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Scottish Housing Regulator recruits 18 new volunteer tenant advisors after ‘huge response’
The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has recruited 18 new volunteer tenant advisors from across the country after seeing a “huge response” to the opportunity.
Scottish Housing Regulator recruits 18 new volunteer tenant advisors after ‘huge response’ #UKhousingThe SHR was originally seeking 16 residents to take on the role, which sees tenants test landlord services as ‘mystery shoppers’, review the regulator’s documents and website and take part in group discussions.
New appointees must be either a tenant or Gypsy and Traveller site resident of a Scottish social landlord, and the SHR encouraged applications from young people, individuals with care experience and other underrepresented groups in Scottish public life.
The advisors are independent of the SHR, though they do receive a small allowance and expenses incurred in carrying out their work, and were recruited with support from the Tenants Information Service.
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They will be in post for three years, though this could be extended – the previous group of 12 advisors was hired in May 2022.
Helen Shaw, director of regulation at the SHR, said: “This diverse group of tenants from across Scotland brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
“We had a huge response to the recruitment exercise, and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to apply.
“I’d also like to thank all of our previous tenant advisors who have worked with us over the years.
“We know our new tenant advisors will build on the important work they undertook to help keep tenants at the heart of our regulation of social landlords in Scotland.”
The SHR will visit nine landlords over the next year to understand how they have assured themselves about compliance with the regulations, particularly tenant and resident safety duties.
The regulator itself was scrutinised in detail by the Scottish parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee in 2024, which led to a detailed set of recommendations to the SHR and responses from the organisation.
MSPs in the cross-party group have called for another thorough review of the regulator when the next government is formed, though the director of a group representing smaller landlords questioned the rationale for this.
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