Social housing works glossary

ALMO

An arm's-length management organisation is a company set up by a council to manage and maintain its housing, while the council keeps ownership of the homes. ALMOs are commercial clients under CDM 2015, so the client duties apply in full.

Annual Return on the Charter

The return Scottish social landlords submit each year to the Scottish Housing Regulator on their performance against the Scottish Social Housing Charter. From the 2021/22 return, the Regulator treated homes without a valid EICR as failing the SHQS (or in abeyance). Read more

Asbestos refurbishment and demolition survey

A survey needed before refurbishment or demolition work to find asbestos the work could disturb, especially in buildings built or refurbished before 2000. Under the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, you must assess whether asbestos is present, or assume it is, before work that could expose workers.

Awaab's Law

The Hazards in Social Housing (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2025, which set legal timescales for social landlords in England to investigate and fix hazards. Phase 1, covering damp and mould and emergency hazards, has applied since 27 October 2025, and phase 2 applies from 30 November 2026. It applies to England only. Read more

Building Safety Regulator

The regulator that approves building work in higher-risk buildings in England before it starts. It takes up to 8 weeks for applications on existing higher-risk buildings and 12 weeks for new ones. It approves applications, not contractors. Read more

CDM 2015

The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 set health and safety duties for clients, designers and contractors; housing associations, councils and ALMOs are commercial clients. Where there is more than one contractor, the client must appoint a principal designer and a principal contractor. A project is notifiable to the HSE if it lasts more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers on site at once, or exceeds 500 person-days.

Common Assessment Standard

Build UK's pre-qualification standard for construction suppliers, assessed by an annual audit through a Recognised Assessment Body such as Achilles, Constructionline (Gold or Platinum) or Veriforce CHAS (CHAS Elite). PPN 03/24 advises public-sector buyers to accept it. SafeContractor is not a Recognised Assessment Body. Read more

Compartmentation

The division of a building into fire-resisting compartments, such as individual flats, so that fire and smoke are contained where they start. Gaps made by pipes, cables or ducts must be fire-stopped to keep each compartment intact. Read more

Competence and Conduct Standard

A Regulator of Social Housing standard in force from 1 October 2026. Senior housing managers need a Level 4 qualification and senior executives a Level 5, with a 3-year transition for landlords with 1,000 or more homes and 4 years for smaller ones. Registered providers must make sure their contractors' staff are competent and behave appropriately. Read more

Complaint Handling Code

The Housing Ombudsman's code for social landlords in England, statutory since 1 April 2024. Stage 1 complaints are acknowledged within 5 working days and answered within 10, and stage 2 complaints are answered within 20 working days. Complaints about contractors go through the landlord's two-stage process. Read more

Consumer standards

The Regulator of Social Housing's standards on landlords' services to tenants in England, in force since 1 April 2024: Safety and Quality; Transparency, Influence and Accountability; Neighbourhood and Community; and Tenancy. Landlords with more than 1,000 homes are inspected against them on at least a four-year cycle. Read more

Contract details notice

A notice under the Procurement Act 2023 that publishes details of a contract once it has been entered into. Below threshold, it is required for contracts of £30,000 or more let by sub-central and other authorities, or £12,000 or more let by central government outside Wales (s.87). Read more

Damp and mould

Excess moisture in a home's structure or air, and the mould growth it can cause, which can harm health and damage homes. In England, damp and mould that is a significant hazard falls under Awaab's Law, and the reformed Decent Homes Standard requires homes to be free from damp and mould. In Scotland, the 2026 repair regulations set separate timescales. Read more

Decent Homes Standard

England's minimum standard for social homes. The 2006 version requires no Category 1 hazards, reasonable repair, reasonably modern facilities and thermal comfort, and a reformed standard, which adds freedom from damp and mould, must be met by 2035. Northern Ireland has its own standard, which is under review. Read more

Direct award

Awarding a public contract without competition. Under the Procurement Act 2023 it is allowed only in special cases (s.41) or by switching to direct award (s.43). Framework call-offs can also be made without competition where the framework sets out an objective mechanism. Read more

