Social housing regulator considers striking small housing association off the register

The Regulator of Social Housing is considering removing Pivotal Housing Association from its register of providers due to the landlord’s “persistent and long-standing failure” to resolve regulatory issues. 

“These ongoing failures continue to put the social homes it owns and the quality of services it delivers at risk,” the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) said in a notice published today. 

Pivotal, which provides supported housing through lease agreements with institutional investors, now has the opportunity to make representations to the RSH before it makes a final decision. 

The RSH said it was taking action because of Pivotal’s non-compliance with the Governance and Financial Viability Standard, which was first flagged by the regulator back in 2021.

Further enforcement action was taken by the RSH against Pivotal in April 2025, but the watchdog said the housing association has “not resolved serious regulatory concerns”. 

“We have concluded that Pivotal has failed to meet the Governance and Financial Viability Standard and has not resolved regulatory concerns following enforcement action and ongoing regulatory engagement,” the regulator said. 

“Despite efforts by Pivotal’s board, Pivotal has failed to demonstrate it has effective governance arrangements, an appropriate, robust and prudent business planning, risk and control framework and that it is managing its affairs with an appropriate degree of skill, independence, diligence, effectiveness, prudence and foresight,” it continued. 

“Pivotal has also failed to demonstrate that it is managing its resources effectively to ensure its viability is maintained while ensuring social housing assets are not put at undue risk.”

The RSH noted that annual accounts for the years ending 31 March 2024 and 2025 were both overdue, meaning it could not confirm details about turnover and staffing. 

Pivotal, which largely operates in the West Country and is non-profit, owns 173 units of social housing and 371 units of non-social housing. 

As it manages fewer than 1,000 social homes it is classed as a small landlord by the RSH. The RSH only publishes regulatory judgement for small landlords where there has been “serious weaknesses or failings” in a landlord’s delivery of standards. 

“Failing to take prompt and effective action to meet the regulatory standards, and protect homes and tenants, is unacceptable,” Jonathan Walters, deputy chief executive at RSH, said.

“We will carefully consider any representations made by Pivotal before making a final decision but prepared to take robust action to maintain the integrity of the register and safeguard the reputation of the sector.”

A spokesperson for Pivotal said the organsiation is “disappointed” by the regulatory judgement.

He said: ”We have been engaging regularly with the regulator and will continue to do so as we work to move to a position of regulatory compliance.

“We will continue to make representations to the regulator to demonstrate how we meet the necessary criteria for continued registration, and we will continue to provide vital homes and services to the residents we serve.”