Crawley Borough Council (Crawley) is based in Sussex in south-east England and has 10,429 properties, which include 8,141 LCRA properties. After completing a similar survey in 2023, Acuity was commissioned to carry out surveys over two waves in 2024/25 to comply with the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing; this has now extended into 2025/26, and this report combines the two waves from the year to give an annual perspective. These surveys include LCRA tenants only. Demographic breakdowns are also included in this annual report.
The survey was designed using the Tenant Satisfaction Measures, which became mandatory to collect from April 2023, and are now required annually. The survey was carried out using telephone interviews and online entry. At the close of the survey for the year, 589 surveys have been completed, plus a further 44 incomplete, which are also required by the Regulator to be included. Of these, 324 were completed online and 309 by telephone interview using Acuity's in-house telephone team.
Sentiment analysis has been used to better understand tenants' comments and why they have responded to the satisfaction questions the way they have. Analysis of the five open questions and information about how this works is shown at the end of the report and adds an extra layer of focused insight to the results to help the Council better understand what is driving satisfaction, what tenants are most concerned about, and, as a consequence, what could be improved.
The survey is confidential, and the results are sent back to Crawley Borough Council anonymised unless tenants give their permission to be identified; 69% of tenants did give permission to share their name, and 90% of these are happy for Crawley Borough Council to contact them to discuss any issues they raised.
This survey aims to provide data on tenants’ satisfaction, which will allow the Council to:
• Provide information on tenants’ perceptions of current services
• Compare the results against the previous surveys
• Compare the results with other landlords
• Report to the Regulator annually, as required.
For the LCRA results, the Regulator of Social Housing requires landlords with between 2,500 and 9,999 LCRA properties to achieve a sampling error of at least ±4% at the 95% confidence level. For Crawley Borough Council, 630 responses were received for the overall service question, and this response is high enough to conclude that the findings are accurate to within ±3.7%, so within the required margin.
The majority of figures throughout the report show the results as percentages. The percentages are rounded up or down to the nearest whole number, and for this reason, may not in all cases add up to 100%. Rounding can also cause percentages described in the supporting text to differ from the percentages in the charts by 1% when two percentages are added together. Base numbers are shown on the charts, where possible, as n=...
Overall Satisfaction
Three-quarters of tenants are satisfied with the overall service during 2025/26, up four percentage points (p.p) from last year.
The range of satisfaction is good and generally compares well against other council landlords (see below). Two measures have more than 80% of tenants satisfied, the repairs in the last 12 months (81%) and the time taken to complete repairs (84%).
However, two measures fall below 60%, these being the handling of anti-social behaviour (56%) and of complaints (43%).
This annual report focuses on the headline figures from the year, shows how satisfaction has changed since last year, includes an analysis of the open comments made by tenants and includes a breakdown of the results by different demographic subgroups.
TSM Key Metrics
Keeping Properties in Good Repair Respectful & Helpful Engagement
Responsible Neighbourhood Management
Annual Summary
The charts opposite demonstrate the range of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the different survey measures during 2025/26.
Although satisfaction may appear low for some measures, there is sometimes a significant number of tenants who have no opinion either way, selecting the neither satisfied nor dissatisfied option, rather than being actively dissatisfied with the service.
For example, whilst just 64% of tenants are satisfied with the positive contribution made to the neighbourhood (ranking in the bottom three for satisfaction), just 15% are dissatisfied, with 21% neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. This indicates that some tenants are unsure how to interpret this metric and what their landlord is responsible for, or are unaware of the contribution the Council makes to their local area. With this in mind, more could be done to promote the positive impact the council has locally.
Satisfaction with the Council’s approach to complaints handling has both the lowest level of satisfaction (43%) and the highest level of dissatisfaction (43%), although this is the only measure with an equal number of satisfied and dissatisfied.
Just 14% are dissatisfied with the overall service, and generally less than a fifth are dissatisfied across the range of measures.
Annual Satisfaction & Dissatisfaction
Satisfaction with Measures 2025/26
Dissatisfaction with Measures
2025/26
Key driver analysis is used to examine the relationship between the different variables (the questions asked in the survey) and determine which elements of the service are the key drivers for tenants’ overall satisfaction.
