Tenant Satisfaction Measures 2025 to 2026 results

The council engaged an independent market research company Kwest Research Ltd to carry out our tenant survey for 2025 to 2026. It was carried out entirely by telephone and was completed by 1154 of our customers. Kwest selected the tenants, ensuring they surveyed a representative sample. The sample size reflects the number of our homes and meets the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing.

Tenant Satisfaction Measures results 2025 to 2026

Tenant perception survey

• satisfaction with the overall service from your landlord - 66%
• satisfaction with the repairs service - 66.2%
• satisfaction with time taken to complete your most recent repair - 60.9%
• satisfaction that your home is well maintained - 66.8%
• satisfaction that your home is safe - 75%
• satisfaction that your landlord listens to tenant views and acts upon them - 63.8%
• satisfaction that your landlord keeps tenants informed about things that matter - 71.9%
• agreement that your landlord treats tenants fairly and with respect - 78.7%
• satisfaction with your landlord's approach to handling of complaints - 31.9%
• satisfaction that your landlord keeps communal areas clean and well maintained - 75.2%
• satisfaction that your landlord makes a positive contribution to the neighbourhood - 69.8%
• satisfaction with your landlord's approach to handling antisocial behaviour - 62.4%

Management Information measures

Maintaining building safety

Proportion of homes for which all required actions have been carried out:

• gas safety checks - 100%
• fire risk assessments - 100%
• asbestos management surveys or re-inspections - 99.93%
• legionella risk assessments - 100%
• communal passenger lift safety checks - 100%

Responsive repairs

Proportion of homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard - 2.

Repairs completed within target timescale:

• non-emergency - 93.47%
  Routine work - 20 working days (four weeks)
• emergency - 96.24%
  Emergency work - 24 hours

Complaints

Number of complaints received per 1000 homes:

• Stage 1 complaints - 73.41
• Stage 2 complaints - 16.65

Number of complaints responded to within Complaint Handling Code timescales:

• Stage 1 complaints - 88.2%
• Stage 2 complaints - 77.3%

Neighbourhood management

Number of antisocial behaviour cases opened per 1000 homes - 54.82

• number that involve hate incidents per 1000 homes - 1.92

Summary of approach  

The Regulator of Social Housing requires landlords to provide a summary of the survey approach used to collect the results of the tenant perception measures. This is explained below, reflecting the Regulator's Annex 5: Tenant Satisfaction Measures, Tenant Survey Requirements (opens new window) document.

Summary of the achieved sample size

In 2025 to 2026 Gateshead Council had 17,927 low-cost rental accommodation households (LCRA) and was required to collect 1,030 tenant responses to meet the new requirements.

The council engaged an independent market research company Kwest Research Ltd to carry out our tenant survey for 2025 to 2026. This was conducted in two phases, September 2025 and February 2026. The first interview was carried out on 17 September 2025 and the last on 26 March 2026. At the end of both periods of data collection, 1,154 LCRA interviews had been completed.

Data collection methods

The survey was carried out 100% by telephone. This method allowed effective tracking of how representative the sample is. Calls were made at different times: mornings, afternoons, and evenings. Weekend calls were also carried out. Interviewers tried up to 5 times to get a survey response from each LCRA household.  

Sampling methods

Kwest used a sample of tenants that reflected factors such as the type of tenancy (general needs or supported let), the location of the property, and age group of the tenants.

Assessment of representativeness of response

Kwest's software enables them to monitor and achieve representativeness. For example: 

• Kwest's Telephone Management systems can automatically manage quotas for multiple groups. It can also set and monitor them. This ensures the required accuracy levels.
• Kwest's TSM Representativeness Assessment ensures that the stringent requirements of the Regulator are adhered to in TSM surveys. This works with the Telephone Management System. It is a flexible tool for monitoring and adjusting the interview method during the survey. This ensures the sample matches the requirements. Output via online reports allows Gateshead Council to view progress versus targets at any time.
• To demonstrate the response was representative in Gateshead's TSM survey, Kwest assessed some sub-groups of the population. These include neighbourhood, tenancy type, number of bedrooms, property type and age. These categories aim to cover geography, age, and housing type.

Details of applied weighting

The tools used to monitor responses during data collection were very representative, therefore no weighting of the data was required.

External contractors used

Kwest Research Limited is one of the longest-standing research organisations in the country. They work only for social housing providers. Kwest conducted the Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey for Gateshead Council. It was responsible for all aspects of the research. 

Households excluded under exceptional circumstances

Of Gateshead Council's 17,927 LCRA properties, 560 were empty at the time of the survey and were excluded from the sample. A further 4,812 households could not be included as we do not hold telephone contact numbers for them. The excluded households do not affect the results which are still representative of all LCRA households.  

Reasons for failure to meet sample size requirements

Not applicable. A total of 1,154 responses has been achieved in the 2025 to 2026 survey.  

Incentives used to encourage response

We did not offer incentives to complete the survey.

Other issues that have a material impact on satisfaction

There are no other issues that would affect the reported results of the survey.

Transcript of the survey

Interviewer script

Good {timeofday} I'm calling to speak to {fullname} or perhaps you could help me.

My name is {interviewer}.

I'm just calling on behalf of Gateshead Council to get your feedback on what it's like to live in your home and neighbourhood, if that's OK? It should only take a few minutes.

Once you have agreement to interview say "Just to let you know that this call will be recorded for monitoring and training purposes. Your answers will also be linked to your personal data and used to improve services, however, none of the questions are compulsory and you can end the call at any point. The feedback we collect will be used to calculate annual Tenant Satisfaction Measures to be published by Gateshead Council. Is that okay?"

The Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) have been brought in by the Regulator of Social Housing to monitor the performance of councils and housing associations. Data is being collected each financial year, starting from April 2023, and will be published at the end of that year.

Confirm Call Recording

End phone call

Classifications

Go to Q22 if Q18 unanswered

Please review the comments the customer made about the reasons for their dissatisfaction:
[Response to Q18]

Please classify these from the list below:

• Q21a: Customer is currently waiting for repairs to be completed
• Q21b: Difficulties getting repairs completed (for example, long waiting times, missed appointments, multiple visits required)
• Q21c: Poor quality repair work
• Q21d: Damp and mould
• Q21e: Improvement works required to home (for example, new kitchen, bathroom, boiler, windows)
• Q21f: Overcrowding, property not suitable or other desire to move
• Q21g: Cleaning and caretaking
• Q21h: Maintenance of communal areas (painting, repairs and so on)
• Q21i: Grounds maintenance (gardening)
• Q21j: Antisocial behaviour or neighbour nuisance
• Q21k: Rubbish and recycling
• Q21l: Parking
• Q21m: Staff service
• Q21n: Long waiting times to speak to anyone
• Q21o: Nothing gets done when issues raised
• Q21p: Poor communication or not kept informed
• Q21q: Value for money
• Q21r: Other

Go to Section 'That completes the survey' if Q17 unanswered

Please review the comments the customer made about reasons for their satisfaction:
[Response to Q17]

Now please classify the comments from the list below:

• Q22a: Happy but have had no real contact
• Q22b: Exceptional service from a member of staff
• Q22c: Gateshead sorted out a problem for me
• Q22d: Speed or quality of repairs service
• Q22e: Good communication and kept informed about what's happening
• Q22f: Generally satisfied but wanted to talk about an issue or concern
• Q22g: Other

That completes the survey.