Property Owner Survey
2 013 s lt su e R The
you said
we did
Thank you for telling us what you think In 2013 we sent a survey to all the property owners we work with. This report is a summary of what you told us and how we plan to improve our property management service based on the results. Derventio’s housing and support services would not be possible without local property owners. We want our property management service to be the best that it can be, and this annual survey is a chance for you to tell us what you think of our service and staff and what you would like in the future. Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey. We have used a ‘You Said, We Did’ format, to clearly show what actions we are taking based on your response. We will be sending out another survey in 2014 to see what impact these changes have had.
Inside
Signing Up
4-5
Staff
6-7
Your Service Staying Informed
8-13 14-15
Signing Up First impressions are important, and signing up to our service should be straightforward and informative. The Results Why did you choose Derventio to manage your properties? 50% 44%
31%
31%
19%
19%
6%
To help people The rates are good The service was I have a personal Derventio manages Derventio manages Overall, Derventio who are / good value for recommended to link with Derventio the rent and repairs and offers the kind of disadvantaged and money me Housing Benefit maintenance service I was vulnerable looking for
Did you receive enough information about Derventio and how our services operate when you signed up to the scheme? 44% 38%
19%
0% I had all the information I I was given just enough needed information
4
I wasn't given enough information
I had very little information
You Said Property owners are using our services for a variety of reasons, ranging from helping people who are disadvantaged (31%) to the fact that Derventio offers the kind of service you are looking for (50%).
The company serves all my needs as a landlord in an efficient and pleasant way
The majority of you (82%) are happy with the level of information you received when you signed up to the service.
We Did We have improved the information that we give to property owners when they join the scheme. The new information pack includes an overview of our housing and support services, a breakdown of the benefits to property owners and full contact details. This pack will be given to all property owners new to the scheme, and is available to download on our website at www.derventiohousing.com/about/property-management-service
We now have a dedicated Property Procurement Manager who works closely with new and existing property owners to act as a main point of contact, answer queries and help to make sure that you are satisfied with the service you receive from us.
5
Staff Property owners interact with staff members in a variety of roles, from support workers to the finance team. The Results How would you describe the staff at Derventio? 93% 87%
87% 73%
Yes, very Sometimes OK Not at all 20% 13%
13%
7% 0%
7% 0%
Approachable
0% 0% Professional
0% 0% Helpful
0% Well-informed
How easy do you find it to get in touch with staff? 63%
31%
6% 0% Very easy
6
Usually easy
It's hit and miss
Very difficult
You Said Most of you described staff very positively, with 93% of you saying that they are approachable, 87% that they are professional and helpful, and 73% of you agree that they are well-informed.
When telephoning sometimes people don’t have a clue and seem not to care
Staff are very polite and helpful
There were some more worrying results and comments - for example 7% of property owners who responded rated staff only OK under both approachable and well-informed, and 6% said that getting in touch with staff is hit and miss.
We Did We have recently employed a dedicated receptionist at our Derby office, which means that there is now a single point of contact who is able to take messages and forward calls to the right person. We are hoping to improve our phone system so that there is a single number to call which will give you access to staff across all of our offices. We are also looking at ways to improve our customer service in 2014, including providing more training to staff.
7
Your Service There are lots of things that contribute to the quality of the service we offer, from payments to how we deal with complaints. The Results How happy are you with how quickly we find tenants for your properties? 53% 47%
Very happy
Happy
0%
0%
Unhappy
Very unhappy
How satisfied are you with the way we deal with payments? 63%
25%
Very satisfied
8
Satisfied
6%
6%
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied
You Said Always on time and no problem
Everyone who responded said they are happy or very happy with how quickly we find tenants for your properties. Almost 90% of you are happy with the way we deal with payments. Some comments referred to The council issue the reduced Housing Benefit has been irritating payments by Derby City - otherwise good Council.
We Did We have been pro-active with Derby City Council, and the Housing Benefit issues have now been resolved. We have communicated this to all affected property owners. However, if you would like more information on how the Housing Benefit changes affect you, please feel free to call Derventio’s Property Procurement Manager, Phil Rowland on 01332 292776 or email him at phil.rowland@derventiohousing.com.
9
The Results How satisfied are you with Derventio’s maintenance service? 67%
20% 13% 0% Very satisfied
Satisfied
Unsatisfied
0% Very unsatisfied I haven't used it
How satisfied are you with the way we have handled any issues or complaints you have had? 44% 38%
13% 6% 0% Very satisfied
10
Satisfied
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied
I haven't had any issues or complaints
You Said Some work is not up to standard
Of those who have used Derventio’s maintenance service, all of you say you are satisfied. However, some of the comments you made indicated some problems with the service.
