Structure of the Act Information
59.Section 47 requires the regulator to provide a means for tenants to bring to its attention significant performance failures by social landlords. The regulator must publish a statement explaining what is meant by “significant performance failures” and the arrangements it will make for dealing with them.
60.Section 48 gives the regulator the power, when making inquiries or for any other purpose related to its regulatory functions, to obtain any information it needs about a social landlord or a connected body. A request for information can be made to any person. However, subsection (3) provides that the regulator’s initial request must be directed to the social landlord or the connected body. It can only be directed elsewhere if the landlord or connected body fails, or is unable, to provide the information required. It is a criminal offence under section 49 to fail without reasonable excuse to provide (or knowingly or recklessly provide false or misleading) information. It is also a criminal offence to alter, suppress or destroy information required under section 48.
61.Section 50 requires the regulator to issue guidance for landlords on how they should involve people who are or who may become homeless, tenants or other service users (or their representatives) in preparing information which the regulator has requested the social landlord provide. Subsection (2) allows the regulator to require a social landlord to provide information on how it has involved such persons (or their representatives) in providing the information to which the guidance relates. Guidance may be given generally or for particular purposes. Subsections (4) and (5) specify those people the regulator must consult before issuing or revising the guidance, and require the regulator to bring the guidance to the attention of affected social landlords.
62.Section 51 places a duty on the regulator to issue a code of practice on inquiries, setting out how it will make inquires and perform functions under Part 4 of the Act. There is a similar duty on the regulator in section 54 covering regulatory intervention under Part 5.