Social Housing Regulation
April 2024 saw the implementation of a new consumer-focused regime to ensure the voice of residents is heard and to rebalance the relationship between tenant and Registered Social Landlords. A key element of this is that landlords need to demonstrate that tenants have been involved at every level of decision-making.
As a Registered Social Landlord itself, the Council, working in Partnership with its Arm’s Length Management Organisation, St Leger Homes of Doncaster (SLHD), is required to comply with the new consumer standards and will be subject to inspections by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH). Read more about social housing Consumer Standards and the standards that tenants can expect from their landlord.
Consumer Standards:
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Safety and Quality Standard – Provision of safe and good-quality homes for their tenants, along with good-quality landlord services.
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Transparency, Influence and Accountability – Landlords are expected to be open with tenants and treat them with fairness and respect so they can access services, raise concerns, influence decision making and hold their landlord to account.
- Neighbourhood and Community – Engagement with other partner agencies so that tenants can live in safe and well-maintained neighbourhoods and feel safe in their homes.
- Tenancy Standard – Requires fair allocation and letting of homes, as well as requirements for how tenancies are managed by landlords.
The Council has a number of strategies and policies relating to the provision of suitable housing and related support:
Housing Strategy 2020-2025 - The Housing Strategy recognises the importance of access to good quality housing for everyone. Our homes have a powerful influence on our health and wellbeing, and we want everyone to have a healthy home that is secure, in good repair, warm, comfortable, and free from hazards. The Council intends to refresh its Housing Strategy during 2025.
Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy 2019-2024 – All Local Authorities are required to produce a Homelessness Strategy which must set out plans for preventing homelessness and securing that sufficient accommodation is and will be available for people who are or may become homeless. The current Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy is under review and being updated.
Tenancy Strategy & Allocations Policy – All Local Authorities are required to prepare and publish a Tenancy Strategy setting out the matters to which Registered Providers in its area (including the Council and Housing Associations) must have regard to in formulating their tenancy policies. Our current Tenancy Strategy and Allocations Policy are currently under review and being updated to reflect national guidance, legislation and Council priorities.
- Tenancy Strategy
- Download (931KB - PDF)
Safety and Quality Standard
This standard covers:
- Quality and Safety of Homes
- Decency
- Health and Safety
- Repairs and Maintenance
- Adaptations
The Council in partnership with St Leger Homes meet this standard by ensuring its homes are good quality, safe, and well maintained. This is done through timely repairs, planned maintenance and investment programmes. To help our customers maintain their independence and remain within their homes. The Council has an Aids and Adaptation's Team. Home adaptations can help you to stay mobile in and around your home. Adaptations can range from small items such as grab rails and lever taps to much bigger major alterations such as wet rooms.
To find out more about our Council House Repairs Service including damp and mould, or need to report a repair, please use our Repairs Service Portal or call 01302 862862.
Report issues to City of Doncaster Council or call 01302 736000
- Repairs and Maintenance Policy
- Download (382KB - PDF)
- Customer Charter
- Download (152KB - PDF)
- Damp and Mould Policy
- Download (632KB - PDF)
Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard
- Fairness and Respect
- Engagement with Tenants
- Performance Information
- Complaints
The Council in partnership with St Leger Homes meet this standard by ensuring they deliver fair outcomes for tenants.
We aim to always work hard to provide the best possible standard of service for customers, however we understand there are times when you may be dissatisfied or not happy with the service you have received. If this does happen then you can contact us to make a complaint. Complaints are addressed fairly, effectively, and promptly. If you feel issues you raised have not been addressed to your satisfaction, you have the right to contact the Housing Ombudsman. The Housing Ombudsman and Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) offers a free, independent and impartial service to help resolve complaints made about landlords.
We measure performance across a range of housing services and indicators to ensure services provided are high quality and meet need. Additionally ‘Tenant Satisfaction Measures’ (TSM’s) have been put in place by the Regulator of Social Housing, to create a national benchmark so that tenants can understand how well their landlord is doing compared to others in the country. Engagement is essential to ensuring services are designed and working well for tenants. This is done regularly through a variety of methods, including Tenants Voice panel, customer feedback, Tenant Newsletters. For more information please view St Leger's Engagement Strategy, Customer Charter, and You Said We Did.
Please view St Leger Homes Policies and Strategies all relating to the different areas of housing.
Each year St Leger carry out a self-assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code. This is a legal requirement and the results from the self-assessment are published to promote transparency and accountability. Proactively addressing potential issues boosts tenant satisfaction, enabling continuous improvements.
Housing Ombudsman Self Assessment March 2024
- Download (282KB - PDF)
Neighbourhood and Community Standard
This standard covers:
- Safety of Shared Spaces
- Local Co-operation
- Anti-social Behaviour, Hate Incidents & Domestic Abuse
Working together with partners agencies St Leger Homes has a dedicated team, who's role is to tackle Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), Hate Incidents and Domestic Abuse to help support victims of these crimes.
- Housing Management Policy
- Download (574KB - PDF)
Tenancy Standard
This standard covers:
- Allocations and Lettings
- Tenancy Sustainment and Evictions
- Tenure
- Mutual Exchange
- Diversity
- Landlord Services
The Council in partnership with St Leger Homes meets this standard with our Tenancy Strategy and Allocations Policy which are both currently under review. We offer Mutual Exchanges, which is when two or more council tenants or housing association tenants have a legal right to exchange their tenancies under section 92 of the Housing Act 1985. This can be a good way of finding a home, one that’s best suited to you and your household’s needs. For more information please view HomeSwapper.
Our Tenancy Strategy sets out requirements for the fair allocation and letting of homes, as well as how tenancies are managed. It will provide the basis for changes we make in the management of our homes and give guidance to other providers of social housing that are active within our city.
In order to make best use of the available housing stock and to create stable sustainable communities a range of tenancies are offered. St Leger Homes offer individual tenancy advice and assistance, enabling our customers to successfully maintain their tenancies. Where tenancy fraud occurs for example if someone obtains or uses a social housing tenancy illegally, provides false information to secure a tenancy, subletting without permission, or illegally occupying a property after the tenancy has ended this is treated as a criminal offence.
The Council and St Leger Homes are committed to fairness and equality and want to help make Doncaster a more cohesive, multi-cultural society where difference is valued and celebrated with quality homes in quality neighbourhoods. The Council and it’s partners are committed to putting residents at the heart of everything we do providing services that are accessible, inclusive and fairly delivered.
Tenancy Strategy
- Download (931KB - PDF)
- St Leger Homes Fairness and Equality Statement
- Download (145KB - PDF)
Downloads & Resources
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