Safety and Quality Standard
Landlords must provide safe, good-quality homes, know the condition of every home they own, and run a repairs service that works for tenants.
- 5Areas the regulator looks at
- 1Overall consumer grade it feeds into
- 4Years between routine inspections
For residents, and for your organisation.
What residents can expect
- A home that meets the Decent Homes Standard
- Gas, electrical, fire, water, asbestos and lift safety checks done on time
- Repairs done right first time, with clear updates along the way
- Damp and mould taken seriously and fixed quickly
What your organisation must do
- Accurate, up-to-date data on the condition of every home
- Meeting every health and safety duty, with proof
- An effective, efficient and timely repairs and maintenance service
- Using stock data to plan investment and spot homes at risk
The areas inspectors look at.
Stock quality
Collect and keep accurate data on the condition of every home, and use it to plan work.
Decency
Make sure homes meet the Decent Homes Standard, and fix failures quickly.
Health and safety
Meet all legal health and safety duties for tenants, including in communal areas.
Repairs, maintenance and planned improvements
Run a repairs service that is timely and effective, and keep tenants informed.
Adaptations
Help tenants get the adaptations they need to live safely and independently.
What you’ll need to show.
Typical evidence inspectors ask for. Be Assured maps each one to the expectation it proves.
- Stock condition survey programme and coverage data
- Compliance reports for the big six safety areas
- Repairs performance and right-first-time data
- Damp and mould policy and case records
- Board reports on building safety
From problem to proof.
Stock data is often years out of date for a large share of homes, and safety certificates live in different contractor systems.
Bring stock, compliance and repairs data into one view, flag homes with old or missing surveys, and track certificate expiry dates.
A landlord sees that 1,120 homes have no survey since 2021, ranks them by risk, and sets a costed plan the board can follow.
Last reviewed 8 October 2026. Based on the Regulator of Social Housing’s consumer standards, in force since 1 April 2024.
Safety and Quality Standard: common questions
What does the Safety and Quality Standard require?
Landlords must hold accurate, up-to-date data on the condition of every home, meet the Decent Homes Standard, meet all health and safety duties and run an effective, efficient and timely repairs service.
How do inspectors test the Safety and Quality Standard?
They review stock condition data, compliance reports for gas, electrical, fire, water, asbestos and lift safety, repairs performance and how damp and mould are handled. They also check individual cases and speak to tenants.
How does Awaab's Law relate to this standard?
Awaab's Law sets legal timescales for investigating and fixing damp, mould and other serious hazards. Meeting those timescales, and being able to prove it, is part of showing your homes are safe under this standard.
Check your position on this standard.
See every expectation in the Safety and Quality Standard as plain questions, with evidence linked.