Knowing our tenants

Back in spring 2020 when we were all confined to our homes due to the pandemic, our teams set about the mammoth task of calling all 9000 of you, to make sure that you were all safe, well and had everything you needed.

You told us that you appreciated the calls and so, as restrictions eased and things returned to normal, we decided that we would continue with periodic check-ins, but this time in person rather than over the phone.

With over 9000 homes to visit, we caught up with our housing liaison team to find out more about why we are doing this: 
“It’s an ambitious task, calling at all 9000 of our properties over the next few years”, says Lydia, a member of the team carrying out the checks, “but we have to start somewhere, so we are here in Cimla today carrying out some of the first visits.

“The visits are a good way for us to make sure our tenants are okay and to see if they need any help with anything.

“We basically just have a chat and tell them about the services we can offer, things like advice from our financial and benefits experts, if they need any adaptations to their home to allow them to live a little easier, or if they need some specialist assistance to help them lead independent lives. We’ll also take a quick look around the home and help them report any repairs that need doing or offer advice on what to do if they have signs of damp, mould or condensation.

“We can go years without coming into contact with some tenants, so it’s not only important that we check-in with them to see how they are, but also for them to get to know us and who they need to contact if they have any queries.”

As you can imagine, visiting 9000 properties is quite a logistical challenge for the team, as Lydia explains:
“We are still in the early stages of the project and so are still trying to figure out the most efficient way of us carrying out these visits.

“At the moment we are concentrating on Cimla and taking one street at a time. We send letters out to the homes on that street about a week in advance saying we’ll be in your area the following week and will give you a knock between certain times. Of course, if the tenants would rather us call at a specific time, then they can give us a call to arrange an appointment.”“The whole team try and be in the same street at the same time to make sure we’re visible, so people can approach us. It also helps that when we’re seen, the neighbours start talking and reassure each other about the nature of our visits and dispel any myths or fears.

“Naturally tenants can be a little wary or nervous when we first appear on the doorstep, but once we explain what we’re doing they often become more relaxed. We’re not there to check up on them or find fault. The visits are purely there to allow us to have regular contact with our tenants and be in the best position to help them with any issues.

“The whole team is experienced with backgrounds in housing or support services, so we know where we can access any help that’s needed, whether that’s from our colleagues in other departments or from external partners. Whatever problems exist, we try and intervene early and nip them in the bud, and that makes these visits worthwhile.”