Sharing what matters

2024-25

Annual report for B3Living customers

www.b3living.org.uk

This isn't just our report - it's yours too.

That's because everything we do is shaped by what you tell us.

This report gives you a clear picture of how we've performed - what's working, and what still needs work.

So, how did things go?

This year for overall customer satisfaction we achieved…

84.7%

We're pleased to see that our satisfaction score of 84.7% remains steady, it's great to know that so many of you feel good about the services we provide.
That said, 84.7% tells us there's room to do better and that's exactly what we're focused on.

Listening and learning

Thank you to all our customers who took the time to share their thoughts with us this year. It makes a big difference.
Here are a few examples of changes we made this year based on your feedback:

New service standards

We've reviewed our service standards to clearly define what customers can expect from us, improve how we deliver services, and ensure we meet - and aim to exceed - those expectations.
  • Email responses: Customers wanted confirmation their messages were received. We've added auto-replies to all corporate mailboxes confirming a 5-day response time.
  • Phone calls: Customers appreciated our quick response but found the menu too long. We're now reviewing the phone system to simplify it.
  • Live chat: Customers found it too robotic. We're exploring ways to improve response and may introduce real-time staff support.
  • Emergency repairs: Customers were concerned about delays. We've reintroduced a 10-day urgent follow-up timescale to speed things up.
  • Major works: Customers asked for more flexible notice periods. We'll now tailor notice (2-6 weeks) based on individual needs.
  • Updates: Customers said 10 days was to long for updates. We'll now provide updates every 5-10 working days, depending on the issue.

Click here to see our new service standards

Grass cutting

Following customer feedback after our service fell short in 2023–24, we knew change was needed. A total of 357 customers told us they wanted us to return to our previous contractor, BEST - a service run by Broxbourne Council.

Here's what we did based on that feedback:

  • We ended our contract with Nurture (formerly CGM) and appointed BEST for 2025. A formal agreement is now in place, setting out clear service standards.
  • Grass will be cut every three weeks from March to October at no extra cost. Pathways and doorways will be cleared of clippings to keep them safe.
  • BEST has a dedicated team for accessing restricted areas like gated gardens. We've chosen a standard cut (not a box cut) to balance quality and value.

Antisocial behaviour

In January, we introduced our new antisocial behaviour (ASB) policy and procedure. The new policy created 3 categories of ASB:

Category 1: These are for urgent ASB issues including physical attacks & threats. We'll contact the complainant within 24 hours of us being made aware.

Category 2 & 3: These are for less pressing issues such as excessive noise. Contact is made within 5 days of us being made aware.

We're also introducing a new pets policy. Last year, animal-related nuisance made up 15% of all ASB reports. So, we're rolling out a new policy to find a middle ground for everyone.

What are Tenant Satisfaction Measures? (TSMs)

Throughout this report, you'll see figures labelled "Tenant Satisfaction Measures", or TSMs for short. Our regulator set them up to help you see how well our services are doing.

They're a set of 22 different scores. They measure lots of things - from how quickly we do repairs through to whether we treat you with respect.

How do we calculate them?

It varies from figure to figure. Sometimes they’re based on things we can check in our systems; sometimes it’s based on your feedback:

  • If the score is about how satisfied you are, then this score came from a telephone survey to more than 500 customers. This was run by a third party called IFF – to make sure those of you who responded could be as honest as possible.
  • Other scores will be based on information we log in our databases. The calculations have been set out by our regulator to make sure all landlords work them out the same way.

The TSMs are here to help you compare us to others – but landlords can be very different sizes. So, you’ll see some figures broken down per home or per 1,000 homes.

Keeping properties in good repair

We spent:

7,539 new routine repairs

1,171 emergency repairs

84%

Customers satisfied with our overall repairs service
(who have had a repair in the last 12 months).

85.3%

Of these customers who felt satisfied on how long their most recent repair took.

83%

Customers satisfied that their home is well maintained.

0.5%

Homes don’t meet the Decent Homes Standard.

96.3%

Emergency repairs completed on time.

84%

Routine repairs completed on time.

Managing antisocial behaviour (ASB)

75.3%

Satisfaction that we make a positive contribution to neighbourhoods.

69.3%

Satisfaction with our approach to handling anti-social behaviour.

Maintaining building safety

How we did...

83.8%

satisfaction that homes are safe

70.4%

satisfaction that communal areas are cleaned and well maintained

Effective handling of complaints

We know when you raise a complaint, it’s because something didn’t meet your expectations – and that matters.

Behind every complaint is a real experience, and we treat it as a chance to listen, learn and put things right.

80.8

Stage 1 complaint cases opened per 1,000 homes

97.1%

Stage 1 complaints responded to on time

82.1%

B3Living last year

82.3%

Last year's housing association average

44.7%

Satisfaction with B3Living's approach to handling complaints

10

Stage 2 complaint cases opened per 1,000 homes.

95.6%

Stage 2 complaints responded to on time.

