What can I expect from the service? Pros and Cons

Just as associations vary in so many ways (in terms of the type of property they own, their objectives, the type of resident they target services at, etc), so, too, the quality and efficiency of the services provided vary greatly between organisations. Investigate thoroughly before you commit to a property. Talk to existing residents and ask about the procedures in place for investigating complaints and service requests. Walk around: are pavements and walkways clear of rubbish? Is graffiti a problem?

Housing associations generally provide rental accommodation at "affordable" prices; of course, the definition of affordable varies between areas and associations. However, the obvious advantages to renting from a housing association include rent which is usually subsidized to below market value. As mentioned above, some may also offer shared-ownership schemes to assist people who want to buy a property but cannot afford to do so independently.

Additionally, you are dealing with a large, registered and audited company rather than an individual landlord, providing increased peace of mind; you have less chance of getting a dodgy deal, and an established complaints procedure to deal with any difficulties.

One of the key characteristics of housing associations is that they are overseen by a voluntary committee or board, which usually includes residents. If the system works, this makes them a democratic housing management process, allowing residents a say in the running of their homes. Unfortunately, as with any democratic system there is of course a risk that the decision-making process may be ineffectual and long-winded, and endless hours of meetings required to resolve any problems!

Although the properties owned by associations do vary in character, the majority of accommodation is composed of complexes (typically blocks and estates of flats) rather than individual properties. You should consider this before you approach a housing association (or your local council, usually the first port of call).

How are these associations regulated?

The Housing Corporation is the quango or non-departmental public body responsible for funding and regulating housing associations in England. It should be noted that it is not ideal for one organisation to both fund and regulate an industry, due to the potential for conflict between those two roles.

Elsewhere in the UK, this function is performed by Communities Scotland, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and the Welsh Assembly.

These agencies provide housing associations with advice and support, and regulate their performance through regular inspection against specific criteria. Inspections are geared in the main towards financial performance and efficiency, rather than the experience they provide for individual residents, but it might be worth visiting the relevant website and checking a housing association's performance before you seek their help in finding accommodation.

Facts and Figures

In England:

• there are 1,500 housing associations
• providing around 2 million homes
• for over 5 million residents
• overseen by more than 30,000 volunteer committee members

Any big names?

Housing over 50,000 people, the Peabody Trust is one of the biggest housing associations in Greater London, with property in many immensely desirable locations (such as Waterloo, walking distance to London's west end, and classy Fulham). Its mission statement boldly declares that its aims are "to tackle poverty, provide good, affordable housing and to make a difference through every project or initiative it undertakes." The Trust manages a wide range of "social housing" accommodation, which includes both housing estates and individual properties, and also has accommodation at market value or a subsidized market value.

Residents must be referred via their local authority for social housing, but market value accommodation is open to all applicants. However, tenants of market value accommodation are required to be in full-time employment to be eligible.