Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements
What is STAIRS?
STAIRs applies to private registered providers of social housing and sets out how tenants can access information about the management of their homes and services.
The scheme is intended to:
- improve transparency between landlords and tenants
- enable tenants to better understand decisions and performance
- support accountability through clearer access to information
Local authority landlords are not included, as they are already subject to Freedom of Information legislation.
Key requirements and implementation dates
STAIRS will be introduced in two clearly defined phases.
Phase 1 – Publication scheme
From October 2026, Housing Associations will be required to proactively publish information about the management of their social housing.
This information must be:
- accessible to tenants without the need to make a formal request
- presented in a clear and understandable way
- focused on social housing management
The intention is that tenants can find commonly requested information easily, without needing to submit individual requests.
Phase 2 – Individual information requests
From April 2027, tenants will gain the right to request information that is not already available through the publication scheme.
Key points include:
- Landlords will be expected to respond within 30 calendar days, subject to limited exceptions
- Providers are only required to share information they already hold
- Requests relate specifically to social housing management
Complaints relating to STAIRs will sit with the Housing Ombudsman , following a landlord-led STAIRs review stage.
Housing Associations will also be expected to have a clear policy on withholding information, ensuring decisions are consistent, well-reasoned and defensible.
Why data mapping is central to STAIRs readiness
Experience from organisations operating under Freedom of Information regimes highlights the importance of strong data mapping, ensuring a clear understanding of what data is held, where it sits across systems, and who owns and maintains it.
Without this clarity, responding to requests can become manual, fragmented and resource-intensive.
What STAIRs means in practice for Housing Associations
STAIRs does not require Housing Associations to create new data, but it does increase the importance of being able to locate, explain and stand behind the information that already exists.
In practice, this means understanding how data is structured across housing management, repairs, complaints, finance and performance systems, ensuring reporting aligns with operational reality, and being able to clearly explain how decisions are made and why.
These are not new challenges, but STAIRs makes them more visible and significantly more important.
The role of architecture and data foundations
At Lashan Digital , we help Housing Associations put strong foundations in place so their data is clearly structured and easy to find, connected across systems with clear ownership, and accessible without manual workarounds or constant chasing.
Strong enterprise and data architecture reduces the operational effort involved in responding to information requests and makes access to relevant data simple, repeatable and reliable.
These same foundations also support wider digital transformation, ensuring transparency, governance and accountability are built into everyday operations rather than addressed as one-off governance activities.
Preparing for STAIRs starts before requests arrive
With October 2026 and April 2027 now clearly defined, STAIRs reinforces a simple but important reality: preparation starts well before the first tenant request arrives.
Housing Associations that invest early in understanding their data, clarifying ownership and strengthening architecture will find STAIRs easier to manage and will be better positioned to respond clearly, consistently and confidently when tenants ask questions.
Talk to us about STAIRs readiness
If you are beginning to assess what STAIRs means for your organisation, particularly in relation to data, systems and architecture, Lashan Digital can help.
We work with Housing Associations to build the foundations for confident, compliant and future-ready organisations by strengthening their data architecture, easing access to information, and putting practical structures in place that support STAIRs and long-term digital transformation.
Get in touch to arrange an initial consultation and explore how we can support your STAIRs preparation, email info@lashan.digital or visit www.lashan.digital