62.5%

B3Living last year

86.3%

Last year's housing association average

Excellent customer service - everywhere

Providing good service for our customers has always been at the heart of what we do. Our aim is to provide a consistent, excellent customer experience for everyone.

How we did...

81.5%

Satisfaction that B3Living keeps customers informed about things that matter to them

70.3%

Satisfaction that B3Living listens to customers' views and acts upon them.

87.7%

Agreement that B3Living treats customers fairly and with respect

Offering our customers accessible face-to-face meetings outside of our offices and spaces for remote working in the community is something we feel is important and an area we would like to explore further.

Spaces we currently advertise:

Spaces we're exploring:

The Holdbrook Hub

Launching on 6 January 2025, The Hub has provided a vital support system to the local community in Waltham Cross. Since opening our doors, we have welcomed and enrolled over 127 people, engaging them in educational, employment and wellbeing programmes. 

The Friary & Wormley Court

After a consultation with customers at The Friary and Wormley, Travis Perkins and Purdy’s both generously funded a couple of garden projects at the Independent Living schemes.

They provided gazebo structures, and labour by installing the structures, plants and seating for residents. This has improved the garden space and in turn the wellbeing of the residents, who were actively involved in the ideas around planting.  

Community Day 2024

In August, we held our annual Community Day at Macers Court, Wormley. We were joined by lots of local support groups including CHEXS, Step 2 Skills, Community Alliance Broxbourne and Dogs Trust. It was a great chance to chat to customers in a relaxed environment - we hope to see you at the next one!

Value for money

We all want to feel like we're getting our money's worth — especially when it comes to where we live. Here' a breakdown of how we spend every pound we receive in rent.

Building new homes - 30p

To help tackle the housing crisis, we use this money to build new affordable homes. You can check out our latest developments by clicking here.

Maintaining your home - 53p

  • Major repairs such as replacing kitchens or bathrooms - 19p
  • Maintaining your home - 14p
  • Cyclical repairs such as redecorating your home - 10p
  • Making your homes greener and sustainable - 10p

Our services - 17p

  • Housing management - 11p
  • Providing services such as caretaking - 6p

Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs)

Tenant perception scores

TP01 - Proportion of residents who report they are satisfied with the overall service from their landlord.

84.7%

TP02 - Proportion of respondents who have received a repair in the last 12 months who report they are satisfied with the overall repairs service.

84%

TP03 - Proportion of respondents who have received a repair in the last 12 months who report they are satisfied with the time taken to complete their most recent repair.

85.3%

TP04 - Proportion of respondents who report they are satisfied that their home is well maintained.

83%

TP05 - Proportion of respondents who report they are satisfied that their home is safe.

83.2%

TP06 - Proportion of respondents who report they are satisfied that their landlord listens to tenant views and acts upon them.

70.3%

TP07 - Proportion of respondents who report they are satisfied that their landlord keeps them informed about things that matter to them.

81.5%

TP08 - Proportion of respondents who report they agree their landlord treats them fairly and with respect.

87.7%

TP09 - Proportion of respondents who report they agree their landlord treats them fairly and with respect.

44.7%

TP10 - Proportion of respondents with communal areas who report that they are satisfied that their landlord keeps communal areas clean and well maintained.

70.4%

TP11 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied that their landlord makes a positive contribution to the neighbourhood.

75.3%

TP12 - Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied with their landlord’s approach to handling anti-social behaviour.

69.3%

Building safety

BS01 - Proportion of homes for which all required gas safety checks have been carried out.

100%

BS02 - Proportion of homes for which all required fire risk assessments have been carried out.

100%

BS03 - Proportion of homes for which all required asbestos management surveys or re-inspections have been carried out.

99.6%

BS04 - Proportion of homes for which all required legionella risk assessments have been carried out.

98.8%

BS05 - Proportion of homes for which all required communal passenger lift safety checks have been carried out.

98.9%

Neighbourhoods - anti-social behaviour

NM01 (1) - Number of anti-social behaviour cases opened per 1,000 homes.

41.6

NM01 (2) - Number of anti-social behaviour cases that involve hate incidents opened per 1,000 homes.

1.2

RP01  - Proportion of homes that do not meet the Decent Homes Standard.

0.5%

RP02 (1) - Proportion of non-emergency responsive repairs completed within the landlord’s target timescale.

96.3%

RP02 (2) - Proportion of emergency responsive repairs completed within the landlord’s target timescale.

84%

Complaints

CH01 - Complaints relative to the size of the landlord (Stage 1)

80.8 per 1,000 homes

CH01 - Complaints relative to the size of the landlord (Stage 2)

10 per 1,000 homes

CH02 - Complaints responded to within Complaint Handling Code timescales (Stage 1)

97.1%

CH02 - Complaints responded to within Complaint Handling Code timescales (Stage 2)

95.6%

Thank you for reading

We’ve tried to be as transparent as possible, so this report contains lots of numbers.

But if anything isn’t clear, please let us know at communications@b3living.org.uk. 

TopBuilt with Shorthand