STAIRs stands for Social Tenants Access to Information Requirement scheme. It is a new standard introduced by the UK Government to enhance transparency for tenants of private-sector social housing providers, such as Brighter Futures.

The aim of STAIRs is to bridge the ‘information gap’ between social housing customers and their social housing providers.

Currently Social Housing Customers of Registered Providers can request date via Data Subject Access Requests, but this is limited to their own personal data.

1. Give the Social Housing Customer the right to request data about the management of their home.

2. Set specific time periods (30 days from request).

3. Set requirements for the publication of specific data via the publication scheme and promote the scheme when it is live.ata.

• Condition of the property
• Repairs and improvement plans
• Patterns of poor property conditions within a block or district
• Repair times
• Antisocial behaviour (ASB) cases and outcomes locally
• Health and safety issues
• Breaches of housing association or other policy
• Outcomes of property inspections
• Basic property estate management
• Senior employees’ (decision makers’) names and job roles
• Policies and procedures
• Property spending
• Housing stock management
• Performance standards
• Rent rates
• Service charges for shared owners.

From 1^st October 2026, social landlords will be required to proactively publish information about the management of their homes. From April 2027, social landlords will also be required to provide tenants with access to information about the management of their homes on request.

Some of the information that we are required to publish under STAIRs is already available on the Brighter Futures website. For ease, we’ve organised the information using the STAIRs classifications below, including links to relevant pages on our website.

A request could be refused by a social housing provider where:
• It is reasonable* to withhold the information from disclosure
• The identity of the applicant cannot be established
• The meaning of the request is not clear
• The information requested is not relevant information
• The work involved in responding to the information request would exceed 18 hours of staff time
• The request is repeated, including where registered providers receive repeated requests from multiple applicants acting in coordination
• The request is offensive or communicated in an abusive manner.

In assessing what is reasonable, registered providers should not refuse a request on the basis of:
• The applicant’s identity or reasons for the request, beyond ensuring they are a tenant or a representative acting on their behalf; or
• How the information is to be used following disclosure. Providers should balance factors favouring disclosure against the likelihood of any harm arising from disclosure.

Where the relevant information was provided by or relates to a third party, the registered provider must consider the views of that third party regarding the likelihood of any harm.

– E-form

– Writing to:

Brighter Futures Housing Association Limited’s registered office,
Three Counties House,
Festival Way,
Stoke-on-Trent,
ST1 5PX

– Email

– By telephone 01782 406000

– In person via your Housing Sustainment Worker