RSH publishes analysis on social housing tenant satisfaction

The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) has published its analysis of social landlords’ first year of Tenant Satisfaction Measure (TSM) results, along with the results of its National Tenant Survey.

The TSMs are a set of questions that landlords must ask tenants about their service, and  management information data collected by landlords about the delivery of key services. They are intended to hold landlords to account in areas, such as repairs service, maintenance of homes and complaint handling.

The National Tenant Survey is an independent survey, commissioned by RSH, which is designed to provide greater insight into the factors that influence TSM results. It also serves as an independent benchmark for landlords’ TSMs.

According to the results, the biggest driver for overall satisfaction is a tenant’s view of their landlord’s repairs service and how well their home is maintained.

70 per cent of social housing tenants are satisfied with their landlord’s service, feel their home is safe and well maintained, and that their landlord treats them with fairness and respect.

However, around one in five tenants is not satisfied with their landlord’s service, and only one third of affected tenants is satisfied with the way their landlord handles complaints.

Fiona MacGregor, Chief Executive at RSH, said: "The TSMs enable tenants to scrutinise their landlord’s performance and hold them to account on a number of important issues. Landlords should already be reflecting on their results and using them to improve their services.

"The TSMs are one piece of intelligence that we use to build an overall picture of a landlord’s performance, as part of our new proactive regulation of the consumer standards.

"We are rolling out our new approach through planned inspections, investigations and scrutinising a range of information from landlords. Through our work, we are continuing to drive landlords to improve tenants’ homes and services."