Use this checklist to pressure-test how ready your stock data and evidence really are — before a regulator, an Ombudsman case, or an Awaab's Law timescale forces the question. If you cannot tick an item with confidence, it is a gap worth closing.
Stock data foundations
- Every property has a unique, current identifier (UPRN) and address
- You hold a current stock condition picture, not a stale spreadsheet
- Components are recorded against the correct parent property
- Condition, remaining life and renewal year are captured per component
Evidence & audit
- Photos are tied to the exact question, component or issue — not a loose folder
- Every record carries who captured it, when, and on what device
- Issues have unique IDs and can be traced to closure with evidence
- There is an audit trail across capture, QA and sync
Compliance denominator
- You know which programmes apply to each property (and why)
- 'Unknown' applicability surfaces as an exception, not a green tick
- HHSRS Category 1 hazards are tracked distinctly and acted on
- Damp & mould cases are linked to actions and evidence
Field capability
- Surveyors can capture fully offline in poor-signal estates
- Drafts and photos survive an app restart with no data loss
- Field updates never silently overwrite the master record
- External / supplier surveyors are scoped to their assigned stock only
Governance & reporting
- A QA gate sits between field capture and the live record
- Protected changes require a reason, evidence and independent approval
- Data exports cleanly to your warehouse or BI tool with stable keys
- Reports and structured data reconcile on the same identifiers
Mind the false-green
A compliance dashboard that counts missing data as compliant is the most dangerous artefact in asset management. Treat every unknown as an exception until it is evidenced.
Sources & further reading
- 1. Consumer standards and tenant satisfaction measures — Regulator of Social Housing (GOV.UK)
- 2. Spotlight reports on damp, mould and record-keeping — Housing Ombudsman Service