Scottish Housing Regulator publishes new tenant engagement plan

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has published its tenant engagement strategy for 2026-2027. 

The body aims to involve tenants, homeless people and other people who use social housing services in its regulation using a range of different methods.

This includes gathering feedback from its national panel of tenants and service users, who are invited to complete one survey and one other feedback exercise each year, with the findings published in a report by the regulator. The panel was established in 2013 and has around 450 members.

The regulator also aims to meet quarterly with its Tenants Together (Scotland) Scottish Housing Regulator Liaison Group to discuss relevant policy consultations. The group is made up of members of Tenants Together (Scotland) – a national network of social housing residents.

SHR will maintain contact with its tenant advisors, who are tenants and gypsy/traveller site residents of social landlords.

They volunteer to participate in the regulation work of SHR by taking part in up to four activities each year, such as testing landlord services, reviewing SHR draft publications to ensure they are clear and accessible or joining group discussions assessing the quality of services provided by social landlords and SHR. The latest tenant advisor cohort was recruited last month and will be in place for around three years.

SHR’s three key objectives for the engagement plan are to understand tenants’ and service users’ priorities and views, involve tenants in its regulation and communicate with tenants and service users about its work.

Michael Cameron, the SHR’s chief executive, said: “We regulate to safeguard the interests of tenants and service users. So, it’s crucial that we understand their priorities and experiences.”