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First Chair of the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords announced

Published 13 May 2008

Anthony Mayer will be the first Chair of the new social housing regulator, the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords (Oftenant), announced Housing Minister Caroline Flint today.

The regulator will listen to tenants' concerns and have powers to ensure they're getting a good service, setting standards so they will know what they can expect to receive - for example, on repairs or tenant consultation. 

The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords will have new sanctions to use where tenants are getting a poor service from landlords, including requiring that landlords pay compensation or in serious cases change their housing manager. 

Where landlords provide a good service to tenants, the regulator will cut red tape, with no routine inspections and paperwork kept to a minimum, allowing them to concentrate on providing even better services to tenants and building new homes.

The regulator is being created by the Housing and Regeneration Bill currently before Parliament.  It will initially cover housing associations, but Ministers will seek to extend it to local authority landlords and tenants within two years of it being set up.   
 
Anthony Mayer, currently Chief Executive of the Greater London Authority, will initially take responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation of the regulator, and will become its first Chair once the Housing and Regeneration Bill receives Royal Assent.

Housing and Planning Minister Caroline Flint said:

"I am delighted that Anthony is taking on the role of chair of the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords. He will bring a wealth of experience to the the role with an excellent track record in social housing, local government and the financial sector.
 
"The regulator will ensure that all social house tenants are well protected and enjoy a good standard of service from their landlords, with powers to impose penalties on those who are not maintaining high standards. "

Anthony Mayer said:

"I am delighted to be rejoining the social housing sector and taking this exciting and challenging position.

"I look forward to working to support the interest of tenants. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with social landlords, to reward those providing a top service already and to encourage others to reach those same heights. "

Biography

Anthony Mayer is the current Chief Executive at the Greater London Authority, a role he has held for 8 years.  Prior to this he was Transitional Chief Executive at Transport for London, a role he took on after 9 years as Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation.

Anthony Mayer began his career at the Department of Environment, before moving on to NM Rothschild and Son, where he became Managing Director of Finance and Administration. 

He holds no other public appointments.

Notes to editors

  1. The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords was announced by the then Minister for Housing and Planning, Yvette Cooper, on 15 October 2007:
    www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm071015/wmstext/71015m0001.htm
  2. The proposals for setting up the new agency are outlined in the Housing and Regeneration Bill which is currently before Parliament: http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2007-08/housingandregeneration.html
  3. Professor Martin Cave's independent review of social housing regulation, Every Tenant Matters, was published on 19 June 2007:  www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/everytenantmatters
  4. The appointments have been made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA).  All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.  However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees' political activity (if any declared) to be made public. He has declared no political activity.
  5. The appointment is for 3 years, and attracts remuneration of £85,000 per year.
  6. Following the Housing and Regeneration Bill of November 2007, The Office for Tenants and Social Landlords (Oftenant) is being created as the new independent regulator of the social housing sector.
  7. The chair will:
  • help recruit a Chief Executive and Board, and with them lead the creation of Oftenant, establishing strategic direction line with its statutory objectives and functions.
  • ensure that Oftenant, once established, effectively carries out its key tasks of regulation, tenant protection and improving social landlord performance, with high standards of governance and probity, and protection of private and public sector investment.


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