Senior Consultant
The Government published its Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) policy statement on 30 September 2025 and the Housing Ombudsman Service is now consulting on its role in relation to STAIRs. So, what is STAIRs all about?, where does the Housing Ombudsman fit in? and what do you need to be considering? Here DTP Senior Consultant Mags Pearson summarises the key points.
STAIRs aims to give tenants of private registered providers (PRPs) rights to information about the way their landlord manages and delivers services. STAIRS does not apply to Local Authorities (LA) as LA tenants already have this right under the Freedom of Information Act (FoI). STAIRs will ensure that all social housing tenants have similar rights in this respect.
Like FoI, STAIRs includes a mandatory publication scheme that providers will be required to comply with from 1 October 2026. PRPs must ensure that they identify the information they hold that falls within the mandated classes of information and they must make tenants aware of the publication scheme.
The second stage of STAIRs comes into effect from 01 April 2027 and requires providers to respond to requests for information relevant to the management of their social housing within 30 calendar days. Examples of relevant information are given in the policy statement and include a wide range of areas across estate, property and tenancy management as well as data handling, staffing and training. PRPs will need to develop policy around STAIRS requests (including reasons for refusal) and inform tenants of their policy and how to make a request for information.
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) is currently consulting on proposed amendments to the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard to accommodate STAIRS (as well as the new requirements around competence and conduct). In short, the revised Standard, expected to take effect from 1 October, will require RPs to comply with STAIRS. The RSH consultation closes on 3 March 2026. Details can be found here.
Unlike subject access requests (made under data protection legislation and overseen by the Information Commissioner’s Office) complaints relating to STAIRS will be dealt with by the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS). The Housing Ombudsman intends to share good practice guidance once it has built up a body of casework and is consulting on their proposed approach to dealing with STAIRS complaints until 17 March 2026. Details about how to take part can be found here.
To prepare for the publication scheme requirements there are some keys activities that should already be underway.
Firstly, the policy statement is essential reading as this explains the classes of information that must be published and provides examples of the type of information that fall into each class. The good news is that the list aligns well with the Regulator of Social Housing’s expectations around transparency and accountability and as such many PRPs already share much of the information that is listed in the policy statement.
Secondly, PRPs are likely to want to review the information they hold to work out:
In practical terms RPs may want to review and amend websites, review policies and other key documents to ensure that they are up-to-date and fit for publication and create content for newsletters and other forms of tenant correspondence to publicise the scheme. Ideally, this work will be coordinated with an existing approach to data governance and information management rather than an isolated activity.
RPs have a little longer to prepare for the requirement to respond to requests for information, but again, preparation should already be underway. This is likely to include:
STAIRs is not simply a new compliance duty, but a key part of the sector’s shift towards greater openness – and early preparation will be essential to maintaining regulatory confidence and tenant trust.
DTP offer a range of services that support RPs with regulatory compliance. We offer a website review service which includes gap analysis from a social housing regulation perspective and we are able to offer briefings on STAIRS for Boards and Leadership teams. If you would like to discuss this further please get in touch with DTP Senior Consultants Mags Pearson –[email protected] or Diane Carney – [email protected].
