Industry News


Housemark has launched the social housing sector’s first suite of comparable building safety metrics


electrics, fire, asbestos, water and lifts, has been launched byHousemark, the sector’s leading data collector and analyst. Themeasures have been developed as part of a


A


specialist research group ofmore than 200 social landlords and sector experts including Building a safer future, the Chartered Institute ofHousing, G15, Electrical Safety First and the National Federation of ALMOs. Headline findings fromtheir analysis of


data collected for 2020/21 fromhousing associations, includes:


• Compliance is high across the sector but the underlying data often requires human intervention tomake calculations, increasing the risk of data accuracy;


• Safety specialists and governing bodies are looking for comparable safetymetrics to support assurance;


• Landlords use an average of five different IT systems tomonitor building safety, only 1 in 8 use a single system, this complexity creates inefficiency and data quality challenges; and


• Most landlords are using existing lines of communication to informresidents about building safety. Few reported proactive conversations with residents – 39% said they had


raised awareness through personal visits and only 1 in 4 reported formal discussions with resident representatives about safety, highlighting this critical issue for the sector.


Talking about the newmeasures,Housemark Chief Executive Laurice Ponting said: “Nothing ismore important than the safety of residents and historically we have seen that what getsmeasured getsmanaged. As the leading data and insight company for the UK housing sector,Housemark has worked with customers and other sector leaders in this crucial area, to provide the support and guidance proactive providers want. “Using existing regulation and sector expertise,


we have created a standardised way tomonitor and measure building safety and eight newmeasures


45 per cent of private renters have been victims of illegal acts by their landlord or letting agent


The campaigning housing charity Shelter has warned the Government that its planned Renters’ ReformBillmust help private tenants fight back against illegal behaviour. Over two-fifths of England’s private renting


adults – equivalent to 3.7 million people - have been the victim of illegal behaviour froma landlord or letting agent, research fromShelter has revealed. An in-depth YouGov study of 3,500 private


tenants revealed themost common illegal behaviour they faced is a landlord or letting agent entering their home without giving notice or a chance to give permission – a quarter of respondents had experienced this, equivalent to 2.1 million people. Safety and standards were also a concern, as 22 per cent of tenants (1.8 million people)


said essential safety or household appliances like smoke alarms, central heating or water supplies were not working when theymoved into a property. Despite tenancy deposits often costing


people thousands of pounds, 18 per cent of tenants (1.5 million people) said their landlord or letting agent had broken the law by failing to secure their deposit in an approved Government Deposit Protection Scheme. Evenmore worryingly, nearly one in ten (9 per


cent) private tenants (731,000 people) said they have been assaulted, threatened or harassed by their landlord or letting agent. Shelter is now calling on the Government to keep its promise to provide greater protections for


20 | HMMDecember/January 2022 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


will be available in April 2022 for our customers to make like-for-like comparisons. This will put their performance in context to understand where they are now and where they need to drive improvements. Our research has also highlighted sector trends and barriers to tackling this key priority, enabling customers to use insight tomake evidence-based decisions.” Among a series of action points emerging from


the analysis,Housemark is recommending that social landlords work on changing their internal culture to focusmore on safety; that value engineering (looking for savings) is reduced and quality and safety are upgraded; the sector works towards standardisation (making true comparisons easier) andmore emphasis is placed on the sharing of best practice.


renters. The housing charity has warned that the upcoming, landmark Renters’ ReformBill must include a National Landlord Register to ensure landlords fulfil their legal obligations, help regulate the private rental sector, and give renters the power to enforce their rights against law- breaking behaviour. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said:


“Home is everything. Yet millions of private renters across the country don’t feel safe or secure in theirs because of landlords and agents who flout the law. People should not have to put up with broken safety alarms, strangers bursting into their homes unannounced or the threat of harassment and violence. “Enough is enough. Nobody is above the law and


renters are tired of being powerless to enforce their rights. The Government has promised voters a fairer private renting system that punishes illegal behaviour by landlords and letting agents. To deliver on this promise, its Renters’ ReformBill must include a National Landlord Register that makes landlords fully accountable and helps drive up standards across private renting.”


suite of eight safety compliancemeasures specifically designed for social housing and covering the essential services of gas,


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