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TSMs prove the value of data in improving the sector’s performance
John Wickenden, research manager at Housemark, reflects on the publication of the tenant satisfaction measures
John Wickenden is a research manager at Housemark
The Regulator of Social Housing (RSH)’s results of the tenant satisfaction measures (TSMs), published at the end of last month, provide an important benchmark for the housing sector in England.
The results also validate the early findings published by Housemark in June, reinforcing how timely data can provide reliable insights into sector performance, months ahead of official reporting.
A key focus of the TSM results is tenant perception, measured through surveys covering areas such as, responsive repairs, anti-social behaviour, complaint-handling, as well as overall satisfaction.
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Housemark’s early analysis closely aligns with the RSH’s official median results, with an average difference of just 0.9 percentage points across all questions.
Housemark’s analysis of satisfaction data also gave the sector early sight of the underlying drivers. These include location – with London results 10 points lower in Housemark and RSH data, as well as low-cost homeownership – where both reports cite rent charges and repairs responsibility as reasons for poorer perception rates.
Housemark continued collecting satisfaction data through the years where it was not a regulatory requirement. This adds a robust trend over time angle to the analysis that the regulator cannot access through TSM data alone.
Management TSMs, derived from operational data, showed an even closer alignment with median results from the RSH report.
Housemark’s analysis adds insight by highlighting the effect of poor-quality housing on tenants’ perception. Average satisfaction for landlords with Decent Homes Standard failure rates above 1% is up to five points lower than those close to full compliance with the measure.
The results for repair timeliness showed similar precision. Non-emergency repairs completed within target times were reported at 81.5% by Housemark, compared with 81.3% by the RSH. Emergency repairs were similarly close, with a 0.5 percentage point difference. These findings reinforce the value of early benchmarking as a predictor of final outcomes.
Management results also shed light on operational challenges, such as anti-social behaviour (ASB) and complaint-handling.
The slight variance in ASB case rates between Housemark’s early findings and the RSH’s data pales when compared with Housemark’s ASB analysis from 2013-14, when case rates were close to 70 per 1,000 homes. Put simply, landlords are not recording ASB as they did 10 years ago.
“These findings highlight the value of reliable, timely data in helping housing providers navigate a demanding regulatory environment”
The alignment between Housemark’s early findings and the RSH’s official results demonstrates the importance of early data in preparing housing providers for regulatory scrutiny. While fewer landlords submitted data for Housemark’s initial analysis than were required to complete RSH returns, the dataset has proved representative of the sector as a whole.
These findings highlight the value of reliable, timely data in helping housing providers navigate a demanding regulatory environment. Early insights enable providers to identify trends, benchmark performance and implement changes well before official results are published.
As the housing sector faces increasing scrutiny over tenant satisfaction and operational transparency, robust data and analysis are essential for driving improvement. The RSH’s TSM results reaffirm the importance of benchmarking tools such as those offered by Housemark, ensuring providers have the insights they need to deliver for tenants and meet regulatory expectations.
John Wickenden, research manager, Housemark