Each landlord has its own unique pattern of influence, and when considering the results for 2025/26, the most important driver for tenants’ satisfaction with the overall service provided is that the Council provides a well maintained home, followed by how tenants' views are listened to and acted upon.
The provision of a safe home, treating tenants fairly and with respect and the repairs service over the last 12 months are also important, but not as influential.
This analysis implies that if improvements around the most influential measures can be achieved, it is more likely to lead to increased satisfaction with the overall service provided by the Council.
Key Driver Analysis
Annual Key Driver Analysis – Overall Satisfaction
Fairly & with Respect, 77%
Repairs Last 12 Months, 81%
Safe Home, 77%
Well Maintained Home, 76%
Listens & Acts, 65%
Measure of influence
The Regulator of Social Housing will not release the TSM results for 2025/26 until later in the year, but Acuity has produced benchmarking information based on 124 landlords with whom it has worked during the year. These results have been shown to be very close to the RSH results and provide a more up-to-date view. This group includes all landlords, housing associations and councils of different sizes and locations.
Crawley compares well against this group, with six measures above the group medians and the time taken to complete repairs in the top quartile. Overall satisfaction is in the second.
Six measures all fall into the third quartile, including the maintenance of the communal areas and handling ASB.
Below shows how Crawley compares with other councils only.
Benchmarking – TSM results 2025/26 (LCRA)
Given that Crawley is a local authority, comparing the results with other council landlords provides a more specific context.
The results compare better against this group, with five measures in the top quartile, including the overall service and the repairs measures.
There are now four measures in the third quartile, including the safety of the home.
However, Crawley should be very pleased with these results, which show that it compares well against its peers. Nonetheless, there are still some areas which could improve further.
Benchmarking – TSM results 2025/26
(Councils)
The table to the right presents the top 30 comment areas from tenants for the five satisfaction sentiment questions used in the survey.
By far the most commonly-mentioned area is property services, particularly the timeliness and responsiveness of repairs, which has a negative score of -0.28, although satisfaction is quite high for this measure. This shows that this aspect of service is of the utmost importance to tenants, but could be improved, with more tenants reporting negative experiences of this, which have shaped their perception of the services provided. Tenants are more positive about the quality of work and the general condition of their homes.
Customer service and contact is viewed more positively, including the conduct of staff (+3.55) and communication (+0.60).
The full text of the comments can be found on the Acuity dashboard and can help Crawley identify areas in need of improvement and what tenants think is of the highest priority.
When considering the results, the national context and external factors must also be taken into account.
Satisfaction is based on perception rather than specific values, so it can be affected by these factors and how positive people feel about their lives.
Tenants have had to face considerable challenges in recent years, particularly the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, political changes and some will still be recovering from the disruption caused by the pandemic of 2020 and the effect it had on the delivery of services.
The graph demonstrates how overall satisfaction has changed over time for Acuity’s clients (tracker only). The trendline is downward over the last few years, but this has stabilised around the mid-70% range in 2025/26.
The Crawley result is at the overall level and, as seen above, compares very well against other councils.
National Context
Overall Services (Acuity Clients)
LCRA LCHO
Further Insight
Tenants were asked about the cost of living, and whether they struggle to meet the cost of certain expenses.
Tenants struggle the most with meeting the cost of utility bills (26%), followed closely by meeting household bills (23%). Paying rent or services charges was of less concern to tenants, although 8% of tenants say they struggle to meet these bills.
In addition to those currently struggling, between 13% and 22% are worried about the future.
It is common that those struggling financially are often less satisfied with their housing services than those not, as can be seen here to some degree. On the overall service, 69% of those struggling are satisfied compared with 83% who are not.
This does suggest that any help the Council can provide, such as budgeting advice or help with benefits, can not only improve tenants' circumstances, but could lead to higher satisfaction.
Cost of Living
Cost of Living Concern
Cost of Living Concern & Satisfaction
Overall Satisfaction
Please describe your specific experiences that have shaped your view of Crawley Borough Council's service.
