Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will hold discussions with Homes England on the quality of new‑build shared‑ownership homes delivered by Abri in the last five years.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Housing associations are independent bodies responsible for the management of their properties and for resolving disputes with their residents.
Where such disputes cannot be resolved through a landlords’ complaints procedure, the Housing Ombudsman can investigate concerns relating to housing management, including access issues, repairs, and complaint handling.
Homes England does not have a role in overseeing the quality of homes delivered by individual providers once completed.
The government expects all housebuilders to deliver good quality homes, and we know that the vast majority do so. When things do go wrong, the government expects housebuilders to make things right.
To help customers resolve issues with new homes which developers have been unable or unwilling to fix, the government has committed to establishing a statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman to investigate and resolve complaints and provide new home buyers with effective redress. We will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will hold discussions with Homes England on the identification of snagging defects in new‑build shared‑ownership properties built by Abri.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Housing associations are independent bodies responsible for the management of their properties and for resolving disputes with their residents.
Where such disputes cannot be resolved through a landlords’ complaints procedure, the Housing Ombudsman can investigate concerns relating to housing management, including access issues, repairs, and complaint handling.
Homes England does not have a role in overseeing the quality of homes delivered by individual providers once completed.
The government expects all housebuilders to deliver good quality homes, and we know that the vast majority do so. When things do go wrong, the government expects housebuilders to make things right.
To help customers resolve issues with new homes which developers have been unable or unwilling to fix, the government has committed to establishing a statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman to investigate and resolve complaints and provide new home buyers with effective redress. We will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Suella Braverman (Reform UK - Fareham and Waterlooville)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his his Department has issued guidance on effective communication between housing associations and developers for resolving defects.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government has no current plans to introduce new statutory timescales for registered providers to complete remedial works on new‑build homes.
There are already a range of legal and contractual protections in place to ensure defects are addressed promptly. Developers and landlords have duties under the Defective Premises Act 1972 to ensure homes are fit for habitation when completed. Many new‑build homes are also covered by warranties and the Consumer Code for Home Builders, which set standards for quality and provide routes for redress.
In addition, landlords remain legally responsible for meeting their repair obligations under Awaab’s Law, which requires them to investigate and remedy serious damp and mould and emergency hazards within statutory timeframes.
The government expects all housebuilders to deliver good quality homes, and we know that the vast majority do so. When things do go wrong, the government expects housebuilders to make things right.
To help customers resolve issues with new homes which developers have been unable or unwilling to fix, the government has committed to establishing a statutory UK-wide New Homes Ombudsman to investigate and resolve complaints and provide new home buyers with effective redress. We will set out further details in due course.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will set out the mechanisms for leaseholders and shared ownership tenants to challenge unexpected or excessive maintenance charges; and whether his Department plans to (a) strengthen enforcement or (b) provide additional support for those in dispute with housing associations.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Most shared owners have a landlord who is a member of the Housing Ombudsman Service. Tenants can therefore take complaints about service charges, not including fees, to the Ombudsman.
The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme places new expectations on shared ownership providers to improve customer experience. These include giving greater consideration to long-term customer affordability and increasing transparency and fairness on costs.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 4 July 2025 (HCWS780).
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to review the practices of housing associations in relation to the application of maintenance charges for shared ownership properties; and what steps he will take to ensure charges (a) reflect actual services delivered and (b) are communicated in plain language.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Most shared owners have a landlord who is a member of the Housing Ombudsman Service. Tenants can therefore take complaints about service charges, not including fees, to the Ombudsman.
The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme places new expectations on shared ownership providers to improve customer experience. These include giving greater consideration to long-term customer affordability and increasing transparency and fairness on costs.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 4 July 2025 (HCWS780).
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to encourage housing associations work with local councils on an agreed anti-social behaviour protocol.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets. Social landlords have a range of powers and tools to tackle anti-social behaviour and we expect them to use those powers promptly and proportionately, working with local agencies to put the needs of victims at the heart of their response.
