Renters' contentment plummeted to a five-year low
A recent report by Housemark, a leading data insight company, has revealed a five-year low in tenant satisfaction levels in England's social housing sector. The findings come from the 2023-24 Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) survey.
According to the report, overall satisfaction dropped from 85.1% in 2018-19 to 69.4% in 2023-24. This decline is largely attributed to poor complaint handling, unsatisfactory anti-social behaviour management, ongoing repairs and maintenance issues, and inadequate tenant engagement and communication.
Handling complaints consistently shows the lowest satisfaction and highest dissatisfaction among tenants. For example, West Lancashire Borough Council's survey found only 33% satisfaction with handling complaints and 47% dissatisfaction, marking it as the biggest contributor to low overall satisfaction.
Approach to handling anti-social behaviour is also a significant concern. Satisfaction with handling ASB is only around 43%, with dissatisfaction at 21%, which damages tenant trust and satisfaction.
Repairs services remain a major driver of overall satisfaction but have notable issues. Satisfaction with repairs and time taken to complete repairs is relatively low, and these have strong correlations with overall tenant perceptions.
Communication and tenant engagement are weak points. Many tenants feel the landlord does not sufficiently listen to views or act upon them, with satisfaction below 50% in some surveys.
Maintenance and safety scores vary but generally do not compensate for the lower scores in other areas. In some cases, satisfaction with homes being well-maintained or safe is above 60-70%, but it is not enough to prevent the decline in overall satisfaction.
Several factors have contributed to this decline. Increasing complaints volume and slow or inadequate responses to those complaints erode tenant confidence and satisfaction. Ongoing issues with anti-social behaviour and perceived ineffective management of such cases create dissatisfaction and stress among tenants. While repairs satisfaction has slightly improved in some areas, time taken and quality of maintenance remain concerns impacting overall satisfaction.
Some tenants remain unsure how their housing providers measure satisfaction or feel their feedback does not lead to visible action, reducing trust and engagement. The introduction of new TSM reporting requirements by the Regulator of Social Housing since April 2023 has heightened scrutiny and may have exposed more weaknesses or created higher tenant expectations, which some landlords are still adjusting to.
Despite these challenges, the recovery in tenant satisfaction levels is not universal, but it is a result of the efforts of landlords to proactively address service issues, rather than a natural recovery without any intervention. Housemark expects this trend of improving tenant satisfaction levels to continue as more landlords implement improvements.
The monthly pulse data from Housemark suggests that the recovery in tenant satisfaction levels is related to the proactive addressing of service issues by landlords. Landlords are recording complaints formally, in line with the Housing Ombudsman's Code, instead of using informal mechanisms.
Jonathan Cox, director of data and business intelligence at Housemark, stated that meaningful improvements in operational services typically take around 18 months to reflect in tenant perceptions. This timeline may vary depending on the specific circumstances of each landlord.
The current TSM results for overall tenant satisfaction are at a low point, but improvements are expected in the future. Landlords who have proactively addressed service issues have shown a modest recovery in tenant satisfaction levels. The recovery in tenant satisfaction levels is an encouraging sign that positive changes are starting to take effect.
In summary, the five-year low in tenant satisfaction in the 2023-24 TSM survey is largely driven by poor complaint handling, unsatisfactory anti-social behaviour management, ongoing repairs and maintenance issues, and inadequate tenant engagement and communication. These issues combine to reduce tenant confidence and satisfaction despite improvements in some areas like safety and compliance. The recovery in tenant satisfaction levels is a positive sign for the future of housing services in England.
- Improvements in the housing market and real estate investments could potentially offset the five-year low in tenant satisfaction levels, as landlords proactively address service issues.
- The finance sector could assistance social housing providers in implementing improvements, such as offering funding for better communication methods, repairs, and maintenance services, to boost overall satisfaction.
- Home-and-garden brands may find an opportunity to collaborate with social housing providers on lifestyle initiatives designed to elevate tenants' feelings of pride and comfort in their homes, leading to increased satisfaction with their living arrangements.
