Social housing tenant complaints could exceed 1 million

Social housing tenant complaints could exceed 1 million

0:01 AM, 20th February 2024, About 9 months ago

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The number of complaints being made by social housing tenants could be much higher than the official figures suggest, a new report reveals.

Housing data expert Housemark says that complaints from residents who are dissatisfied with the service they receive from their landlord could exceed 1 million.

The report, based on Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) data, shows that while housing providers have only recorded 186,000 formal complaints since April 2023, many more residents claim they have complained in that period, but that their complaint has not been officially registered.

The firm estimates that the true number of tenant complaints is more than 1 million.

‘Resident complaints is likely to be five to eight times that recorded’

Jonathan Cox, the firm’s director of data and business intelligence, said: “Our finding that the total number of resident complaints is likely to be five to eight times that recorded in official figures is surprising.

“It clearly demonstrates the value of good data and having the ability to act on the insights it provides.”

Kirsty Wells, a director of Housemark, said: “In the first year of TSM data being required in England we were able to work with housing providers to deliver invaluable insights, allowing them to make informed business decisions.

“Customer complaints are just one of the key areas monitored through TSM data and we are able to help housing providers to improve services in response to customer concerns.”

Useful indicator of landlord performance

The firm’s Pulse Report is based on data from 171 housing providers to 31 December 2023 and it also found that another TSM question – work in progress (WIP) on repairs – is a useful indicator of landlord performance.

Social housing landlords with higher ratios of WIP tend to take longer to complete repairs and have lower satisfaction scores.

The report suggests that housing providers need to improve their communication with residents, record complaints accurately, and address the issues that cause dissatisfaction.

It also highlights the importance of data analysis and benchmarking for the social housing sector.


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