Housing Regulation in Wales

The Regulatory Framework for Housing Associations Registered in Wales (2021), contains nine standards that landlords are required to evidence compliance against. All the standards are outcome focused and designed to evidence that housing associations in Wales are:

• Well-governed;

• Delivering high quality homes and services; and

• Financially viable.

To support the implementation of the framework, the housing regulation team, together with representatives from RSLs and Community Housing Cymru (CHC) are developing a practice note.

Co-Regulation

Regulation in Wales is based on a co-regulation model. What this means in practice is that board members of registered social landlords in Wales must seek assurance that their organisation is delivering as they intend and to the regulatory standards. In turn Welsh Government's housing regulation team will seek assurance on behalf of ministers that RSLs are fit for purpose and performing.

The Housing Regulation Team

Welsh Government's housing regulation team undertakes day to day regulatory activities on behalf of the ministers, including the implementation of the regulatory framework. They report their findings and make recommendations to ministers and are responsible for maintaining and publishing a list of registered social landlords in Wales, including the most recent regulatory judgement for each association.

Self evaluation

Each social landlord is required to undertake an annual self evaluation against the regulatory standards contained within the framework. More detailed information on the self evaluation is contained within the regulatory framework, and it forms a core part of the regulatory assessment.

Regulatory assessment

The regulatory assessment is undertaken by the housing regulation team, and it reviews the associations performance taking into account the self evaluation together with other information that is required to be provided to the regulation team throughout the year.

Regulatory Judgement

Following on from the regulatory assessment a regulatory judgement is issued. The judgement is issued for governance (including service delivery) and financial viability.

Our role

Community Housing Cymru (CHC) works with members and Welsh Government to ensure that regulation is proportionate and effectively enables individual housing associations to deliver on their core purpose and strategic aim.