Anthony Mayer will be the first Chair of the new social housing regulator, the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords (Oftenant), Housing Minister Caroline Flint announced this week.
She has promised the regulator will listen to tenants' concerns and have powers to ensure they're getting a good service, setting standards so they will know what they can expect to receive - for example, on repairs or tenant consultation.
The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords will have new sanctions to use where tenants are getting a poor service from landlords, including requiring that landlords pay compensation or in serious cases change their housing manager.
Where landlords provide a good service to tenants, Flint says the regulator will cut red tape, with no routine inspections and paperwork kept to a minimum, allowing them to concentrate on providing even better services to tenants and building new homes.
The regulator is being created by the Housing and Regeneration Bill currently before Parliament. It will initially cover housing associations, but Ministers will seek to extend it to local authority landlords and tenants within two years of it being set up.
Mayer, currently chief executive of the Greater London Authority, will initially take responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of the regulator, and will become its first chair once the Housing and Regeneration Bill receives Royal Assent.
Flint said: “I am delighted that Anthony is taking on the role of chair of the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords. He will bring a wealth of experience to the role with an excellent track record in social housing, local government and the financial sector.
“The regulator will ensure that all social house tenants are well protected and enjoy a good standard of service from their landlords, with powers to impose penalties on those who are not maintaining high standards.
Mayer said: “I look forward to working to support the interest of tenants. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with social landlords, to reward those providing a top service already and to encourage others to reach those same heights.
