Last month the Regulator for Social Housing (RSH) published their latest report that provided a comprehensive analysis of the social housing sector based upon the value for money (VFM) metrics used across the sector.

One of the key findings of the report was that the weighted average cost per home / per year to maintain and manage an affordable home has risen to £6,280 per annum and the median cost per annum has shown an 11% increase over the previous 12-month period. An 11% cost increase is substantial and significant, especially when compared to the increase in CPI of just 2.6% for the same period.

The report from the RSH notes that the overall increase in headline cost is primarily driven by maintenance and major repair costs, inclusive of capitalised major repairs. The sector weighted average spend on maintenance and major repair costs has increased by over 25% since 2023 from £2,710 to £3,420 per home per year, as shown in the figure below.

This continued increase in spend on maintenance and major repairs is part of a bigger trend. Back in January 2026, the RSH reported that the total sector equivalent spend in 2020 was £5.7bn compared to the latest figure of £10bn in 2025, resulting in the near doubling of cost in this area over the last five years.

This significant increase in spending on maintenance and major repairs is reflective of the sector’s continued financial commitment to meeting stock quality, compliance, building safety and energy efficiency improvements and the RSH reports that the sector is itself predicting for costs to continue to rise for the next 5 years.

The significant cost drivers affecting the sector include:

• Damp and mould remediation
• Fire safety and recladding
• Decent Homes
• Energy efficiency and decarbonisation
• New consumer regulation

All these drivers are regulation driven. They are unavoidable and it will continue to take time for registered providers (RPs) and local authorities (LAs) to put together effective asset management strategies and plans that can help them deliver the best possible VFM in relation to their maintenance spend.

In the work we have been involved with for RPs and LAs, particularly in relation to energy efficiency and decarbonisation programmes as well as building safety and recladding projects, we have assisted our clients in creating innovative ways to deliver these works at best value. Our clients are not only looking at their rectification budgets in the short-term but also considering medium- and long-term expenditure and the best ways to utilise grants to help programme their capital expenditure against maintenance and major repair works.

If you are interested in finding out more about our approach to strategic asset management, you can register for our free CPD morning which will take place on 10th June at the British Library in London. Sign up here.

You can also find out more about our services and reach out to talk with one of our Directors here.