NEW legislation to “name and shame” landlords who are providing substandard social housing will do little to change their behaviour, housing campaigners have warned. 

Plans are also in place to establish a “resident panel” that will allow social tenants to be heard “directly by government,” the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said.

The reforms, to be delivered through legislation, will involve publishing the names of failing landlords on the government’s website and social media channels.

A spokesperson for community union Acorn said it was “only right that unscrupulous landlords” are named and shamed.

“But as social housing is scarce, this will do little to enhance the consumer choices of tenants who are on the housing waiting list who have little choice but to accept what is offered to them if they want a secure roof over their heads,” the spokesperson told the Star.

“If we are to truly ramp up standards, then enforcement must be increased and offenders must be made an example of.

“We also need more decent-quality social homes to be built to create a race to the top on standards.”

Suzanne Muna of the Social Housing Action Campaign dismissed public shaming as “pointless,” saying that there is no evidence to suggest it changes behaviour.

“We have one example after another of situations where landlords are shamed over a particular case, may or may not address that case, but do nothing to tackle the serious, underlying failings giving rise to appalling disrepairs and rocketing service charges without basis in the services being provided,” Ms Muna said.

“The government needs to recognise that the housing model in the UK is broken and that we need a fundamental change which genuinely puts the needs of tenants and residents, rather than construction companies and City financiers, at the heart of the equation.”