Tenant confidence in the City of London's housing services is showing signs of strain, with a recent report highlighting low satisfaction regarding whether feedback is listened to and acted upon. Residents frequently provide feedback concerning communication, responsiveness, follow-up, visibility of actions taken, and the resolution of longstanding issues. Many tenants feel they have to chase for updates and are uncertain if their feedback influences service delivery.

Tenant satisfaction survey results comparing current and previous years' performance against peer medians for various housing service aspects.
Tenant satisfaction survey results comparing current and previous years' performance against peer medians for various housing service aspects.

Despite performing above the London peer median in nine out of twelve tenant perception measures, including overall landlord services and repairs, satisfaction with the Listens and Acts measure stands at just 51.6%. This figure is below the peer median of 53.6% and represents a key area for improvement, according to the 2025/26 Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) benchmarking report. The areas where the City of London performs above the peer median include: Overall landlord services, Repairs services, Repairs completion times, Landlord communications, Neighbourhood contribution, Anti-social behaviour management, Complaint handling, Building safety compliance (achieving 100% or near 100% compliance across key measures like fire risk assessments, asbestos inspections, legionella assessments, gas safety, and lift safety compliance), and Resident satisfaction with complaint handling.

The report, presented to the Housing Management and Almshouses Sub (Community and Children's Services) Committee, indicates that residents frequently raise concerns about communication, responsiveness, follow-up, and the resolution of long-standing issues. Beyond general communication and responsiveness, tenants' lack of confidence stems from concerns about the resolution of longstanding issues, inconsistent communication across teams and estates, and uncertainty about whether their feedback has influenced service delivery. Specific feedback highlights worries about succession rights, the prohibition on subletting, and the nature of Tenancy Reviews clauses. Practical concerns about missed appointment charges, repairs caused by property age, contractors not showing up, how charges are calculated, and whether fair wear and tear is excluded also contribute to a lack of confidence.

A dashboard displaying key performance indicators for housing management, including income, arrears, estate services, tenancy management, repairs, and safety compliance.
A dashboard displaying key performance indicators for housing management, including income, arrears, estate services, tenancy management, repairs, and safety compliance.

In response, the Housing Service has developed a targeted TSM Improvement Plan for 2026/27. The plan aims to increase resident confidence by strengthening transparency, accountability, and ensuring feedback is routinely used to inform service delivery and decision-making. Key objectives include publishing twelve You Said, We Did updates throughout the year and increasing participation in resident consultations by 20%. Specific methods to achieve this include delivering at least 12 resident consultations or engagement activities via Commonplace during the year.

A dashboard displaying key performance indicators for housing management, including compliance measures, repairs, anti-social behaviour cases, and tenant complaints.
A dashboard displaying key performance indicators for housing management, including compliance measures, repairs, anti-social behaviour cases, and tenant complaints.

While overall satisfaction with the Housing Service is at 65%, the report underscores the need for sustained focus on areas such as repairs completion times, the proportion of homes meeting the Decent Homes Standard, and communal area improvements. The proportion of homes meeting the Decent Homes Standard remained at 83.75% during the reporting period (April 2026 – July 2026). The average re-let time for voids improved from 224 days in April to 138.6 days in June, before increasing to 151 days in July. This figure was influenced by older voids reaching completion. The Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for the voids process is 20-40 working days.

Bar charts illustrating housing performance metrics, including
Bar charts illustrating housing performance metrics, including "Proportion of homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard," "Non-emergency responsive repairs completed within target timescale," "Emergency repairs completed within target timescale," "Number of ASB cases, opened per 1,000 homes," and "Number of ASB cases that involve hate incidents opened per 1,000 homes.

The TSM Improvement Plan aims to address these priorities, with the ultimate goal of increasing resident confidence that their views are heard and acted upon. Tangible improvements are expected to be demonstrated through publishing twelve You Said, We Did updates during the year, showcasing actions taken in response to resident feedback, and publishing monthly updates in the @home newsletter on key service issues, actions taken, and progress against improvement commitments. The overall aim is to increase resident confidence that the Housing Service listens, responds, and acts on feedback, targeting an increase in satisfaction with the TSM 'Listens and Acts' measure from 52% to at least 60%.