STAIRs
New rights are giving tenants of housing associations and other private registered providers greater access to information about how their homes and services are managed.
Find out what STAIRs means and how the new rights work.
STAIRs stands for Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements. It gives tenants of housing associations and other private registered providers new rights to information about how their social housing is managed.
STAIRs does not apply to council tenants, because local authorities are already covered by the Freedom of Information Act.
What changes from October 2026?
From 1 October 2026, your landlord must make information available about things such as:
- how decisions are made
- how money is spent
- how homes are managed
- repairs, complaints and other performance information
- housing services and policies.
Your landlord must tell tenants about its publication scheme and make the information easy to find and access.
What changes from April 2027?
From 1 April 2027, you can make a written request for information about the management of your social housing. You don’t have to call it a STAIRs request.
Your landlord should normally respond within 30 calendar days. The starting point is that information should be provided, although there are proper reasons why some information may be withheld or removed. A landlord can also refuse a request if responding would take more than 18 hours of staff time, but it must explain why.
STAIRs does not require your landlord to create information it does not hold. But if you think it is information your landlord should hold, you can ask why it does not.
Which route should I use?
STAIRs
Finding out about how your landlord manages your social housing.
— “Show me information about how this works or how decisions are made.”
Complaint
Challenging something your landlord has done, failed to do or the service you have received.
— “Something has gone wrong – put it right.”
Subject Access Request (SAR)
Getting personal information your landlord holds about you.
— “Show me the information you have on file about me.”
Some information, including some service charge information, can be accessed through other statutory (legal) rights. If another legal applies, your landlord should tell you how to access the information that way.
What if I’m unhappy?
You can ask your landlord for a STAIRs review. If you are still unhappy, you can take the matter to the Housing Ombudsman.
Useful links
Housing Ombudsman – STAIRs resident support guide
Discover more on this website