STAIRs Update for Housing Associations: Key Dates and What Social Landlords Should Do Now

Housing associations across the UK have received a further update on the upcoming Social Tenants Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs). These requirements will introduce new expectations for how social landlords provide information to tenants about the management of their homes.

The National Housing Federation (NHF) recently shared an update outlining key timelines and confirming that further operational guidance is currently being developed to support the sector.

Although the requirements will not come fully into force for some time, housing providers are being encouraged to begin preparing now. Reviewing how information is organised, published and shared internally will help ensure a smoother transition once the rules become mandatory.

What Are the Social Tenants Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs)?

STAIRs is a regulatory initiative designed to improve transparency between social landlords and tenants. The requirements will ensure residents can more easily access information about how their homes are managed, including policies, performance information and organisational decisions that affect them.

For housing providers, this means developing clear processes for publishing information and responding to tenant information requests in a structured and consistent way.

Himanshi Gulati, Data Protection Consultant at Data Protection People, explains:

“STAIRs will likely require housing providers to review how information is organised, published and shared with tenants. Starting early on developing processes around information management, request handling and complaints could make the transition much smoother.”

Key STAIRs Dates Housing Providers Should Know

The latest update confirms two important milestones for social landlords preparing for STAIRs.

• October 2026 – Housing associations will be required to proactively publish certain information for tenants.
• April 2027 – Organisations must meet full requirements for responding to tenant information requests.

Although these deadlines may seem some distance away, housing providers should begin preparing early. Developing the right internal governance, publication processes and request-handling procedures can take time to implement effectively across an organisation.

Operational Guidance Being Developed for Housing Associations

To support implementation across the housing sector, the National Housing Federation has commissioned law firm Anthony Collins, working alongside a cross-sector group of housing providers, to produce practical operational guidance.

This guidance will help organisations understand how to implement STAIRs in practice and is expected to cover areas such as:

• Creating and maintaining publication schemes
• Managing tenant information requests
• Handling complaints related to access to information
• Embedding operational processes across housing organisations

The guidance is expected to be published on 20 April 2026.

Housing Ombudsman Consultation on STAIRs Complaints

Alongside the operational guidance, the Housing Ombudsman has launched a consultation exploring how complaints relating to STAIRs should be handled once the requirements come into force.

Housing associations are being invited to share their views on how these complaints processes should operate in practice. The consultation is open until 17 March 2026.

For organisations in the sector, this provides an opportunity to shape how future disputes around tenant information access may be managed.

How Housing Providers Can Start Preparing for STAIRs

While the final operational guidance is still to be published, there are several steps housing providers can start considering now:

• Review how organisational information is stored and structured
• Identify what information may need to be proactively published
• Develop internal processes for responding to tenant information requests
• Ensure complaints processes align with future transparency requirements

As regulatory expectations around governance and transparency continue to grow in the housing sector, STAIRs represents another important step in strengthening trust between landlords and tenants.

As Himanshi highlights:

“For tenants, the aim is clearer access to information about how their homes are managed. For landlords, it’s another reminder that good governance and transparency are becoming central expectations in the sector.”

And while publication schemes may not always be the most exciting documents to prepare, getting them right early could save organisations significant time and complexity later.

STAIRs Frequently Asked Questions

Following discussions with housing professionals across the sector, we have also published a dedicated resource answering common questions about STAIRs and how housing providers can prepare.

Read our STAIRs FAQs for housing providers here

Need Support Preparing for STAIRs?

Our team at Data Protection People regularly supports housing providers with governance frameworks, tenant information requests, and developing processes that align with evolving regulatory expectations.

If your organisation would like guidance on preparing for STAIRs or strengthening information governance processes, our team would be happy to help.