Top 10 Subcategories Categories
Responsive Repairs
Customer Service & Contact
Window/doors
Tenants were asked to describe their experiences that have shaped their view of Crawley’s service. Many tenants praise quick, polite repairs teams and helpful individual staff, while recurring issues drive dissatisfaction. The most frequent complaints are poor and inconsistent communication, long delays or repeated chasing for major works (bathrooms, kitchens, windows, roofing, insulation), unfinished or low-quality repairs, and weak follow-up when jobs recur.
Mould, leaks, condensation and ventilation problems appear repeatedly and are often linked to slow or inadequate remedial action. Several report problems with neighbour nuisance, anti-social behaviour, security (door/fob access), communal cleaning and grounds maintenance. Vulnerable tenants and those with children or mobility needs sometimes report positive priority support, but others describe stress from long waits and poor case management. Contractors’ workmanship and record-keeping (missed appointments, wrong trades sent, temporary fixes) are common concerns. A minority describe excellent, life-changing support.
Overall sentiment is that day-to-day reactive repairs are usually handled well, but planned maintenance, major replacements and consistent communication need substantial improvement.
The Home
Top 10 Subcategories Categories
Tenants were asked to describe their experiences that have shaped their view of Crawley’s service. Many tenants praise quick, polite repairs teams and helpful individual staff, while recurring issues drive dissatisfaction. The most frequent complaints are poor and inconsistent communication, long delays or repeated chasing for major works (bathrooms, kitchens, windows, roofing, insulation), unfinished or low-quality repairs, and weak follow-up when jobs recur.
Mould, leaks, condensation and ventilation problems appear repeatedly and are often linked to slow or inadequate remedial action. Several report problems with neighbour nuisance, anti-social behaviour, security (door/fob access), communal cleaning and grounds maintenance. Vulnerable tenants and those with children or mobility needs sometimes report positive priority support, but others describe stress from long waits and poor case management. Contractors’ workmanship and record-keeping (missed appointments, wrong trades sent, temporary fixes) are common concerns. A minority describe excellent, life-changing support.
Overall sentiment is that day-to-day reactive repairs are usually handled well, but planned maintenance, major replacements and consistent communication need substantial improvement.
Customer Service & Communication
Describe your experience with the customer service and communications you receive.
Top 10 Subcategories Categories
Tenants were asked to describe their experiences that have shaped their view of Crawley’s service. Many tenants praise quick, polite repairs teams and helpful individual staff, while recurring issues drive dissatisfaction. The most frequent complaints are poor and inconsistent communication, long delays or repeated chasing for major works (bathrooms, kitchens, windows, roofing, insulation), unfinished or low-quality repairs, and weak follow-up when jobs recur.
Mould, leaks, condensation and ventilation problems appear repeatedly and are often linked to slow or inadequate remedial action. Several report problems with neighbour nuisance, anti-social behaviour, security (door/fob access), communal cleaning and grounds maintenance. Vulnerable tenants and those with children or mobility needs sometimes report positive priority support, but others describe stress from long waits and poor case management. Contractors’ workmanship and record-keeping (missed appointments, wrong trades sent, temporary fixes) are common concerns. A minority describe excellent, life-changing support.
Overall sentiment is that day-to-day reactive repairs are usually handled well, but planned maintenance, major replacements and consistent communication need substantial improvement.
Top 10 Subcategories Categories
Tenants were asked to give their thoughts on Crawley’s ASB-handling. Many tenants report little or no ASB in their area and express satisfaction with quick, effective responses when incidents occur. Positive notes mention prompt visits, letters, CCTV installation, good communication from Crawley staff, and specific staff praised for responsiveness. However, a substantial portion describes inadequate action: delays, reliance on warning letters only, limited enforcement, poor multiagency coordination, and perceived reluctance to intervene, especially around drug use, noisy tenants, bike/motorbike nuisance, and persistent neighbours.
Several reports cite safety concerns in alleyways, broken glass, and children’s exposure to drug smoke or traffic risk. Complaints also highlight language barriers, long case durations, inconsistent follow-up, and perceptions that some tenants (including repeat offenders or re-housed individuals) continue problematic behaviour. Overall sentiment is polarised: pockets of effective, prompt response, but a number of residents feel ASB is under-enforced, with calls for stronger, quicker, and more proactive intervention.
