Commentary on provisions of Act Standards Section 23: Code of practice: standards relating to consumer matters
Section 23 amends the regulator’s power to issue a code of practice in section 195 of the HRA 2008. A code of practice amplifies a standard; it does not bind providers, giving registered providers a better idea of what is expected of them, and tenants a better idea of what to expect from their landlords. Before this amendment was made, under section 195, the regulator could only issue a code of practice which relates to economic standards made under section 194 of the HRA 2008 and published codes of practice on financial viability and governance and value for money. This section extends the provision in section 195 in order to enable the regulator to issue a code of practice for any of its standards, ensuring there is parity between economic and consumer areas of regulation.