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Social landlords reduce void properties to three-year low
Social landlords in the UK have reduced the number of vacant homes in their stock to a three-year low, according to analysis by housing data company Housemark.
Social landlords reduce void properties to three-year low #ukhousingThe data from Housemark’s monthly Pulse report, taken from 133 social landlords, shows that in July the proportion of homes vacant and available to let dropped to 0.43%.
This is the strongest voids position since the firm first start collecting monthly data three years ago. Average re-let times have also improved, falling to around 41 days compared to 50 days a year ago.
Earlier this year, Housemark revealed that 300,000 properties became void in the year 2023-24 and the social housing sector spent more than £1bn on repairs alone.
The Pulse survey also revealed that anti-social behaviour (ASB) reporting is on the rise, with April to July data showing an increase beyond the usual seasonal peak.
According to Housemark, this could have been driven by the hot summer, as well as landlords stepping up their reporting processes in anticipation of closer regulatory scrutiny.
The survey also reveals landlords are dealing with mounting economic pressure, with the latest figures showing that ‘true’ current tenant arrears rose to a median of 2.9%. This coincided with UK inflation jumping unexpectedly to 3.8%, the highest rate in 18 months.
Staffing levels remain stable with voluntary staff turnover holding at 0.7% per month, less than pre-pandemic norms. Housemark said this stability is helping providers avoid significant recruitment costs while maintaining service delivery.
Jonathan Cox, chief data officer at Housemark, said: “This month’s Pulse data shows a sector delivering real operational improvements even as economic headwinds intensify.
“Tackling long-standing voids has been a clear focus and landlords are now seeing the benefits with record-low levels of vacant stock available to let.
“At the same time rising arrears and ASB reporting highlight the pressures that tenants and landlords are facing as the cost of living crisis persists. Stability in staffing is a positive sign but it is clear that organisations will need to stay agile and data-driven to balance efficiency gains with growing external challenges.”
Housemark’s latest monthly Pulse report is based on real-time data from 133 social landlords across the UK, and covers key performance metrics including arrears, voids, repairs, complaints and staffing.
Other key findings include tenant satisfaction with repairs remaining strong at 89.1%, though overall tenant satisfaction with landlord services is slightly lower than last month at 76.2%.
The volume of responsive repairs rose by 6.8% month on month, with 89.4% of repairs completed within target timescales
The proportion of working days lost to sickness-related absence increased by 3% compared to June and staff turnover varied geographically, with London landlords recording the highest churn (1.06% per month), compared with 0.63% in Wales and Northern Ireland.
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