Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs): What housing associations need to know before October 2026

Learn how to meet the new requirements with confidence

Housing associations have faced a steady stream of regulatory change in recent years, with greater focus on governance, consumer standards and accountability. STAIRs is the latest step in that journey, giving tenants greater access to information about how their homes and services are managed.

The new requirements introduce a sector-specific transparency regime for private registered providers of social housing in England, including most housing associations. While local authority tenants have long been able to request information under the Freedom of Information Act, housing association tenants have historically had more limited rights. STAIRs is designed to close that gap, placing greater emphasis on openness, accountability and tenant trust.

It will require housing associations to review how information is managed, how decisions are documented and how requests are handled across the organisation. Boards and Audit Committees will also need assurance that the right systems and controls are in place before the new requirements come into effect.

What happens from October 2026?

From 1 October 2026, housing associations will be required to operate a publication scheme and proactively publish certain categories of information relating to the management of social housing.

This is likely to include information about:

Governance arrangements and organisational structures
Senior leadership roles and responsibilities
Board and committee arrangements
Decision-making processes
Key policies and procedures
Tenant engagement and consultation activity
Complaints information and learning
Service performance and housing management information
Relevant financial or operational information linked to housing services

The purpose is to make it easier for tenants to understand how decisions are made, who is responsible for services, how performance is being managed and how tenant voices are influencing change.

Housing associations will need confidence that information is accurate, up to date, easy to find and supported by clear ownership and review processes.

Providers should also consider whether published information is genuinely accessible to tenants. This includes using plain English where appropriate, ensuring documents meet accessibility standards and making information easy to locate through the organisation’s website.

What changes in April 2027?

The second phase begins on 1 April 2027, when tenants will gain a formal right to request information relating to the management of their social housing.

Housing associations will need clear processes in place to receive, assess, track and respond to information requests. Responses will generally need to be provided within 30 calendar days.

Questions could relate to areas such as:

Repairs performance
Estate management activity
Service charge information
Consultation records
Complaints trends
Local service delivery arrangements
Policies affecting tenants’ homes or communities

Unlike the Freedom of Information Act, however, STAIRs does not create an unrestricted right to access information. Providers will still need to consider whether information can lawfully be disclosed. Information may need to be withheld where disclosure would breach data protection requirements, confidentiality obligations, safeguarding considerations or other legal restrictions.

Getting that balance right will be one of the key operational challenges. Organisations will need clear procedures so that information is disclosed appropriately while protecting sensitive or confidential information where necessary.

How can internal audit support STAIRs readiness?

Although responsibility for implementation may sit across governance, customer services, complaints or information governance teams, internal audit has an important role to play in providing independent assurance before the new requirements take effect.

The requirements introduce new compliance obligations, new processes, new reporting expectations and new risks. Boards and Audit Committees will need assurance that arrangements are not only designed, but are working effectively.

Internal audit can play an important role by reviewing whether the organisation is ready before the regime goes live, identifying gaps early and helping management strengthen the control environment.

Areas that may benefit from review include:

Incomplete or outdated publication schemes

There is a risk that required information is not published, is difficult for tenants to find, or becomes inaccurate over time.

Poor records management

If information cannot be located quickly, the organisation may struggle to meet the 30-day response timeframe from April 2027.

Weak request handling processes

Without a central log, clear ownership and effective workflow monitoring, requests may be missed, delayed or handled inconsistently.

Inappropriate disclosure decisions

Staff will need to understand when information should be shared and when it should be withheld. There is risk on both sides: disclosing information that should be protected, or withholding information without proper justification.

Insufficient staff training

Frontline and customer-facing teams will need to recognise STAIRs requests and know how to route them correctly. Governance, complaints and information governance teams will need more detailed training on handling, exemptions, redactions and evidence trails.

Limited board oversight

Boards and Audit Committees will need meaningful management information on implementation progress, compliance levels, request volumes, response times, complaints and lessons learned.

The hidden challenge: information management

For many housing associations, the most difficult part of STAIRs may not be deciding what can be disclosed. It may be finding the information in the first place.

Many requests are likely to involve multiple teams, including housing management, repairs, finance, governance, customer services, legal and data protection. Without clear ownership and effective collaboration across departments, responding within the required timeframe could become increasingly difficult.

Strong information governance will therefore be central to successful implementation.

Providers should consider whether they have:

Up-to-date information asset registers
Effective records retention schedules
Well-managed document management systems
Appropriate version control arrangements
Robust website publication controls
Clear approval processes
Central request tracking systems
Documented redaction and disclosure procedures
Staff guidance and training records

Where these arrangements are weak, STAIRs could expose broader issues in governance, accountability and organisational knowledge management.

What should housing associations be doing now?

With the first phase beginning in October 2026, now is the time for housing associations to assess readiness.

Boards, executives and Audit Committees should be asking:

Do we understand what information must be published from October 2026?
Have we mapped current published information against the STAIRs requirements?
Is responsibility for maintaining the publication scheme clearly assigned?
Can tenants easily access the information we publish?
Do we have a process for reviewing and updating published content?
Are our records management arrangements fit for purpose?
Do we have a central process for logging and tracking information requests?
Are staff trained to recognise and escalate STAIRs requests?
Have we defined how exemptions, redactions and data protection issues will be handled?
What assurance will the Board receive before implementation?

Internal audit reviews during 2026/27 could provide valuable assurance over these areas, particularly where providers want independent assessment before the information request requirements go live in April 2027.

Final thoughts

STAIRs represents another important step towards a more transparent and accountable social housing sector. However, successful implementation will require more than publishing documents on a website.

Housing associations will need clear governance, effective records management, trained staff, robust request handling processes and meaningful board oversight.

Those organisations that start preparing now will be better placed to meet the new requirements with confidence. Internal audit can play a valuable role by providing independent assurance over the systems and controls that support compliance, helping Boards identify areas for improvement before STAIRs becomes part of day-to-day operations.

We always recommend that you seek advice from a suitably qualified adviser before taking any action. The information on this page is intended as a general guide only. While we work to keep our content accurate and up to date, we cannot guarantee that it reflects the position at the time you are reading it. No responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of this material can be accepted by the authors or the firm. For more information on our editorial process, click here.

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