Resident Satisfaction 2025/2026

Introduction

The Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) Standard mandates that all registered providers develop and report TSMs in accordance with the guidelines set by the regulator. As part of this requirement, it is necessary for First Garden Cities Homes (FGCH) to inform its customers about its approach to conducting the TSM Perception survey and collecting data.

This document details FGCH methodology and outlines the criteria specified in the Regulator of Social Housing’s (RSH) publication, Tenant Satisfaction Measures Return.

The Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSM) Standard requires all registered providers to conduct tenant perception surveys and report performance annually as specified by the RSH. TSMs are intended to make landlords’ performance more visible to tenants so that tenants can hold their landlord to account. TSMs consist of 22 measures: 10 providing management information from data held by the landlord and 12 satisfaction measures gathered from tenant surveys. In addition to overall satisfaction with landlord services, the measures cover five key themes:

Keeping properties in good repair

  • Maintaining building safety
  • Respectful and helpful engagement
  • Responsible neighbourhood management
  • Effective handling of complaints

Providers must publish a summary of the survey approach used to generate published tenant perception measures. This must be made clearly available alongside each set of tenant perception measures published by the provider.

TSM Questions

Timing of Survey

FGCH carried out a total of 577 surveys between 28/05/2025 and 19/02/2026

Summary of Achieved Sample and Sample Method 

FGCH works with Acuity Research & Practice Ltd, an accredited organisation that is dedicated to providing research services in the social housing sector. This is a new provider for FGCH and with a slightly different methodology than previous years. The survey is carried out quarterly whereas the previous surveys were single annual surveys. The research organisation looks for an approximate mix of 25% online surveys and 75% telephone surveys. The change of provider, quarterly survey and mix of survey types may have some impact in the overall results shown.

We use survey information to understand how our tenants feel about their homes and services and how we can improve. Acuity was commissioned for collecting, generating and validating reported perception measures.

In 2025/26, FGCH completed TSM surveys with a sample of residents. The sample size was chosen to ensure that the level of statistical accuracy set out by the Regulator of Social Housing was met. FGCH must ensure that they survey enough residents to meet a statistical accuracy (margin of error at 95% confidence interval) of +/- 5%.

During 2025/26, FGCH completed 577 TSM surveys. FGCH have 2182 properties which means that a statistical accuracy level of +/- ±2.3% was achieved, which is a greater level of accuracy than required.

A sample approach was used for FGCH‘s fieldwork. Acuity contacted a random selection of current tenants in a telephone survey based on quotas or were given the opportunity complete the survey online by either requesting to do so when speaking to an interviewer or by receiving a unique link via email or SMS. The survey is carefully scripted to ensure a professional and consistent process.

Survey responses are immediately shared with FGCH, who then manage a follow up and review process which includes both responding to feedback as necessary (subject to resident permission), and analysing the feedback, to understand how we can improve.

No tenant was removed from the sample frame.

There are no incentives used for this survey.

Timing of Survey

FGCH carried out a total of 577 surveys between 28/05/2025 and 19/02/2026

Collection Methods

The TSM Surveys were completed via online then telephone methodologies. The rationale for using a mixed methodology approach is:

  • Accessibility and Inclusivity : Ensuring accessibility for all tenants, which aligns with our goal of reaching a broad and representative sample
  • Engagement and Data Quality : Indirect though online methods, and direct interaction over the phone tend to enhance engagement, allowing participants to answer clarifying questions and leading to more accurate and detailed responses. This is particularly valuable for nuanced satisfaction metrics.
  • Response Rates : Using a mixed methodology approach maximises the robustness of our data and ensuring the results truly reflect the tenant base. Including a telephone aspect also allows FGCH to be reactive to flags and alerts, which improves customer recovery 
  • Reliability and Consistency : Maintaining consistency with methodologies allows for more reliable trend analysis. It also enables richer information to be gathered.
  • Independence : Using Acuity, an independent market research agency, means that participants are free from influence from the rest of the organisation.

