What are STAIRs?
The Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) were introduced by the UK Government in 2026. They give social housing residents more rights to access information about how their homes are managed and the services they receive.
The scheme requires us, and all housing associations, to:
- Have a publication scheme, providing key information about us on our website by October 2026.
- Give residents, or their nominated third parties, the right to request information directly from their us by April 2027.
This scheme only applies to the management of our homes and services, not to how your personal information is used. If you'd like access to how your personal information is used or shared, you'll need to submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) instead.
What information is included?
From October 2026, we're required to provide you with necessary information without you needing to ask for it. This includes details on how PA Housing is governed and makes decisions; how money is spent; information on our performance; our policies and procedures; and how we manage our homes and services for residents.
From April 2027, you can start to make STAIRs requests directly. This includes asking for information on things like our policies, procedures, spending, procurement, performance, decision-making records, plans and strategies.
From Thursday 1 April 2027, you can make requests on:
- Antisocial behaviour
- Complaints handling
- Policies, procedures, and performance
- Health and safety
- Rent rates
- Property conditions, repairs, and improvements
- Service charges
- Stock profile
- Energy efficiency information
- Estate management.
We will acknowledge all requests within three calendar days, with a full 30 calendar days to respond to your request.
These are all included within STAIRs:
- General needs tenants
- Supported housing licence holders
- Shared owners who own less than 100%
- Authorised representatives acting on behalf of those residents.
These are not included within STAIRs:
- Leaseholders who own 100% of their home.
- Shared owners who have staircased to 100%.
- Members of the public.
- Prospective tenants.
Our publication scheme
A lot of the information required for the publication scheme is already available across the PA Housing website.
To make it easier to find this information, please see the links and information below:
Find out more about Our Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM)
Find out more about our latest inspection outcome
Find out more about Our Performance
Find our more about how to make data and information requests
Find out more about data privacy
Find out more about the latest media shared with residents and stakeholders
Find out more about managing your tenancy
Find out more about being a homeowner
Find out more about your neighbourhood
Find out more about how we tackle antisocial behaviour
Find out more about how we support with domestic abuse
Find out more about how we support with safeguarding
Find out more about how we prevent tenancy fraud
Find out more about how we offer financial and welfare support
Find out more about how to pay your rent
Find out more about your rent and services charges
Find out more about estate services
Find out more about our repairs service
Find out more about safety in your home
Find out more about damp and mould in your home
Find out more about aids and adaptations to your home
Find out more about how to contact us
Information about PA Housing is held in lists and registers as required by law. These are publicly available via the links below, but these are external websites which we do not own.
PA Housing also stores lists and registers required by law and in order to fulfil our duties. If you'd like more information please contact us.
Find out more about high value contracts in the public sector
Find out more about the Housing Ombudsman's decisions
Find out more about regulatory judgements and enforcement notices
Ownership
This publication scheme is owned by the Company Secretary. If you have any suggestions, complaints or feedback about this scheme, please contact us.
Review periods
This scheme should always be up to date as possible and meets residents’ needs. This publication scheme will be reviewed by the Data Protection Officer every six months, or whenever change arise to the way we work, the types of information we publish, or how we make that information available. We will make it clear and confirm the period covered for when information has been published, but all information shared under the scheme should reflect the latest position as far as reasonably practicable.
Accessibility
While this publication scheme and information is provided digitally on our website, we will make best endeavours to ensure all information can be accessed by residents in ways that meet their needs. If you would like this in an alternative format, please contact us at [insert email address]
How to raise a request
Requests must be submitted in writing, this could be via letter, email, or online form.
Please note that we may withhold information from publication. All requests for what information has not been shared can be explained on a case-by-case basis.
Charging for requests
We will not charge for accessing the information on our publication scheme, where it is available on our website. However, we may charge a reasonable fee for alternative formats and multiple copies. Charges will be justified, transparent and kept to a minimum, where possible.
Frequently asked questions
We've put together the answers to some questions we've heard about STAIRs.
We hope these are helpful, and get you to the information and the answers you're looking for.
If you still have questions, then please get in touch.
The Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements, known as STAIRs, have been introduced by The Government to give social housing residents more rights to access information about how their homes and services are managed.
The STAIRs introduce:
- A publication scheme – landlords like PA Housing must publish key information online via their website
- A right to request information – residents and their nominated third parties can ask for information directly from their landlord.
This makes housing associations more transparent and accountable, like the Freedom of Information (FOI) rules used by councils.
STAIRs have been put in place o give residents more rights after serious failures in the social housing sector, including:
- The Grenfell Tower fire (2017) which exposed major failings in safety and in listening to the resident voice.
- The death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, caused by untreated mould, which led to new laws being enforced to ensure landlords act faster on safety concerns.
The Government’s goal is to make landlords more open, transparent, and responsible.
STAIRs will give you new rights to:
- Easily access important information about how PA Housing is run
- See how PA Housing makes decisions
- Understand how money is spent
- Request information we hold about managing your home, building, or community and the services we provide
- Challenge decisions if information is not provided
Phase 1: A publication scheme by 1 October 2026 which means we must publish the necessary information online.
Phase 2: Residents will be able to make formal information requests from 1 April 2027.
Response time to information requests: We have 30 calendar days to respond to each request.
From 1 April 2027, you can ask PA Housing for information we hold that relates to the management of your home or building.
You can request things like:
- Policies and procedures
- Spending or procurement information
- Performance and service information
- Records of decisions and how they were made
- Plans and strategies
This applies only to information about social housing.
Any current PA Housing resident or their designated representative can submit a STAIRs request. The public cannot make a STAIRs request.
A designated representative is someone you have given written permission to act for you. This could be a family member, friend, neighbour, lawyer or other legal representative, a support worker, social worker, advocate, or a journalist (only if you authorise it).
All required information will be published on here, our website, in a dedicated publication scheme section. You will be able to browse categories, use search tools, and download documents.
You're not able to make a STAIRs request until after 1 April 2027.
Once you submit a request, we will:
- Acknowledge your request
- Check your identity (if needed)
- Clarify the request (if needed)
- Locate and review the information
- Apply any necessary redactions
- Send your response to you within 30 calendar days.
Responses will normally be sent by email unless you request another format.
We may pause the 30-day deadline if:
- We need proof of your identity
- We need clarification regarding the information you're requesting
The 30-day deadline restarts once this information has been provided.
Yes, some information is legally protected. This includes:
- Personal data about other people
- Certain commercially sensitive information
- Legally restricted information
- Anything that could cause safety or security risks
- Information we simply do not hold
- Information that doesn't relate to our social housing functions.
If we need to remove (redact) parts of a document, we will explain why.
No, STAIRs are only for information about housing management, not personal data. If you want to access your own personal information, such as your tenancy records or repairs history, you'll need to submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) instead.
Yes, STAIRs include a formal review process. You can request a review if you believe:
- Information should've been provided
- Redactions weren't fair
- Information should be published under the scheme
- We took too long to respond
A review can be carried out by a designated manager that was not involved in the original decision. You will receive a clear written outcome within 30 days. If you're still unhappy, you can take your case to the Housing Ombudsman within three months of the outcome of your review.
