New tenant satisfaction measures confirmed
1 January 2023
This article was first published on the Batchelor’s Solicitors website prior to its merger with Birketts.
Housing associations will be required to collect a wide-ranging set of tenant satisfaction measures from next year, following ratification by the Regulator for Social Housing.
The new Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) have been finalised after a period of consultation with stakeholders and will come into force from 1 April 2023.
From this time, all social housing providers will be expected to gather regular data on a number of key tenant satisfaction measures including repairs, safety checks and the landlord’s response to complaints.
It is hoped that the new measures will help the Regulator monitor the social housing sector more closely, ensuring that providers are meeting the required regulatory standards.
Amendments to tenant satisfaction measures – at a glance
- Tenants will be asked whether their home is well-maintained and safe – establishing two separate metrics on each theme.
- An additional question will measure the tenant’s satisfaction with the landlord’s approach to handling complaints.
- The Regulator has clarified the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code timescales, complaints relative to the size of the landlord, and safety checks.
- The definition of repairs has been amended to include emergency as well as non-emergency repairs.
- The definition of anti-social behaviour (ASB) now excludes domestic abuse, with plans in place by the Regulator to consider how to monitor domestic abuse compliance separately.
Social housing landlords will be able to choose the way that they collect survey data but changes have been made regarding publication requirements in order to improve transparency.
A spokesperson for the National Housing Federation, said: “We welcome the proposals overall based on feedback from members and [have] supported the principles and the intent behind the measures.
We believe the measures cover important issues for residents and will aid the Regulator in its work on consumer standards.”
They added: “We have set out our concerns about some of the measures proposed, for example in relation to antisocial behaviour and making a positive contribution to the neighbourhood, and how the TSMs would work in some settings, particularly short-term supported housing and offered alternative suggestions.
“We know some members will be concerned about some measures being used in a way that doesn’t reflect the context they operate in.
The Regulator has acknowledged that care will need to be taken in interpreting the results of some measures and says that its regulatory view of providers’ performance will be based on a range of sources of assurance, not the TSM data alone.”
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The content of this article is for general information only. It is not, and should not be taken as, legal advice. If you require any further information in relation to this article please contact the author in the first instance. Law covered as at January 2023.