The NFA has responded to the Housing Ombudsman’s consultation on its 2024/25 business plan, and in particular to the question about whether the HOS should implement a ‘polluter pays’ model.

While we understand that there has been a significant increase in the HOS’s caseload, we do not think that a ‘polluter pays’ model will work, nor do we think it is fair to tenants, who will pay the increase through their rents. 

The new regulatory regime started on 1 April, and we argue that the Regulator of Social Housing now has sufficient statutory powers to investigate and regulate landlords that have high levels of maladministration. We would prefer the Housing Ombudsman to work closely with the Regulator to reduce their workload through regulation, rather than implementing a ‘polluter pay’ model. Tenants are already effectively paying for regulation through their rents, so this would be a more efficient use of the money.