WG Tenant Engagement Working Group

As you may know Welsh Government (WG) sets the Welsh Government’s Standard for Social Housing Rents and Service Charges (Rent and Service Charge Standard) that social landlords need to adhere to when they set their rents.  The current Standard is in place up until 31st March 2026 and applies to all “social landlords”. It is relevant to general needs housing and sheltered housing.

Welsh Government is now progressing work to develop a clear, more robust social rent policy for the future.  To ensure the future social rent policy reflects the Welsh housing context, needs and ambitions, they are working in collaboration with social landlords and other to ensure their input informs their  policy development.  This collaborative approach is vital to ensure they balance existing and future needs of both social landlords and their current and future tenants. 

In addition to looking at affordability for Tenants,  the  new policy/standard will also focus on  how landlords undertake effective tenant engagement and consultation when setting rents,  including the methods landlords  use  and outcomes, to   ensure tenant voice and affordability is at the centre of the decision-making process for setting rent and charges for services.

To help shape new the new rent policy relating to tenant engagement in rent setting,  WG are setting up a working group focused on Tenant Involvement.  We have been speaking with WG about the importance of Tenants being part of this small working group so that you can engage directly with WG. WG are keen for this to happen, so I’ve detailed some information below if you are interested.  

In addition to the WG working group, TPAS Cymru will be arranging a number of sessions for Tenants to influence the new rent standard, including a Tenants Voice Cymru Forum on January 15^th 2025. There will also be an opportunity for tenants to give their views via a WG public consultation.

We have already shared with WG the views of over 500 tenants from Wales as part of our national Tenant Pusle survey into Rents and Affordability

Details of the WG Tenant Engagement Working Group

• The working group will consist of WG officials, representatives of social landlords, Tenants and TPAS Cymru.
• The working group is arranged by Welsh Government – information, agendas, minutes etc will come from WG
• Meetings will take place online via Teams with the link sent by WG. Invitations to meetings and links to join will be sent by WG.
• WG have asked us to identify 4-5 tenants* (a mix of Housing Association & Local Authority Tenants) to be part of the working group to reflect the views of Tenants during group discussions. *Please note, if more than 5 tenants show an interest in being involved in this group tenants will be selected based on geography, tenure (i.e. RSL or Local Authority), experience/interest in Rent Setting and availability to attend all diarised meetings.
• Meetings are scheduled to last 1 hour
• The dates of initial meetings are as follows:

-  Weds 20th Nov - 1-2pm

-  Mon 9th Dec – 1-2pm

-  Mon 20th Jan – 1-2pm

-  Wed 12th Feb – 1-2pm

WGs objectives and outcomes for the working group

Objective(s)	Effectively build ‘tenant voice’ into rent policy development. Identify and build on good practice that embodies tenant involvement in rent setting and increases wider tenant understanding of the role of rent (and service charges) payments.
Outcome(s)	Effective tenant involvement in the policy development process Clear and shared understanding of good practice of tenant involvement in rent setting Identification of how information on tenant involvement can better inform (and improve the current) monitoring and compliance framework

 

If you are interested in being a member of the working group, could you let [email protected] know by mid-day Tuesday 29 October and confirm in your email that you are available to attend all meetings diarised and happy for your name, and email address to be shared with WG.