Landlords have raised concerns that plans to record housing quality information online could lead to duplication and extra work for them.
From April 2001 the regulator will require RSLs to record in depth Housing Quality Indicators for each scheme they develop on a website run by the Building Research Establishment.

The move is being introduced to encourage RSLs to adopt the Egan agenda.

But landlords are concerned that the process, which includes filling in a complex 25-page form, will duplicate data already submitted as part of the controversial online ADP bidding system.

There are also worries that RSLs will be forced to pay the BRE for training to assist them with the complex procedure.

National Housing Federation policy officer Liz Willis said: "If RSLs are to make the best of the opportunities to improve the quality of their housing developments, development teams must have time to learn lessons from past performance."

"Our members appreciate that Housing Quality Indicators can be an important part of this process, but they need the Housing Corporation to streamline the numerous forms and checklists required to avoid duplication."

At present the corporation does not insist on data on quality indicators and has been criticised for concentrating on cost alone.

It argues RSL work will not be duplicated because HQI data has never been systematically collated before.

HQIs have been a recommended item in the corporation’s Scheme Development Standards since 1998 and subsequently became a proxy of Egan compliance.

The corporation’s Scheme Development Standards 2000 state:

"The HQI system is an accurate and flexible assessment tool which can be applied to all housing types."

The corporation confirmed RSLs would have to pay BRE for training in submitting data.

Source

Housing Today