Housing Associations

Registered Social Landlord is the technical name for a social landlord who is registered with the Tenant Services Authority: most are housing associations, but there are also trusts, co-operatives and companies. RSLs are run as businesses but they do not trade for profit. Any surplus is ploughed back into the organisation to maintain existing homes and to help finance new ones.

Most RSLs are small and own fewer than 250 homes. However, the largest 13 per cent of RSLs - those with 2,500 plus homes - own over 80 per cent of all the sector's homes. Many new RSLs have been formed to manage and develop homes transferred to them by local authorities.

Communities and Local Government sponsors the Tenant Services Authority and the Homes and Communities Agency to invest public money in RSLs and protects that investment by ensuring that it provides decent homes and services for residents. RSLs receive investment to provide homes that meet local needs. Through regulation the Tenant Services Authority seeks to ensure that people will want, and be able, to live in these homes, now and in the future.

How to become a RSL tenant or get help with home ownership
Generally, people housed by RSLs are those defined as being in 'housing need' but eligibility criteria differ. Some RSLs, for instance, specialise in providing housing for those who need special support such as people with mental illness or drug problems. All housing associations must have written policies on the type of housing services they provide, who can apply for housing and how applications will be considered. You can ask to see these policies. Housing associations take the majority of their new tenants from local authority waiting lists, so it is usually best to contact your local council housing department in the first instance before approaching a RSL.

If you are interested in Shared Ownership (Low Cost Home Ownership) then please see the Related Pages/Links section.