By Alistair McIntosh, HQN CEO

Former housing secretary Steve Reed wrote to the Regulator of Social Housing in April calling for them to push harder on creating social and affordable homes. The regulator launched its More and Better Homes paper on 9 June with similar messages.

Under the premiership of Andy Burnham, what signals are coming out of Downing Street now – and how will that influence the RSH?

How should you strike the right balance between maintaining existing homes and building new ones? Many will be stuck between a rock and a hard place: you can’t ignore vital works from stock surveys nor dare you spurn councils that need urgent action on homelessness. Is it ok to sell assets to pay for maintenance or must it all go towards growth?

What sort of efficiency gains does the RSH expect? Is it about mergers, new technology, all of the above? What sorts of innovations or collaborations does the RSH envisage? Will efficiency targets be imposed by the RSH? Should landlords develop their own? How will these be tested at inspection?

How should you manage the drive for efficiency – which usually means merger – versus the new focus on the quality of local management?

How much risk does the RSH expect you to take on in this new world? What margins will be acceptable? What will happen to the V rating?

Does the RSH have early thoughts on what it might put in standardised stress tests?

Is the RSH working on the assumption that there will be failures in the sector? Why? Many landlords are doing well at inspection? What does failing safely mean? Is it akin to living wills? What should be in the driver’s manual so that those that take over a landlord can operate as smoothly as possible?

How should boards and leaders respond? What changes will tenants see on the ground?

Who will be the winners and losers in the new regime? What does the new model landlord look like?

There’s a LOT to think about. At our FREE event on 15 September – Future proofing economic regulation: Join the RSH’s discussion before 30 September 2026 – you’ll hear from our speakers on what the regulator expects and get to debate with HQN’s experts and other practitioners.

Find and more and book your place here.