28 November 2008
By Neil Merrick
Housing association tenants are generally satisfied with the service they receive from their landlord but want more opportunity to take part in management decisions, according to a study by the Housing Corporation.
About 80% of tenants are satisfied overall, with three quarters praising the quality of repairs and maintenance, the study showed.
But in terms of tenant participation – an issue that will be central to regulation under the new Tenant Services Authority – just 60% were satisfied. Levels of satisfaction were generally slightly higher for associations that were set up following a stock transfer from a council than for traditional registered social landlords.
Clare Miller, director of regulation at the corporation, said the quality of service and residents' perceptions of their landlord were at the heart of the TSA's priorities.
She added: 'Associations will need to focus on addressing these issues if they are to better meet expectations.'
The tenant satisfaction figures were based on performance indicators for RSLs. Among people in shared ownership, 62% of residents were satisfied with overall service, down from 63% one year ago.
This year's study, published on November 17, showed that the percentage of properties failing the decent home standard fell from 13% to 10.9% between 2007 and 2008 while the proportion of homes standing empty fell from 2.6% to 2.4%.
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