Social landlord Pivotal Housing Association has appealed the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) decision to remove it from the registered providers list.

The RSH took action at the end of May due to Pivotal’s persistent and long-standing failure to deliver the outcomes of the Governance and Financial Viability Standard since the regulator published its findings in 2021 and took enforcement action in April 2025.

Pivotal, a small provider of supported accommodation through leases mainly in the West Country, failed to demonstrate effective governance and that it is managing its affairs appropriately to serve and protect its tenants’ best interests, the RSH says.

The 500-home provider had until 23 June to appeal the decision and the regulator has now confirmed that the social landlord has appealed under Section 121 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.

At the end of May, the RSH said that Pivotal had been balance sheet insolvent for more than two years and was unable to demonstrate it could manage significant risks to ensure its financial viability in the short or long term. It also failed to meet the RSH’s requirements for robust business planning and stress testing.

It also failed to meet the Rent Standard, incorrectly reported homes as social housing and accepts the majority of its homes were not rented at low cost and did not meet the criteria for specialised supported housing as claimed.

Pivotal has had an extensive opportunity to make improvements to achieve better outcomes for its tenants and has failed to do so, the RSH says, and is free to continue to operate as a private landlord, while the regulator’s decision does not change individual tenancy agreements.

The RSH’s chief executive, Jonathan Walters, said: “Being a registered provider of social housing is an important and serious undertaking, carrying clear responsibilities and obligations.

“We are prepared to take action where a landlord fails to take prompt and effective action to meet regulatory standards and protect homes.

“Removal from the register is not an action we take lightly, however, Pivotal was not able to resolve very serious failures and did not respond adequately to enforcement action.”