UK landlords are being put under increasing pressure to prioritise tenant satisfaction and improve the condition of the properties they live in. Between discussions about adopting new technologies and keeping up with the changing industry, there’s a lot to keep up with.

But as challenging as this all may seem, it’s not at all impossible to achieve. In this blog post, we'll delve into the new standards and discuss some of the actions housing associations can take to support these changes.

New codes of practice, new quality standards

It seems there’s no end to new regulations holding landlords accountable for the quality of the homes they provide and manage. In April 2023, we saw the introduction of the Tenant Satisfaction Measures. This year, the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) launched new standards for landlords that are aimed at further improving the quality of UK social housing.

At the same time, the Housing Ombudsman has made changes to the Complaint Handling Code which includes how complaints are categorised and reported. This is timely, given Housing Digital reported that 40% of tenants are living with unresolved maintenance issues as of December 2023. So it’s clear that housing associations need to make some changes.

To meet these new demands and report effectively, landlords will need a proactive strategy to streamline processes, improve tenant engagement, and make better use of the data insights available.

The new standards we need to keep in mind

Under the new standards established by the RSH landlords will need to:

  • ensure tenants are safe in their homes
  • listen to tenants’ complaints and respond promptly
  • be accountable to tenants and treat them with fairness and respect
  • know more about the condition of every home and the needs of the people who live in them
  • collect and use data effectively across a range of areas, including repairs

In addition, they must be able to provide satisfactory evidence of their efforts to improve tenant experiences. So what does this mean for housing associations, and what actions can they take?

Tenant centricity

Housing associations will need to become more tenant-centric. This means a change in culture. Alongside adopting technology to support change, employee roles and responsibilities will need to change to make everyone accountable for delivering tenant satisfaction.

In line with this, housing associations will need to improve internal communications. Specifically, they need to make it so that contact centre teams can support and collaborate with admin teams, to share information and receive tenant feedback. This entails making better use of digital channels, SMS, social media, AI, and automation.

Proactive property management

A proactive approach to ensuring homes are safe is required. Landlords can no longer rely on tenants to report issues. There are many cases in which this results in issues not being reported until they become extreme and expensive to repair.

Taking a proactive approach will allow property teams to:

  • take preventative action
  • record and store reports and video clips to monitor change
  • resolve issues before they become critical and put tenants in danger

Even something as simple as performing regular surveys that encourage tenants to report leaking windows, damp, and faulty fittings can make a world of difference.

Data collection and analysis

Housing associations will need to find innovative ways to collect data and adopt a slicker approach to secure and ethical data-sharing. This way, they ensure every employee has the information they need to correctly assess a situation and deliver the best possible outcomes.

Connecting contact centre teams with the back office through advanced contact centre technology can make a huge difference. Fostering an information ecosystem that integrates communications with CRM (customer relationship management) and Housing Management Systems provides valuable data for company-wide, cross-platform analytics.

Every interaction is tracked to show qualitative and quantitative data across numerous touchpoints. This provides valuable insights, key performance metrics, and essential reports that can be presented to regulators and stakeholders across the business.

Oversight from the Regulator of Social Housing

The RSH is clear that all landlords can improve and to hold landlords to account it will:

  • perform regular inspections of larger landlords to check they are meeting the outcomes in the standards
  • scrutinise data about tenant satisfaction, repairs, and other relevant issues
  • continue to push landlords to protect tenants and put things right when there are problems
  • use a range of tools when needed, including new enforcement powers
  • continue to focus on the financial viability and governance of housing associations as part of its integrated regulation

Digitisation

Technology will play a key role in digitising the future of housing associations to become more efficient. That said, there also needs to be a cultural change for these tools to make any meaningful impact. As new technology is adopted to streamline and automate processes, the roles of individuals will also need to adapt. This leads to a more efficient and better-informed workforce, whose improvement is steered by data-driven insights.

Implementing automation and AI to replace complex human processes can also improve operational efficiency and streamline reporting. But it’s important to understand the implications of that information, and to remember that decision-making based on the resulting data is (and always will be) in the domain of human brain power.

8x8 solutions for UK housing associations

Adopting the right technology and making the cultural shift are equally important in enabling landlords to:

  • build better tenant relationships
  • respond faster to maintenance requests
  • increase their visibility and control over the condition of their homes

8x8 connects 8x8 Contact Center users, administration, and maintenance teams with intuitive collaboration tools. This allows for better information sharing and a faster resolution to enquiries. It also provides valuable analytics and data-driven insights to improve tenant satisfaction, drive innovation and automation, and deliver on strategic goals.

8x8 Remote Fix™ for regular, cost-effective inspections

When using solutions like 8x8 Remote Fix, landlords can significantly reduce maintenance costs and more effectively identify and manage potential issues before they become critical. Just imagine—damp, leaks, and faulty equipment can be dealt with without expensive site visits.

Want to learn more about 8x8 Remote Fix? Check out what happened when Platform Housing adopted the solution.

Surveys

Automating surveys increases opportunities for the voice of the tenant to be heard. Using SMS and WhatsApp can increase response rates, with recent research showing SMS having a 98% open rate (as opposed to just 47% for email) and voice surveys can be easily automated to be carried out at the end of a call. Results are automatically collated and can be shared to give business leaders real-time insights.

Conclusion

With increasing regulation, tight budgets and growing demands from tenants, landlords are under immense pressure to improve operational efficiency and remove silos in the workforce. With the right cultural and technological changes, landlords can benefit from agile environments, streamlined processes and the reporting required to deliver on the new standards.

Learn more about 8x8 solutions for housing associations.