Complaints Handling
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with Crawley Borough Council's approach to complaints handling?
Top 10 Subcategories Categories
Many tenants made complaints about repairs either being delayed, done poorly, or not completed despite surveyor/engineer visits. Anti-social behaviour complaints are frequent; residents feel expected to manage issues themselves, with long delays and inadequate action leading to ongoing harassment and stress. Several tenants describe breakdowns in relationships with housing officers, and inconsistent or generic email replies that do not address concerns.
Accessibility and fairness problems are raised (lack of support for disabled tenants, perceived bias when complaints are made against certain residents). Recurring operational problems include blocked entry systems, unresolved mould, and unresolved parking/drug-related concerns.
Positive experiences are fewer: where managers intervened, or Crawley Homes/contractors acted quickly, residents were satisfied. Examples include timely repairs, hedge trimming, litter removal, and radiator replacement.
Trends
Satisfaction has generally improved since last year, in fact, just one has not risen in satisfaction, but has in fact remained the same; satisfaction with the maintenance of communal areas (66%).
Satisfaction with the overall service is up 4p.p, with the repairs service in the last 12 months up 5p.p, while the way the Council listens to tenants’ views and acts upon them was up 6p.p. Complaint handling and the time to complete repairs were both up 9p.p.
It should be noted that for a change to be considered statistically significant, it must exceed the combined margins of error for the last two surveys, in this case, around 7.4p.p, meaning only the time to complete repairs and the handling of complaints reach this. However, smaller changes can indicate a direction of travel, and it can be concluded that the Council is heading in the right direction of improvement.
Year-on-Year Change
The table shows the changes from wave to wave during the 2025/26 year.
This is more of a mixed picture with some measures improving from wave to wave, but some falling.
Overall satisfaction was stable and stayed at 77% for both waves, whilst the way the Council listens to tenants’ views and acts upon them went up 5p.p and the handling of complaints went up 8p.p.
However, seven measures fell from wave to wave, the most for the contribution to the neighbourhood (down 7p.p) and the maintenance of the communal areas (down 12p.p).
There will always be some fluctuation in results from wave to wave, but the good news is that satisfaction has generally risen from last year to this.
Wave Change 2025/26
Summary
Overall RSI Score
The Organisational-Level RSI offers a single, headline metric that captures the overall emotional tone of resident feedback across all key service areas. It is based exclusively on responses to the 7 core RSI open-ended questions. It reflects how positively or negatively residents feel about the organisation’s performance across these key areas. Please note, if your organisation does not ask all 7 core RSI questions, you are unable to benchmark your Organisational RSI Score. Each individual RSI question will be analysed in its relevant section throughout the report.
Summary Sentiment Scores
Overall Satisfaction
Sentiment ScoreCustomer Service and Communication
Organisational Level RSI
Sentiment ScoreOverall Satisfaction
Sentiment Score - Home, Communal, Safe, Well Maintained
Sentiment Score - ASB
Tenants express mixed views: many praise quick, polite responses for emergency and routine repairs, helpful officers, and support during crises. Major recurring issues are poor communication, long delays or incomplete/planned maintenance (windows, bathrooms, mould, roofs, boilers), inconsistent repair quality, and problems with contractors. Residents report unresolved damp/mould, neighbour/ASB concerns, unclear responsibility for small repairs, and inconsistent communal maintenance. Overall satisfaction is moderate good responsiveness for some tasks but systemic delays, patchy quality, and weak follow-up undermine confidence.
The Home
Responses show mixed satisfaction: many tenants feel homes are safe and receive regular gas/fire checks and prompt repairs, while communal areas, external maintenance (gardens, gutters, bins), and security (broken doors, intercoms, lifts) are frequently criticized. Recurring problems include damp/mould, slow or incomplete repairs, poor-quality contractor work, and anti-social behaviour/drug use. Accessibility adaptations and disability-related requests often face long delays. Overall sentiment is generally positive about safety checks but negative about exterior upkeep, responsiveness, and lasting repair quality.
