Future of Repairs Survey
Shape the future of our repairs service and lettable standard
We’re reviewing our repairs service as well as the work we do on homes before someone moves in. We’d love to hear your feedback to help shape our way forward.
Repairs service
We're now ten months into delivering our in-house repairs service, which was introduced to give us greater control over repairs, and to help us better meet the needs of you and your home.
We're encouraged by the progress we've made so far. Customer satisfaction is improving, and we're completing repairs quicker.
Nearly a year on, we're focused on making sure those improvements last for the long term. That's why we're reviewing our repairs service to make sure it works well and remains affordable in the future, so we can continue investing in your homes, keeping them safe and well maintained for years to come.
In whatever way the service evolves, your safety will always come first. That includes continuing to tackle damp and mould, maintaining electrical, fire and gas safety, and supporting customers with individual needs.
Lettable standard
At the same time, we’ll be reviewing our Lettable standard – the work we do on a home before someone moves in. This is to make sure we strike the right balance between what we provide for new and existing customers.
Historically, RHP has delivered a lettable standard that is higher than many other housing providers. In addition to essential safety works, we have often carried out extra improvements such as decorating throughout the home, fitting carpet in the living room, and replacing kitchens and bathrooms in some circumstances before a new tenancy begins.
While we recognise that these additional improvements are valued, they come at a significant cost.
Funding these enhancements reduces the resources available for maintaining and improving other essential services, including repairs, planned investment works (such as roofs, windows and front doors), and wider investment in our homes and communities. Like many organisations, we need to make sure we use our resources responsibly so that we can continue to provide a good balance between preparing homes for new customers and maintaining the services that our existing customers rely on every day.
To help achieve this balance, we have recently changed our approach on a temporary basis for the rest of this year:
- No longer decorating homes before letting them
- No longer providing carpet in living rooms
- Limiting kitchen and bathroom replacements to exceptional circumstances
These changes have already helped reduce the cost of preparing empty homes, allowing us to continue investing in the services and support that benefit all customers.
However, we recognise that there are different views about what the right balance looks like. That's why we would like to hear from you. Your feedback will help us understand whether you feel this approach is right and inform how we develop our lettable standard in the future.