Disabled Facilities Grant

A grant towards adaptations for disabled people, paid by councils in England and Wales. The maximum is £30,000 in England and £36,000 in Wales. Scotland has no DFG, and in Northern Ireland, where the NIHE administers it, official sources give different maximums. Read more

dMEV

Decentralised mechanical extract ventilation: low-energy fans in kitchens and bathrooms that run continuously at a low rate and boost when moisture is produced. It is a common measure for controlling condensation and mould. Read more

Dynamic market

A Procurement Act 2023 arrangement that suppliers can apply to join at any time, replacing the dynamic purchasing system. Dynamic purchasing systems set up under the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 expire automatically on 23 February 2029. Read more

EESSH2

The Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing post-2020 in Scotland. It is under review, with interim guidance issued on 20 March 2026, and final decisions on a proposed Social Housing Net Zero Standard are expected by spring 2027. Read more

EICR

An Electrical Installation Condition Report records the condition of a home's fixed electrical installation and any remedial work needed. Social landlords in England must inspect at least every 5 years and complete remedials within 28 days, Wales requires an EICR at most 5 years old, and Scotland's SHQS requires one at least every 5 years. Read more

EPC

An Energy Performance Certificate rates a home's energy efficiency from A to G. In England, social homes must reach EPC C on one reformed EPC metric by 1 April 2030 and on a second by 1 April 2039. Read more

External wall insulation

Insulation fixed to the outside of a building's external walls and finished with render or cladding, often used on solid-wall homes. On blocks of flats, external walls fall under the Fire Safety Order, and in a higher-risk building you should check whether the work needs Building Safety Regulator approval before it starts. Read more

FD30S

A fire door designation meaning 30 minutes of fire resistance, with the S showing that the door also restricts smoke, usually through smoke seals. Performance depends on the whole doorset being installed and maintained correctly. Read more

Fire risk assessment

An assessment of the fire risks in a building and the measures needed to reduce them, which the responsible person must carry out under the Fire Safety Order. For blocks of flats it covers the structure, external walls and flat entrance doors, and in England TSM BS02 reports on fire risk assessments. Read more

Framework agreement

An agreement setting the terms on which a buyer can award contracts to one or more suppliers over a period. Under the Procurement Act 2023, frameworks last up to 4 years, longer only where the works require it and reasons are published, while open frameworks can run for up to 8 years in total. Read more

Gas Safe Register

The register whose members form the HSE-approved class of persons allowed to carry out gas work under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Falsely claiming membership is an offence. Landlords must have each gas appliance and flue checked at least every 12 months.

HHSRS and Category 1 hazards

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System is the method used to assess hazards in homes, and the most serious are Category 1 hazards. In England, revised scoring came into force on 23 June 2026, cutting the number of hazards from 29 to 21. A home with a Category 1 hazard fails the Decent Homes Standard. Read more

Higher-risk building

In England, a building 18m or more high, or with 7 or more storeys, that has 2 or more residential units. Building work in an existing higher-risk building needs Building Safety Regulator approval before it starts, unless it is exempt. Read more

Housing Revenue Account

The ring-fenced account a stock-owning council uses for the income and spending of its council housing, kept separate from its general fund. In Scotland, adaptations for council tenants are funded from it, with no contribution from the tenant.

Large scale voluntary transfer (LSVT)

The transfer of a council's housing stock to a housing association, usually after a tenant ballot. In Wales, 11 of the 22 councils have transferred their stock, and in Scotland, 6 councils have. Read more

Lettable standard

A landlord's own specification for the condition a void home must reach before it is re-let. No statutory or regulator void standard has been found, but the Housing Ombudsman has said that homes must be safe and decent before residents move in. Read more

Local Authority Housing Fund

A government fund that helps councils in England buy and prepare homes, including for temporary accommodation and resettlement. Round 4 provides £950m over 4 years from April 2026, plus £21,000 per home for refurbishment, energy efficiency, decoration and furnishing. Read more

