The data, gathered from 142 social housing providers and published in January 2025, shows that landlords operating across more than 20 local authority areas are experiencing longer turnaround times and higher vacancy rates, driven in part by complexities around allocations.

Observations from the Regulator of Social Housing’s Global Accounts report highlight a growing trend of stock rationalisation, with landlords increasingly consolidating their portfolios through stock swaps and disposals.

Housemark Pulse data reflects the impact of these strategies on performance, as landlords aim to simplify operations across fewer local authority areas, reduce administrative burdens, and improve re-letting processes to achieve better outcomes for tenants.

The survey also highlights the transformative impact of prioritising tenant satisfaction, particularly through enhanced complaint handling. Mid-sized landlords employing specialist complaints staff are reporting notable improvements in their capacity to handle and resolve complaints. This trend underscores the sector’s growing commitment to improving the tenant experience as a strategic priority.

Additionally, after three years of historically high responsive repairs volumes, landlords are beginning to see demand stabilise. Compared to November 2023, year-on-year repairs volumes dropped by 9.5%, indicating that efforts to clear backlogs are succeeding and workloads are returning to pre-pandemic seasonal norms.

Jonathan Cox, Housemark’s chief data officer, commented: “The stabilisation in repairs demand reflects the sector’s determination to overcome the significant challenges of recent years, including backlogs caused by the pandemic and economic pressures. By addressing these issues head-on, landlords have shown resilience and a willingness to adapt their strategies.

“The Regulator of Social Housing’s Global Accounts report, which highlighted continued increases in repairs and maintenance spending, highlights the importance of these efforts in meeting tenant needs.

“Meanwhile, the trend towards stock consolidation demonstrates an important shift in focus. By streamlining operations in key areas, landlords are not only reducing void times but also improving efficiency and enhancing the experience for tenants. Together, these developments illustrate the sector’s ongoing commitment to making meaningful progress in delivering high-quality services.”

Other key findings from Housemark’s January 2025 Pulse Survey include:

• Complaints resolved within target timescale increased to 94.4%, a 2.5% improvement, highlighting landlords’ efforts to enhance their responsiveness.
• Sickness absence rates are forecasted to be at 3.6% by March 2025, marking the lowest level recorded in five years and a sign of improved workforce stability.
• Digital customer contact now represents 35.6% of all tenant interactions, a 5.8% rise, indicating a shift towards more modern, accessible communication methods.
• Median tenant satisfaction with landlord services remains at 76.4%, revealing steady performance but highlighting areas for potential improvement.
• Nearly all homes (99.97%) have valid gas safety certificates, maintaining high compliance with essential safety standards.
• Average re-let times for standard re-lets have improved slightly to 48.5 days.

On Wednesday, 26th February, Housemark will host a voids and lettings performance update webinar, led by Research Manager John Wickenden, which is free for Housemark members to attend.

Drawing on insights from Housemark’s latest Voids Club research, this session will provide data-driven strategies and practical advice to help organisations improve voids and lettings performance.

Featuring expert analysis and actionable guidance, this event is a must for housing professionals looking to tackle current challenges effectively. Find out more and register here.