Most Oxford City Council tenants satisfied with landlord

The annual satisfaction survey, conducted by Acuity, presented a 3 per cent increase in satisfaction ratings for council services in 2023 compared to the previous year.

The survey collected feedback from 960 council tenants through phone interviews, which the council will use for the improvement and evaluation of its services.

The findings show that 78 per cent of council tenants are happy with the provided services.

This result goes against the national trend reported by Acuity, which shows lower tenant satisfaction levels.

Linda Smith (Image: Oxford Mail)

Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing said: "We are encouraged by the overall increase in tenant satisfaction this year.

"It reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality services.

"While we celebrate the gains, we stay focused on areas where we can – and will - do better.

"Our aim is to ensure Oxford remains a great place to live for all our tenants."

The survey saw Oxford City Council ranking in the top quartile of social landlords for the majority of satisfaction measures.

Acuity said: "Despite all the current challenges facing the sector, Oxford City Council has managed to achieve high levels of satisfaction with the overall services they provide."

Most tenants expressed satisfaction with repairs conducted over the past 12 months, as well as their fair and respectful treatment from the council.

The council's communication, response time to repairs, and the safety of the tenants' homes also received high praise.

However, the survey identified areas in need of improvement, specifically handling antisocial behaviour and complaint resolution.

Historically, dissatisfaction with the repair and maintenance services has been a prevailing issue among social housing tenants.

Despite this, overall satisfaction with such services has seen an increase from 79 per cent to 83 per cent.

In light of the Grenfell Tower disaster and a recent case involving the death of a toddler due to exposure to mould at his home in Rochdale, the government is aiming to ensure higher social housing standards.

The council is investing resources to meet new Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) standards, including the recruitment of a customer care and complaint manager.

Efforts to integrate the complaint process into existing IT systems are also underway.

The council’s community safety team developed a successful strategy addressing antisocial behaviour with Thames Valley Police, receiving feedback and tips to further improve their services.

The council also aims to reduce the resolution time for antisocial behaviour cases, increase visits around the city, and enhance their response to hate-related abuse cases.