MCS

The Microgeneration Certification Scheme certifies installers and products for heat pumps, solar and similar technologies. Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 requires MCS-certified installers for heat pumps and solar, using products in the MCS Product Directory. Read more

NHF Schedule of Rates / M3NHF

A schedule of rates for housing maintenance, produced by M3 with the National Housing Federation, that gives standard codes and descriptions for repair tasks. It is used by more than 500 organisations to price and order work. Read more

Occupational therapist (OT) assessment

An assessment by an occupational therapist of a disabled person's needs, recommending the adaptations that would help. In Wales it comes before a Physical Adaptations Grant application, and in Northern Ireland the DFG follows an OT referral through the Health and Social Care Trust. Read more

Part P

The part of the Building Regulations in England covering electrical safety in homes. New circuits, new or replacement consumer units and alterations in special locations, such as around baths and showers, are notifiable. The work must be done by a competent person scheme installer or approved through building control or a registered third-party certifier. Read more

PAS 2035

The BSI specification for retrofitting existing homes using a whole-house approach. PAS 2035:2023 replaced the earlier edition on 30 March 2025 and is required on government-backed schemes. It sets roles including Retrofit Assessor, Coordinator, Designer, Installer and Evaluator. Read more

PIV (positive input ventilation)

A ventilation unit, often fitted in the loft, that gently pushes filtered air into the home to dilute moist air and reduce condensation. It is one of several options for tackling condensation and mould. Read more

Principal contractor

The contractor the client appoints under CDM 2015 where more than one contractor is involved, to plan, manage and monitor the construction phase. It prepares the construction phase plan and coordinates health and safety on site.

Procurement Act 2023

The law governing public procurement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, live since 24 February 2025. Most housing associations are treated as contracting authorities. Valid invoices under public contracts and their sub-contracts must be paid within 30 days. Read more

Registered provider

A social housing provider registered with the Regulator of Social Housing in England. Registered providers include private registered providers, such as housing associations, and local authority providers. Read more

Retrofit coordinator

The PAS 2035 role with overall responsibility for a retrofit project, from assessment through design and installation to evaluation. Keeping retrofit roles independent where possible helps avoid conflicts of interest. Read more

Schedule of works

A list of the work to be done to a property, usually with quantities, specifications and dates. Under the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Conditions Claims in England, the landlord's reply to a letter of claim, due within 20 working days, includes a schedule of works with dates. Read more

Section 20 consultation

The consultation a landlord must carry out with leaseholders under section 20 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 before qualifying works or long-term agreements above set cost limits. If it is not done properly, the amount the landlord can recover through service charges may be capped.

Social value

The wider economic, social and environmental benefit a contract can bring to an area. The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 requires contracting authorities to consider it before procuring services, with Welsh devolved authorities excluded. PPN 002 sets a minimum 10% weighting for central government procurements above threshold started on or after 1 October 2025. Read more

Stock condition survey

A physical survey of the condition of homes and their components, used to plan investment and evidence compliance. The RSH Safety and Quality Standard expects an accurate, up to date and evidenced understanding of the condition of homes, based on a physical assessment of all of them. Read more

Tenant Satisfaction Measures

The Regulator of Social Housing's performance measures that social landlords in England report each year. They include RP01 and RP02 on decency and repairs, BS01 to BS06 on building safety checks, and TP02 to TP05 on satisfaction with repairs, maintenance and safety. Read more

TrustMark

The government-endorsed quality scheme for work in and around the home. Funded retrofit schemes such as Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3 require TrustMark-registered installers, with measures lodged on TrustMark within about 20 working days. Read more

Void (minor and major voids)

A void is an empty social home between tenancies. Landlords often class voids as minor, needing routine repairs and safety checks, or major, needing larger works such as a new kitchen, bathroom or rewire, though definitions vary between landlords. Read more

WHQS 2023

The Welsh Housing Quality Standard 2023, which applies to social landlords in Wales from 1 April 2024. Target Energy Pathways are due by 31 March 2027, and all stock must comply by 31 March 2034. Read more

Common questions