ASB
Responses show mixed satisfaction with how antisocial behaviour (ASB) is handled. Many praise prompt, effective action in some cases, with officers responsive and issues resolved. However a large portion report slow, inconsistent or inadequate responses: drug use/sales, noisy or disruptive neighbours, persistent nuisance, poor enforcement, lack of police presence and removed community wardens. Recurring themes: insufficient follow-up, unclear procedures, safety concerns in alleyways, and frustration over rehousing of offenders. Several note good communication when action is taken, but many call for stronger, quicker enforcement.
Customer Service & Communication
Residents report generally polite, helpful customer-service staff and timely repairs in many cases, but communication and consistency are major pain points. Common issues: long phone waits, poor intra-team handovers, repeated need to chase repairs, contractors or surveyors not showing or poorly informed, and housing officers perceived as rude or transient. Vulnerable tenants struggle with online-only processes. Complaints about unresolved or delayed larger works (mould, windows, adaptations) and patchy follow-up recur alongside pockets of excellent, responsive service.
Complaints
Sentiment ScoreComplaints
Residents report widespread dissatisfaction with complaint handling: slow or no responses, poor communication, lack of follow-through, and unresolved repairs or anti-social behaviour. Some praise specific staff or quick fixes, but many describe repeated complaints ignored, inconsistent action, and distress from unresolved noise, mould, hedges, and entry-system problems. A few cases escalated to managers or the Ombudsman with mixed outcomes. Overall sentiment is frustrated and distrustful, highlighting inconsistent service delivery, inadequate updates, and perceived staff indifference or incompetence.
Satisfaction with Measures
Conclusion
Acuity was commissioned to undertake an independent satisfaction survey of the tenants of the Council, using a mixedmode approach of online and telephone questionnaires. The survey incorporated all the TSMs, which became mandatory for Registered Providers of social housing to collect from April 2023.
Three-quarters of tenants are satisfied with the overall service provided (77%), with higher satisfaction only for the repairs measures, including the time taken to complete repairs (84%), and the overall repairs service in the last 12 months (81%). Two other measures also scored 77%: the provision of a safe home, and tenants being treated fairly and with respect.
Just two measures have satisfaction below 60%: the handling of anti-social behaviour (56%) and dealing with complaints (43%). Correspondingly, complaint handling has the highest level of dissatisfaction (43%). Dissatisfaction with this service is likely to incorporate more than just how tenants’ complaints are handled – for example, tenants not getting the resolution they want or expect, or still awaiting the outcome. It should also be noted that this is often the worst-performing measure for Registered Providers, as seen on the benchmarking information page.
Satisfaction has generally increased since last year, in fact, the only area not to increase was the maintenance of the communal areas, which stayed the same. Satisfaction with the overall service is up 4p.p with the biggest positive changes for the handling of complaints, and the time to complete repairs (both up 9p.p). This is very encouraging and shows that satisfaction is moving in the right direction.
Crawley compares well against other social landlords, particularly other councils. Against these, Crawley is in the top quartile for five measures, including the overall service and repairs measures, and in the second quartile for the home being well maintained and how it treats its tenants. It is important to perform well against your peers, and this shows that Crawley is producing a good, solid service, although there are still some areas which could improve further.
Sentiment analysis has been used against five qualitative questions, covering the main areas of service. This gives a sentiment score based on the comments made and also highlights where tenants are happy with the service or where they think improvements could be made. The overall sentiment score is positive at +0.50, customer service is also positive at +2.07, but two measures show negative scores, the least for complaints at -1.81. Analysing the sentiment scores and reading the comments will help the Council get a better understanding of what is driving satisfaction, and what is not working quite as well.
This report has also shown that satisfaction tends to increase with age, is higher among male tenants, but is at its lowest in Three Bridges. The demographics section at the end of this report included more details of these splits.
The Council has around 8,000 LCRA tenants and commissioned Acuity to carry out an independent survey of its tenants, based on the TSMs from the Regulator of Social Housing.
