Proposed changes to the 2023 Statistical Data Return

The Regulator of Social Housing is consulting on proposed changes to the Statistical Data Return, to be implemented in the 2023 data collection. 

The proposed changes are as follows.  

For the full return (to be completed by social housing providers with more than 1,000 homes):

• Updating building height questions to reflect the high-rise definitions in the Building Safety Act (2022).
• New question on low cost rental units failing each Decent Homes Standard criterion and the number failing one or more criterion.
• New question on the number of low cost rental units which do not meet the Decent Homes Standard but which are excluded from the failures reported due to exemptions.
• New question on the percentage of low cost rental units that have been physically surveyed for Decent Homes Standard compliance in the last five years.
• New question on the number of low cost rental units with a valid EPC rating at each rating level (A to G): Those which have no valid EPC rating (but will need one on sale or letting) and those which do not require a valid EPC.
• Splitting provider level data on the duration of unavailability of units into ‘temporarily unavailable for letting’ and ‘permanently unavailable for letting’.
• Splitting local authority level data on the duration of unavailability of units (as above) for general needs vacancies currently collected at local authority level.
• Collecting additional local authority level data on the number of homes sold via Right to Buy, Voluntary Right to Buy, Right to Acquire, etc.

For the short return (to be completed by social housing providers with fewer than 1,000 homes):

• Updating building height questions to reflect the high-rise definitions in the Building Safety Act (2022).
• Splitting provider level data on the duration of unavailability of units into ‘temporarily unavailable for letting’ and ‘permanently unavailable for letting’.

The full text of the proposed new questions is available in pdf format for full return and short return. These documents also contain instructions on responding to the consultation.