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A new report from the Welsh Government has shown that Welsh housing associations are keeping on top of their health and safety compliance.

The results are based on the returns of 36 housing associations in the country.

The number of fire risk assessments reported as being up to date stands at 99.5%, up from 99.4%.

29 housing associations, three more than in March, are now reporting up to date assessment levels of 100% with no housing associations in Wales reporting less than 90% compliance.

On gas safety, it was a similar story with the level of compliance reported across the sector currently at 99.89% having risen from 99.81%.

Despite the number of housing associations that reported compliance levels of 100% falling by one since March, the number reporting less than 99% compliance fell from one to zero.

And this focus on safety has seen improvements in electrical safety, with 99.4% of properties across the sector reported as having a current electrical safety certificate, up from 99.2%.

14 housing associations are reporting 100% of electrical safety as being up to date, up from 10, with the number of landlords reporting less than 99% compliance falling from eight to five.

On asbestos and water, 31 housing associations reported that they had up to date assessments, a rise of three since March.

Other key findings from the reports include:

• The average level of rent loss from vacant properties in the quarter was 1.8%, slightly up on the 1.7% reported for the quarter to March. In the month of June it was 1.83%.
• Whilst the overall rent loss remains stable there is a difference in performance of individual housing associations. Four show an increase of 0.5% or more in void loss with six showing a fall of the same amount.
• The total rent outstanding from current tenants remains the same as March, £30.2m or 3.6% of the annual rent roll.
• The total rent outstanding due directly from tenants, i.e. excluding amounts due directly from housing benefit and alternative payment arrangements (APAs), has risen slightly. It currently stands at £18.2m, a rise of £1.1m in the quarter. This is 2.2% of the annual rent roll, at the same level as July last year when the data was first collected.
• Within this relatively stable sector position seven housing associations have seen a fall of more than 0.5% since July and five a rise of more than 0.5% in the amount due directly from tenants.
• The number of tenancies in arrears banded by weeks of rental income has remained broadly similar with a slight rise in numbers with arrears of between 8-12 weeks arrears.
• A total of 42,000 tenants (28.3%) are known to be in receipt of Universal Credit, up from 26.5% in March. A total of 16,000 APAs were received in June (10.8% of tenancies)
• To date, housing associations in Wales report spending an additional £10.9m on Covid-19 related activities, up from £10.0m.