"The findings reveal that many tenants feel a disconnect with their landlord, with most unaware of how their satisfaction is being measured and few seeing positive changes over the past year"
- Deborah Matthews - MRI Software
A recent Resident Voice Index™ (RVI) survey of over 2,000 social housing residents highlights a significant gap in awareness and engagement with Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs), which became a regulatory requirement in 2023. These measures allow tenants to express their views on landlord performance and help shape future service improvements.
The insights gathered through TSMs also supply valuable data to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH), ensuring landlords meet their obligations.
The survey uncovered several key findings. Firstly, 90% of residents said they were unfamiliar with TSMs, and 66% were unsure how their housing provider measures tenant satisfaction. This lack of awareness suggests a missed chance to boost tenant engagement and strengthen the effectiveness of TSMs in improving services.
Secondly, only 10% of tenants noticed positive changes from their housing provider in the past year, while nearly 45% reported a decline in satisfaction.
Thirdly, the survey showed a clear preference for digital communication. 70% of respondents want updates via email, and 31% prefer text messages. Yet only 45% currently receive email updates, and 17% get texts.
“The findings reveal that many tenants feel a disconnect with their landlord, with most unaware of how their satisfaction is being measured and few seeing positive changes over the past year," comments Deborah Matthews, managing director for social housing at MRI Software.
She added, "Tenants aren’t just looking for reactive solutions, they want to feel heard, engaged, and confident that their housing provider understands their challenges and is proactively working to address them. This isn’t just about repairs and maintenance activities; it’s about building trust and a long-term relationship that goes beyond transactional values. Social housing providers are implementing steps to meet the TSM standards, but it’s essential for residents to feel part of the process.”
One way forward is through adopting smarter technology. By investing in digital communication channels preferred by tenants, housing providers can make interactions more convenient and accessible. Furthermore, using data-driven insights to track tenant satisfaction, safety concerns, and service expectations can help providers tackle issues proactively before they escalate.
Matthews concludes, “By creating a transparent communication loop, housing providers can not only improve satisfaction scores but encourage stronger, more trusting relationships with their tenants. Technology has a huge part to play in this; however, it needs to be outcome-focused and demonstrate a clear improvement in service.”
