Regulator for Social Housing could increase fees further in the summer
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has announced that there will be an anticipated rise in regulatory fees of 1.5% compared to last year.
The regulator has said it anticipates that large private registered providers (RP) with 1,000 homes or more will pay no more than £1.37 per home for the first quarter (April to June 2024).
For these large RPs, this will work out at £5.48 per home annually.
Fees for small private registered providers, with fewer than 1,000 homes, are anticipated to be £75 for the first quarter. This is equivalent to £300 on an annualised basis, in line with prior years.
However, rates may well rise further later in the year, depending on the outcome of a consultation on proposed changes to the RSH’s fee regime.
The proposals, published last September, state that once the regulator is fully staffed social landlords with more than 1,000 properties will pay between £9 and £10 per social housing unit they own, up from £5.40 per home in 2023-24.
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The consultation paper set out that housing providers with fewer than 1,000 social homes would still be charged an annual flat fee, but that this is set to double from £300 a year to between £600 and £700.
In a letter to registered providers dated 16 January, director of finance & corporate services at RSH, Richard Peden said that the feedback from the consultation is currently being examined.
The proposed fee changes will apply from 1 July 2024, subject to consultation and approval by the secretary of state.
The letter states that an invoice for the first quarter will be issued in March 2024, and a subsequent invoice for quarters two to four will be issued in June 2024. The March 2024 invoice will include a rebate for unspent fees from 2022-23.
Small private registered providers will receive one invoice in 2024-25, which will be issued in June. The invoice will be made up of £75 for quarter one and the quarter two to four fee.
Peden said there is no rebate for small private registered providers as the cost to regulate and register is no less than the fee charged.
He added: “The decision to issue a single invoice has been made to minimise the administrative burden on small private registered providers”.
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