This Inside Housing headline caught my attention yesterday.

The scale of exemption accommodation, particularly in Birmingham is well recognised. Although exempt accommodation, and the number of services and support associated with it, is clearly needed, the quality of that accommodation is wide-ranging. The research report commissioned by Commonweal Housing last year sets out some of the issues really clearly.

We have started to see this issue tackled in a number of ways, with the recent publication of the new National Statement of Expectation and also with the Regulator of Social Housing taking a much closer look at the rent and service charges charged by those exempt accommodation landlords who are also registered providers of social housing. However, this latest move by Birmingham City Council also highlights that local authorities may investigate eligibility for exempt accommodation status in more detail and take action where it believes that eligibility criteria is not met.