Tenants set to gain power to ditch firms

The Tenant Services Authority is currently mulling over plans to allow social tenants to change maintenance provider, Inside Housing has learned.

The regulator, due to launch in December, has held meetings with tenants, housing providers and service companies to discuss how it can help improve tenants’ lives. The idea of putting tenants in direct control emerged from one of these discussions.

One meeting, held in London last month, showed support for the idea of giving tenants the power to change their service provider – for example, the company which carries out maintenance or fits new kitchens – if they feel they are getting a poor deal.

Dorset tenant John Conroy, who was at the meeting, said the concept would not cause a problem for the housing sector’s financial stability, and it would drive up service standards.

‘If the companies or councils or whoever weren’t giving a proper service, then tenants would have the right to transfer not their tenancy, but services, to whoever gives best service in the area,’ Mr Conroy said.

‘It can only be a good thing both for companies and for the tenants to get the best service around. If a company has a good service record with their tenants, then there isn’t a problem.’

The idea was positively received by contractors who spoke to Inside Housing. Jackie Ducker, customer experience director at Connaught, said the property services company would support the idea. ‘Anything that provides tenants with more choice and ability to influence and drive better standards is a positive thing. I really feel for tenants who are getting a poor service,’ she said.

John Hayes, chief executive at maintenance firm Axis, said firms should engage with tenants to tackle dissatisfaction before relationships broke down. ‘Residents are ultimately the end clients and without their input into how a contractor is performing that contractor cannot hope to better the way they work,’ Mr Hayes said.

Peter Marsh, chief executive designate of the TSA, said the best solution would be if tenants did not have to change provider.

The regulator had powers to change the management of homes, he said. But it wanted landlords to give tenants much more control over service provision, he added.

‘I’m posing the question should landlords consider giving more choice to tenants over who does repairs to their home,’ he said.

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