers all the information they need about being a tenant
- ask customers for their ideas about how to do things better in future.
- deal with complaints fairly and quickly.
- be honest and open with customers and let the regulator know if the standard is not being met.
This Standard says how MSV should:
- rent homes to customers and
- look after and end tenancies.
MSV must:
- rent houses in a fair and open way and
- support customers to live in their homes for as long as possible.
If we ask a customer to leave, we will offer them advice and support before they leave.
MSV supports customers to swap homes with each other if they wish and if this happens, MSV will explain if there will be any changes, for example the rent payable.
MSV will follow the law and consider the customer’s needs when we offer a home to rent.
