Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has had assurances from social housing providers that they are complying with the guidance that requests from shared owners to sub-let should be accepted if their property is affected by building safety issues.

The relevant government guidance is clear: for properties affected by building safety issues, requests from shared owners to sub-let should always be accepted by registered providers of social housing in England (though where required, the shared owner may also need permission from the mortgage lender and/or the building’s freeholder). This is an important way in which to support shared owners to manage the effects of building safety issues.

For registered providers, compliance with this guidance is a condition of receiving grant funding through the Affordable Homes Programme. Moreover, the government has made clear its expectation that this guidance should apply to all shared owners, regardless of how their home has been delivered.