The Neighbourhood and Community Standard, which can be found on gov.uk here, requires registered providers of social housing to work in partnership with appropriate local authority departments, the police and other relevant organisations to deter and tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB) and hate incidents in the neighbourhoods where they provide social housing. They must also have policies in place setting out how they will do this.
Providers are also required to collect and publish data on the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, including tenants’ satisfaction with their landlord’s approach to handling anti-social behaviour. This ensures that tenants and other interested parties can hold registered providers to account for the services they provide.
In addition, the Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review brings together partner agencies such as the police, councils and social landlords to investigate tenants’ complaints about ASB and to make sure they have been dealt with properly.
Asked by: Helen Morgan (Liberal Democrat - North Shropshire)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has had discussions with (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities on the full provision of flooring social housing.
Answered by Jacob Young
Landlords must ensure homes are of a decent standard and investigate and respond to complaints quickly. All residents have the right to a safe, warm and decent home. If residents are unhappy, they can contact the Housing Ombudsman.
The Government is currently reviewing the Decent Homes Standard and has been considering the question of floor coverings in social housing as part of this work.
Asked by: Ruth Cadbury (Labour - Brentford and Isleworth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 27 June 2023 to Question 190204 on Housing Ombudsman Service: Complaints, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the time for the Housing Ombudsman Service to respond to complaints made regarding (a) housing associations and (b) the private rental sector.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Department holds Accounting Officer meetings quarterly with the Ombudsman, where the focus is on tracking progress against performance indicators, including complaint handling times.
Recognising the growing demand, the Department has supported the Ombudsman by approving year on year increases in membership fees to increase numbers of staff dealing with social housing and private rented sector complaints.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of average changes in levels of (a) rent and (b) service changes for shared ownership tenants in housing associations over the last two years on tenants affected.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Shared ownership rents are increased annually in accordance with the terms of the lease. We are however aware of the impact that inflation has had on rents. That is why we welcome the fact that housing associations representing 95% of the sector's shared ownership homes have confirmed - through the National Housing Federation - that they will voluntarily limit rent increases to no more than 7% in 2023-24. We are pleased to note that a significant number of for-profit providers and local authorities have also chosen to adopt this approach. This is a sensible and proportionate measure to protect shared owners from particularly high rent increases, in response to cost of living concerns.
Service charges must reflect the cost of providing services to leaseholders and they should be supplied with clear information about how their charges are set, including any increases. If a shared ownership leaseholder is dissatisfied with this process, they can make an official complaint to their landlord. If this does not resolve the matter, they may be able to ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate the complaint in some cases. The Ombudsman does not investigate complaints about the level of service charges (or the level of increase), but it may investigate complaints about the calculation, collection, or communication of service charges.
The Government recognises that the existing statutory requirements do not go far enough to enable leaseholders to identify and challenge unfair costs. We will take action to support and empower leasehold homeowners and are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of average changes in levels of rent for shared ownership tenants in housing associations over the last two years.
Answered by Baroness Maclean of Redditch
Shared ownership rents are increased annually in accordance with the terms of the lease. We are however aware of the impact that inflation has had on rents. That is why we welcome the fact that housing associations representing 95% of the sector's shared ownership homes have confirmed - through the National Housing Federation - that they will voluntarily limit rent increases to no more than 7% in 2023-24. We are pleased to note that a significant number of for-profit providers and local authorities have also chosen to adopt this approach. This is a sensible and proportionate measure to protect shared owners from particularly high rent increases, in response to cost of living concerns.
Service charges must reflect the cost of providing services to leaseholders and they should be supplied with clear information about how their charges are set, including any increases. If a shared ownership leaseholder is dissatisfied with this process, they can make an official complaint to their landlord. If this does not resolve the matter, they may be able to ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate the complaint in some cases. The Ombudsman does not investigate complaints about the level of service charges (or the level of increase), but it may investigate complaints about the calculation, collection, or communication of service charges.
The Government recognises that the existing statutory requirements do not go far enough to enable leaseholders to identify and challenge unfair costs. We will take action to support and empower leasehold homeowners and are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.