Our responses to consultations

We express strong support for working with MHCLG to develop a fair rent-setting policy that balances the needs of residents, social landlords, and the government.

We advocate for a £3 per week rent convergence mechanism over 10 years, which would provide the financial stability needed to address the housing crisis, particularly acute in London and greater Manchester, and to invest in both new and existing homes.

Despite our historical contribution to housing development, financial constraints have significantly reduced our capacity to build new homes, shifting their focus toward maintaining current ones.

We welcome recent government measures, including the 10-year Affordable Homes programme and rent settlement, but stress that long-term planning and predictable funding are essential.

While we acknowledge concerns about welfare costs and resident affordability, rent convergence is economically beneficial and socially responsible, and we remain committed to supporting residents through services like financial advice and employment support.

Read our response to the Rent Convergence consultation (PDF)

The government has consulted on changes to the Decent Homes Standard (DHS), which establishes the minimum housing quality standards that residents in social and (for the first time) private rented sectors can expect from their landlords. Key proposed changes included:

• a revised definition of disrepair to only consider the condition of a component and no longer consider its age
• the inclusion of child-resistant window restrictors as an essential facility
• enhanced security measures for doors and windows and the inclusion of them as an essential facility
• mandatory provision of suitable floor coverings in all rooms at the start of a tenancy
• a requirement for properties to be free from damp and mould
• additional heating requirements and compliance with Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards

Within our response, we noted that we welcome the government’s efforts to reform the DHS to reflect modern expectations that ensure all homes are safe and decent. However, whilst we strongly agree in principle with most of the proposed changes and additions to the standard, we are concerned with the potential high costs that they will incur.

In our view, the government has significantly underestimated the average per-property cost of meeting the new DHS, which could have serious financial implications for landlords, given pre-existing demanding and costly priorities.

We have noted the potential impact this could have on not only our own financial capacity, but also on the industry’s capacity to undertake both new build developments and maintenance works required to make homes decent.

High demand and limited supply chain capacity/skilled personnel is also likely to push up costs even further. We would therefore advocate for a 2037 implementation date, to have longest possible lead-in time to ensure compliance with the new standard.

Read our response to the DHS consultation (PDF)

At L&Q, we believe residents’ voices should shape the future of social housing. That’s why, alongside our corporate response, we engaged residents to share their views on the government’s proposed reforms to the Decent Homes Standard (DHS).

Residents strongly supported key safety and quality measures, such as secure doors and windows, child-resistant window restrictors, and damp-free, energy-efficient homes.

They also emphasised the importance of inclusive design, and judging repairs by condition rather than age.

While views varied on proposals like floor coverings, the message was clear: residents want homes that are safe, comfortable, and built to last, with their needs and preferences at the heart of decision-making.

Read the resident response to the DHS consultation (PDF)

The government has consulted on the implementation of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) for the social rented sector at Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Band C or equivalent by 2030. 

If implemented, the standard will apply to all registered providers of social housing in England and will be enforced by the Regulator of Social Housing. 

Within our response, we stated that we're highly committed to improving the quality and energy efficiency of our homes and support the government’s ambition to achieve EPC C across all social housing stock.

We also agreed for this to be achieved via the metrics that the government suggested (Option 1 - a dual metric approach combining a primary Fabric Performance standard with a secondary Smart Readiness or Heating System metric). However, we are very concerned that the government has considerably underestimated the costs of achieving EPC C.

We believe that achieving compliance with MEES by 2030 will present major challenges for social landlords and the sector as a whole.

It could have unintended consequences on the sector, such as widespread regulatory failure, huge impacts upon markets and supply chains and increased pressure on the availability of skilled labour. We therefore advocate for a 2040 compliance date instead. 

Read our response to the MEES consultation (PDF)

We support the government’s efforts to strengthen protections for leaseholders and service charge payers.

We welcome proposals to promote better management, clearer communication, and professional standards, but we're concerned about the potential unintended consequences of the reforms, including:

• increased costs that could be passed onto service charge payers
• increased stress on our financial capacity
• a duplication in some regulations
• other operational complexities

In our response, we have outlined our belief that the government should ensure that these reforms are cost effective, aligned with existing requirements, and reasonable so they truly benefit leaseholders and service charge payers.

Read our response to the Leaseholders and Service Charges consultation (PDF)

We're committed to making sure residents have a voice in shaping policies that affect their homes and service charges. In response to the government’s proposals to strengthen leaseholder protections, we engaged a group of residents to ensure their views were shared.

Overall, residents supported greater transparency and welcomed detailed information in annual reports and service charge forms.

They also strongly endorsed electronic communications for convenience and accessibility. However, most opposed lowering thresholds for major works and long-term agreements, citing concerns about reduced oversight.

While residents appreciated the direction of the proposals, they also highlighted areas needing more clarity and detail to ensure the reforms truly meet their needs.

Read the resident response to the Leaseholders and Service Charges consultation