The survey reveals many areas of good performance, with most increasing in satisfaction since last year, but it has also highlighted some areas where improvements could be made.
The comments made by tenants give insight into what they are most concerned about and will help the Council target services that may need some improvement.
Shown opposite are some recommendations that the Council may wish to follow up on to help improve satisfaction in the future.
Recommendations
Repairs Service
Although the highest levels of satisfaction are found for the repairs service, and satisfaction has improved since the previous survey, it is one of the main focuses of negative comments when tenants were asked to expand on their answer to the overall satisfaction question. In particular, tenants mention the timescales to complete work, with long delays and having to chase for updates. These concerns could be linked to issues around resources and delays caused by more urgent problems. Tenant expectations around timescales can also sometimes be hard to match. Tenants also mentioned the quality of repair work, which suggests spot-checking may be necessary to ensure standards are met. If this is already in place, a review of the process here is advised. The home being well-maintained is the key driver for overall satisfaction, so it is important that improvements are made wherever possible. Some tenants are also experiencing problems with damp and mould, which need to be resolved as a matter of urgency, particularly in the context of Awaab's Law.
Handling of Complaints
Since the introduction of the TSMs, the handling of complaints has been consistently the lowest-rated service, and it is also the lowest-rated in this survey. Around a fifth of tenants said they had made a complaint, but the question of ‘what is a complaint?’ to tenants continues, so it is not clear how many of these are genuine complaints or service requests. There are more tenants dissatisfied than satisfied, and tenants complain about slow or no response, issues closed without follow-up and poor communication. Tenants want the Council to be more proactive in dealing with complaints and to improve communication, letting tenants know what is happening at all stages. The best performers on complaints have good, timely communication and show that complaints are taken seriously, which generates trust among tenants.
Area Difference
Looking at the results across the different districts within the Crawley borough shows that satisfaction is fairly consistent. However, the exception is with Three Bridges where tenants have the second lowest overall satisfaction (70%), and the lowest ratings on five other measures. It is not clear from the survey why this difference occurs; it could be linked to property type, the condition or local issues. It is recommended that the Council investigate this area in more detail, as if the lower satisfaction is linked to service delivery, action can be taken to improve this.
Resident Sentiment Index (RSI)
Resident Sentiment Index (RSI): Overview
Our new Resident Sentiment Index (RSI) uses a sector-specific sentiment categorisation model developed from decades of housing data and commentary. It allows landlords to move beyond satisfaction scores by showing not only how residents feel, but why. The framework includes 7 key open ended TSM questions across each of the main service areas, allowing organisations to benchmark with their peers.
Our model analyses open-ended survey responses across key service areas, categorising them using a deep learning sentiment engine. Each comment is scored on a 5-point scale (from -5 to +5) and grouped by category, subcategory, and – where relevant – cross-cutting attributes such as trust, listening, or communication. These attributes help identify what drives sentiment within services like repairs or tenancy management.
Note: Not every subcategory will have attributes. Some service areas (e.g. Property Condition, Neighbourhoods) are stand-alone themes that don’t require further layering.
Key Features
∘ A clear, overall sentiment score for your organisation and each service area
∘ Detailed analysis by category, subcategory, and (where applicable) attribute
∘ Automated, regulator-ready reporting aligned to TSM and STAR survey requirements
∘ Scalable benchmarking for tracking performance over time and against sector peers
How We Categorise Feedback
We follow a multi-stage process to turn unstructured comments into actionable insight:
• Model Design: Combining housing sector expertise with real resident language to build a structured categorisation model
• Expression Building: Creating comprehensive expressions to detect key themes and sentiments
• Testing & Tuning: Refining expressions to maximise accuracy and coverage
• Deployment: Automatically categorising and scoring comments at scale
Some feedback will remain “Uncategorised” – particularly when language is highly specific, off-topic, or outside current theme coverage. This is expected and will reduce as the model continues to grow.
Demographics
Age Group
It is common in surveys of this type that satisfaction generally increases with age, and this appears to be the case for Council.
Tenants aged 65-74 and those aged 85+ are the most satisfied overall.
