Housing associations that are also registered charities are set to benefit from the agreement signed by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and Communities Scotland. The two have agreed a memorandum of understanding, minimising the burden of dual regulation while also satisfying the legal responsibilities of each regulator.

Housing associations will now only be required to submit their annual accounts to Communities Scotland, which will forward them to OSCR where necessary. They will no longer face the time consuming completion of separate returns for OSCR.

“I am delighted to sign this agreement,” Karen Watt, director of regulation and inspection at Communities Scotland, said. “Minimising duplication and reducing the burden of regulation are key priorities for Communities Scotland in its regulatory role. With so many RSLs [registered social landlords] registered as charities, I am sure that this agreement will bring positive benefits to these landlords.”

OSCR chief executive Jane Ryder said it was working on similar agreements for the future.