Briefings and responses

The LGA wants to see a locally-led fully funded oversight and enforcement regime for exempt accommodation within a strengthened national regulatory framework. This should include a requirement for all exempt accommodation providers to be Registered Providers. This will ensure that councils’ responses can be tailored to the challenges they face and the contexts of local housing markets and demand.

This letter details what RAAC is, its dangers, and the immediate actions that councils can take.

The LGA has direct experience of the failure of the construction product testing regime in two respects: the testing of cladding systems and the testing of fire doors.

We welcome proposals that will strengthen the role of the Social Housing Regulator to increase the rights of tenants and enable tenants to better hold their landlord to account on consumer issues.

The LGA’s view is that the best way to increase housing security is to address the unaffordability of housing, which is a key reason why many people lose their tenancy and become homeless.  

Councils are determined that all tenants should have the security of a safe and well-maintained home with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed. The majority of social housing landlords are responsible and provide high quality homes for people to live in.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) held a consultation on social housing rents between 31 August and 12 October 2022. The consultation sought views on the introduction of a rent ceiling from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. Our response to the consultation questions can be found below.

Councils are determined that all tenants should have the security of a safe and well-maintained home with any issues quickly and satisfactorily addressed.

We welcome the introduction of a legally-binding Decent Homes Standard (DHS) and we would support the removal of the term ‘old’ in the DHS, so only the condition is relevant.

The LGA are supportive of a revision to current funding in order to simplify and take into account current housing pressures, but have some concerns about the proposals suggested as they are not necessarily reflective of current strains on homelessness services and will have an extremely adverse effect on London in particular.