Our performance for 2025/26

Overall Satisfaction
Overall Satisfaction  75.6%

Keeping our homes in good repair
Satisfaction with repairs 82.1%
Satisfaction with the time taken to complete repair 79.6%
Satisfaction that the home is well maintained 78.7%
Proportion of homes that do not meet Decent Homes Standards 0%
Non-emergency responsive repairs completed within target (20 working days) 96.5%
Emergency responsive repairs completed within target (24 hours) 99.5%

Maintaining building safety
Satisfaction that we provide a home that is safe 81.2%  
Homes where all required gas safety checks have been carried out 100%  
Homes where all required fire risk assessments have been carried out 100% 
Homes where all required asbestos management or re-inspections have been carried out 100%
Homes where all required legionella risk assessments have been carried out 100%
Homes where all required communal passenger lift safety checks have been carried out 100%

Respectful and helpful engagement
Satisfaction that we listen to residents views and acts upon them 62.5% 
Satisfaction that we keep residents informed 70.7%
Satisfaction that we treat residents fairly and with respect 78.1%

Effective complaints handling
Satisfaction with our approach to handling complaints 29.8% 
Number of Stage One complaints received per 1,000 homes 50.6
Number of Stage One complaints responded to within the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code timescales 98.9%
Number of Stage Two complaints received per 1,000 homes 9.9
Number of Stage Two complaints responded to within the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code timescales 100%

Responsible neighbourhood management
Satisfaction that we keep communal areas clean and well maintained 74.0% 
Satisfied that we make a positive contribution to neighbourhoods 60.9%
Satisfaction with our approach to handling anti-social behaviour 52.6%
Anti-social behaviour cases per 1,000 homes
16.8
Anti-social behaviour cases opened that involve hate incidents 0.8

 

 

Data collection methodology

The TSM Surveys were completed via online then telephone methodologies. The rationale for using a mixed methodology approach is:

  • Accessibility and Inclusivity: Ensuring accessibility for all tenants, which aligns with our goal of reaching a broad and representative sample
  • Engagement and Data Quality: Indirect though online methods, and direct interaction over the phone tend to enhance engagement, allowing participants to answer clarifying questions and leading to more accurate and detailed responses. This is particularly valuable for nuanced satisfaction metrics.
  • Response Rates: Using a mixed methodology approach maximises the robustness of our data and ensuring the results truly reflect the tenant base. Including a telephone aspect also allows FGCH to be reactive to flags and alerts, which improves customer recovery
  • Reliability and Consistency: Maintaining consistency with previous years’ methodologies allows for more reliable trend analysis. It also enables richer information to be gathered.
  • Independence: Using Acuity, an independent market research agency, means that participants are free from influence from the rest of the organisation.

Representativeness

It was important that the results of the survey was representative of our resident population as a whole. FGCH assessed the representativeness against the following criteria:

 

Criteria

Resident Population

Survey Sample 

Property Type

 

 

Bedsit

0%

1%

Bungalow

8%

10%

Flat

15%

37%

Flat over garage

0.4%

0%

House

46%

46%

House with garage

3%

0%

Maisonette

6%

6%

Sheltered Bedsit

0.9%

0%

Sheltered Bungalow

0.6%

0%

Sheltered Flat

19%

0%

Supported Bedspace

0.3%

0%

Supported Flat

2%

0%

 

Age

 

 
0-24 2% 2%
25-34 12% 12%
35-44 17% 16%
45-54 15% 16%

55-59

9%

9% 

60-64

10%

9%

65-74

14%

15%

75-84

12%

13%

85+

7%

7%
Ethnicity    
Asian or Asian British Bangladeshi 0.13% 0%
Asian or Asian British Indian 0.21% 0%

Asian or Asian British Other

0.42%

0.32%

Asian or Asian British Pakistani

0.04%

0%

Black or Black British African

0.46%

0.47%

Black or Black British Caribbean

0.79%

1%

Black or Black British Other

0.21%

0.16%

Chinese or Other Ethnic Group Chinese

0.08%

0.16%

Chinese or Other Ethnic Group Other

0.04%

0.16%

Mixed Other

0.21%

0.16%
Mixed White & Asian

0.08%

0%
Mixed White & Black Caribbean

0.50%

0%
Refused

3%

3%
White British

49%

49%
White Irish

0.42%

0.16%
White Other

1%

1%
Length of Tenancy    
<1 Year

1%

5%
1-3 Years

22%

22%
4-5 Years

15%

15%
6-10 Years

22%

24%
11-20 Years

24%

21%
Over 20 Years

16%

13%