Strong improvements delivered for social housing tenants across West Northants
17 July 2026
Council tenants across West Northamptonshire are benefiting from better repairs services, safer homes and rising satisfaction levels, according to the latest annual performance report considered by West Northamptonshire Council's (WNC) Cabinet yesterday (16 July).
The Landlord Services Annual Performance Report for 2025/26 highlights significant improvements across housing services, with most key performance measures showing positive progress and continued delivery of the Council's housing improvement programme.
The majority of landlord services are delivered by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) on behalf of the Council, with some services provided directly by West Northamptonshire Council.
Overall tenant satisfaction with landlord services increased to 71%, while satisfaction with repairs rose significantly to 76.7%. Satisfaction with the time taken to complete repairs also improved to 73.5%, reflecting sustained efforts to improve services that matter most to residents.
The report also shows major improvements in housing quality, with the proportion of homes not meeting the Decent Homes Standard falling dramatically from 19.2% to 7.6% over the year, meeting the Council's target.
Housing safety compliance remains strong, with 100% compliance achieved for fire, asbestos and water safety, while gas safety reached 99.9%.
Financial performance has also remained robust despite ongoing cost-of-living challenges. Rent collection exceeded target at 100.8%, tenant arrears reduced, and the number of evictions due to rent arrears fell to 16 as the Council and Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) continued to focus on tenancy sustainment and supporting residents.
Resident involvement in shaping services increased significantly during the year, with more than 10% of tenants taking part in decision-making and engagement activities - substantially exceeding the target set.
Cllr Charlie Hastie, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: "This report shows clear evidence that services for our tenants are improving and that the focused work undertaken over the past year is delivering results.
"We have seen significant improvements in customer satisfaction, repairs performance, housing standards and resident engagement. Importantly, more of our homes meet the Decent Homes Standard and compliance performance remains exceptionally strong across critical safety areas.
"We recognise there is still further work to do and we are not complacent. Areas such as complaint handling, reducing re-let times and improving confidence around anti-social behaviour services remain priorities. However, the overall direction of travel is positive and we remain committed to delivering high-quality, safe and responsive housing services for our residents."
The report also highlights the significant progress achieved through the Council’s housing improvement programme. Following the Council’s C3 judgement from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in 2024, sustained improvements have led to a reduction in the frequency of regulatory oversight meetings, reflecting growing confidence in the Council’s progress and governance arrangements.
The Council and NPH have completed delivery of the agreed Business Improvement Action Plan, addressing all identified improvement areas. As a result of the progress made, external regulatory engagement has reduced, reflecting the positive steps taken to strengthen oversight, governance and compliance.
The Council will continue to work closely with NPH while preparations continue for housing services to transition back into direct Council management ahead of April 2027.
Performance will continue to be closely monitored, with improvement plans already in place to strengthen complaint handling, further improve compliance, reduce re-let times and enhance customer confidence in neighbourhood and anti-social behaviour services.
View the full report on the Agenda and decisions page.