A worrying 6% of you who have had complaints or issues were unsatisfied with the way we dealt with them. More positively, a large proportion (38%) of you have not had cause to complain nor have experienced any issues.
We Did We have restructured our maintenance team within the last six months, including employing a new manager. We have improved the processes and procedures, and anticipate that the service will greatly improve in 2014. We are looking into providing training for housing staff so they can help tenants with basic repairs like changing a lock. We are also considering offering training for tenants, giving them the chance to learn some basic DIY skills. We have a robust complaints procedure, and our policy was last reviewed in November 2013. If you wish to make a complaint, you do not have to fill in a special form or even put it in writing. Any staff member can record your comment over the phone, in person or by email. You can also contact us by letter, and we have a Comments, Compliments & Complaints form for those who prefer it. We then follow a three-stage procedure for dealing with and attempting to resolve your complaint. Anyone who has exhausted our procedure and is still dissatisfied can contact the Housing Ombusdman Service. If you would like to know more about our policy, or have a complaint that you feel has not been resolved, please contact the Complaints Manager on 01332 292776.
11
The Results Is our service good value for money? 56%
25% 19%
0% Brilliant value
Good value
Average/similar to other services
No
How satisfied are you with Derventio overall? 50%
Very satisfied
12
50%
Satisfied
0%
0%
Unsatisfied
Very unsatisfied
Would you recommend Derventio to other property owners? 56%
Do not want to tell all landlords as I keep it a secret 25%
13% 6%
Definitely
I might do
Probably
No
You Said More than 80% of respondents agree that the service provided by Derventio is good or brilliant value for money. Less than 20% say that it is similar to other services.
My dealings so far have been great - no complaints.
We are delighted that 100% of you are satisfied with the service overall, and that 94% would consider recommending us to other property owners.
We Did We have designed our property management service to be fair and offer good value to property owners, and are happy to hear that you are satisfied. We are gradually introducing guaranteed rent to more property owners, and are hoping that this will help us to improve this result next time. And please do recommend our service if you think we can be of help to another property owner! 13
Staying Informed It is important that we communicate well with all of our customers and stakeholders. The Results Would you like more information about Derventio Housing Trust and the services you receive? 56% 38%
38%
25%
General information Property management Finance (Housing Derventio's repair and about Derventio (how we choose Benefit and payments) maintenance service (aims, services) tenants, inspections etc.)
I would like to receive information through: Regular meetings with staff
13%
Workshops (e.g. about Housing Benefit)
6%
A social networking site (e.g. Facebook or Twitter)
6%
Derventio's Annual Review sent by post
6%
Derventio's website - accessed through my smart phone or tablet Derventio's website - accessed through my computer or laptop Drop-in events / landlord forums
6% 13% 13%
Regular newsletters/updates sent by email Regular newsletters/updates sent by post A one-off information pack
14
50% 19% 31%
You Said Many of you would like more information about various aspects of Derventio Housing Trust and the property management service. The most popular way property owners would like to receive this information is by email, selected by 50% of respondents. The other most popular ways to receive information were updates by post, one-off information packs, on our website, drop-in events and meetings with staff.
Wewith Didstaff and drop-in events were fai Meetings We have set up an email newsletter to send to all property owners who work with us. This will be sent periodically, and will include information about all of the suggested aspects of the service, as well as general news and updates about Derventio Housing Trust. Property owners will be automatically signed up to the newsletter, and are free to unsubscribe at any time. To keep our costs low, we won’t send these updates by post. However, we will be happy to send certain information by post if requested, for example copies of this report. We have produced an information pack for property owners, which is now given to landlords as they sign up to the scheme, and can be downloaded from our website: www.derventiohousing.com/about/propertymanagement-service Further news and information about Derventio can be found on our website and through our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We are also looking into ways to offer more face-to-face contact through meetings or drop-in events.
15
Derventio Housing Trust is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company. We help people experiencing housing problems or homelessness to escape their situation and turn their lives around.
Head Office (Derby) Ilkeston Office Derventio Housing Trust 33 Boyer Street Derby DE22 3TB
Derventio Housing Trust 1 Grenville Drive Ilkeston DE7 8HT
Tel: 01332 292 776 Fax: 01332 209 256
Tel: 01159 443 865
info@derventiohousing.com
Connect www.derventiohousing.com /derventioht @DerventioHT flickr.com/derventio localgiving.com/derventio
Derventio Housing Trust is a limited Community Interest Company (05886593) registered in England and Wales; Registered address: 33 Boyer Street, Derby DE22 3TB