CIH urges government to back access powers amendment in Social Housing Bill

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has called on the government to support a proposed amendment to the Social Housing Bill that would provide social landlords with a clear and proportionate legal mechanism to gain access to tenants’ homes for essential safety inspections and works when tenants repeatedly refuse entry.

The proposal, tabled by Lord Best and supported by the National Housing Federation (NHF) and National Federation of ALMOs (NFA), would create a statutory process for access in cases where landlords have exhausted reasonable efforts to arrange inspections, including gas, electrical and fire safety measures such as smoke and carbon monoxide alarm testing.

The amendments address concerns from across the housing sector that persistent "no access" cases leave residents at risk and place landlords in breach of their legal obligations.

In the years since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the legal requirements of social landlords have been enhanced to ensure the safety of residents and their homes. While these duties are widely supported, housing providers report that gaining access to some properties to carry out mandatory inspections has become increasingly challenging.

Repeated failures to gain access can leave tenants and neighbouring residents exposed to serious health and safety risks, while also placing landlords at risk of regulatory non-compliance and, in some circumstances, criminal liability.

The issue has become an increasingly pressing concern across the sector. In 2025, CIH, together with the NFA, the Local Government Association (LGA), the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH), and the Councils with ALMOs Group, commissioned HQN to undertake the first comprehensive analysis of "no access" within the social rented sector.

The resulting report, Opening the Door, found that 60 per cent of respondents considered no-access cases to be a growing concern. The research highlighted the importance of positive landlord-tenant relationships, effective communication, and early intervention in securing access to residents' homes.

Since the publication of the report, CIH, HQN and the NFA have continued to promote its findings through policy briefings, webinars and sector networks. However, despite extensive efforts to resolve issues collaboratively, a small number of cases still require legal intervention to ensure critical safety checks can be completed.

When landlords have exhausted all reasonable attempts to gain access, they currently rely on tenancy provisions and can seek access injunctions through the county courts. However, recent county court decisions have created significant uncertainty about whether courts can authorise forced access where tenants fail to comply with access orders.

The Association of Safety and Compliance Professionals (ASCP) has also called for urgent legislative reform through its recent white paper, Safety Can't Wait Outside. Supported by CORGI Technical Services. The report highlights evidence suggesting there may currently be:

• More than 200,000 social homes with at-risk or immediately dangerous gas installations
• More than 90,000 homes where a Category C1 electrical danger may be present.

The ASCP has also publicly supported the proposed amendment.

The amendment seeks to strike a balance between tenant rights and ensuring landlords can address serious safety risks. It would establish a statutory route for access only where prescribed safety checks or works are required and where landlords can demonstrate that reasonable engagement and notice requirements have been met. The proposal also includes safeguards to ensure that any powers are exercised proportionately and solely for clearly defined safety purposes.

CIH believes the Social Housing Bill presents an important opportunity to remove existing legal uncertainty, strengthen tenant protections and support effective regulation.