Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of 14 December 2022 to Question 104103 on Social Rented Housing: Rents, if his Department will commission research into the (a) prevalence of tenants in social housing being incorrectly charged for services they do not receive and (b) impact of (i) caretaking, (ii) maintenance of lifts and door entry systems and (ii) other elements previously covered by rent in social housing now being paid for by service charges.

The Government is clear that service charges should relate to costs, and that it would not be acceptable for Registered Providers of social housing to increase service charges simply as a means of boosting rental revenue. Registered Providers (including housing associations) are expected to supply tenants with clear information about how service charges are set.

Where there are concerns about the calculation, collection or communication of service charges, tenants may ask the Housing Ombudsman to investigate their complaint. The Government has strengthened the Housing Ombudsman Service, so tenants of social landlords have somewhere to turn when they are not getting the answers they need from their landlords.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities works closely with the Regulator of Social Housing, and the Department for Work of Pensions to ascertain the impact of social housing rent policy on taxpayers, tenants and providers.