How we’ve achieved the highest tenant satisfaction in the capital

Proximity matters. Almost all our 10,000 homes, buildings and community spaces are located within a single square mile in east London. This geography means our team is physically and visibly present in tenants’ lives.  Caretakers, community teams and housing officers chat face-to-face with residents every day. Small encounters build trust and humanise relationships.

These in-person touchpoints make a significant difference in how tenants know us and experience our services. They appreciate personal connections and being able to address issues in real time. Our team’s community presence is not incidental – it’s a strategic choice that shapes decisions about how we should grow. 

“Almost all our 10,000 homes, buildings and community spaces are located within a single square mile in east London. This geography means our team is physically and visibly present in tenants’ lives”

Nearly one-third of our 400-plus team members, including me, live in Tower Hamlets, the same London borough as our residents. Many of us grew up here and our board has always included local people who represent the diversity in our community.

This shared lived experience is a unique lens. Our community’s challenges and aspirations are our challenges and aspirations. Solutions are co-produced because who better to design policies, strategies and targets than those who understand the reality of Tower Hamlets?

Our connection informs how we shape services and allows us to respond quickly to issues. Our engagement with tenants is day-in, day-out, ongoing, and meaningful.

But it’s not only formal mechanisms that provide insight. Local roots mean feedback from informal sources, too. Friends and family don’t hold back on how they feel about a parking policy, a new block going up, or street art we’ve commissioned. This raw feedback is invaluable – and uniquely east London in its directness. It’s essential for our success. 

No provider would claim that every tenant is satisfied 100% of the time. We’re no exception. Complaints have increased across the housing sector, and we’ve seen a similar trend.

Our residents gave us the highest TSM score nationally for complaint-handling. I believe this is because our approach is simple: listen, understand, and put right what we did wrong.

Our complaints aren’t just logged and closed – they’re a trigger for change. We’ve overhauled policies and altered plans, and we say sorry when we get it wrong. 

“Our residents gave us the highest TSM score nationally for complaint-handling. I believe this is because our approach is simple: listen, understand, and put right what we did wrong”

In response to recurring complaints about damp and mould, for example, we’ve brought in a new, more proactive, zero-tolerance approach to tackle issues early on. We’re working in partnership with specialists ZapCarbon to remove mould and identify and fix associated repairs. We’re using early detection in the form of smart home devices, and through seasonal information campaigns we encourage tenants to report damp and mould to us and share prevention tips with them. 

It’s tempting to rest on laurels, but our tenants wouldn’t stand for that. If anything, we’ve raised expectations and our tenants rightly expect more and for us to do better.

My board is clear that our priority is residents and improving core service provision. It is as clear about our strategic direction: staying local, staying connected and staying accountable.

We’ll continue to invest in our workforce, making sure they reflect and therefore better understand our community.

And as uncomfortable as they are, complaints will continue to be a litmus test of our commitment to improve.  We’ll carry on prioritising relationships, building trust and truly enjoying being part of a such a vibrant and dynamic community.

Steve Stride, chief executive, Poplar HARCA