In contrast, just 62% of those aged 25 to 34 are satisfied, and this group is the least satisfied on six other measures.
The general trend is consistent with many other surveys and means that the age profile of different landlords will be a major factor in determining satisfaction levels.
It is not entirely clear why this is, but it could be that older people are generally happier in their home and understand how the system works, whereas younger tenants can have higher expectations of what they feel services should look like.
Those with the Council for between 1 and 3 years are the most satisfied, having had the highest satisfaction in seven measures. Those with the council for less than a year were the most satisfied overall (93%). The least satisfied overall are those with Crawley for 11 to 20 years, with 72% in overall satisfaction.
There is a theory that those newer to a landlord tend to be the most satisfied, but as they experience more issues over time, satisfaction tends to wane. This appears to be true here, with those of 11 to 20 years the least satisfied on nine measures.
Length of Tenancy
Although the vast majority of those responding to the survey are in general needs homes, there were also 43 responses from sheltered accommodation. In terms of satisfaction, those in the sheltered homes are consistently more satisfied, with the only exception being the approach to ASB (which had the same score as General Needs).
This is likely to be linked to the age of the tenants, as only older tenants will occupy sheltered homes, and as shown above, these tend to be more satisfied. Also, sheltered tenants get a more enhanced service, perhaps also attracting higher satisfaction.
Tenure Type
The results are shown here by the method of response. Slightly more responded online (324) compared with a telephone interview (309).
Commonly, those responding online are less satisfied than those using other methods, and there is some evidence of this here, but it is not as clear-cut as with many other landlords.
Those responding to a telephone interview are more satisfied overall, with the home and engagement measures, whereas those responding online are more satisfied with the repairs service over the last 12 months and their communal areas.
It is often the case that younger tenants respond online, and this influences the results.
Response Method
The tenants of bungalows are consistently more satisfied than those in other types of property: 90% are satisfied overall, compared with 75% of tenants who live in houses.
This difference is also likely to be linked to age, as older tenants are the most likely to live in bungalows, with younger families in houses.
This is quite a common finding from similar surveys.
Property Type
You might expect that those in the smaller properties, who are likely to be older, would be the most satisfied, and this is true to a point. These are the most satisfied overall and with four other measures.
However, there were 13 responses from tenants in 4-bedroom homes, and these tend to be highly satisfied, particularly with the repairs service and engagement measures.
Number of Bedrooms
Twice as many female tenants responded to the survey as males, 433 compared with 197, but they are consistently less satisfied. This is commonly found in surveys of this type, although for Crawley the differences are quite marked. There are 9p.p more male tenants satisfied overall and 15p.p more satisfied with how their views are listened to.
It is not entirely clear why these gender differences occur; perhaps it is linked to differing expectations.
Gender
There are 133 tenants who responded who said they have a vulnerability of some sort.
In terms of satisfaction, whilst those without a vulnerability are more satisfied on more measures, the differences between the two are minimal, and this suggests that this is not a major factor in determining satisfaction.
Vulnerable
Although the most tenants fall into the White groups, there are also a fair number from other groupings, as shown here.
The most satisfied overall are those in the Other Ethnic Origin group at 82%, compared with 75% in the White group.
Black tenants tend to be the most satisfied, having the highest satisfaction in seven measures, but White tenants are the least, being the least satisfied in nine measures.
Ethnicity
Over the next two pages are shown the satisfaction levels for tenants in the different districts within the Crawley Borough.
Overall satisfaction is highest in Ifield West (85%), but this falls to 62% for those in Ifield.
There is no specific pattern for the highest levels of satisfaction, but Three Bridges tenants tend to be the least satisfied, recording the lowest scores on five measures.
It is not clear why this area in particular has the lowest satisfaction, but it could be linked to property type and condition and local amenities.
The aim of the Council will be to deliver a consistent service across all areas, and there is some evidence that this is being achieved apart from Three Bridges, which may need extra investigation.
District
Continued from the previous page.
District Continued
Maidenbower
This research project was carried out to conform with ISO20252:2019 and the MRS Code of Conduct.
For further information on this report please contact: Hannah Kew: hannah.kew@arap.co.uk
