By Simon Wilkes, Head of Resident Experience
Since the acquisition of Active Housing in June 2023, we’ve been focused on one thing: making resident self-service smarter, simpler, and more effective for social housing providers. It’s not just about adding features. It’s about giving residents more control, and landlords more time to focus on what matters most.
Over the past year, we’ve welcomed a growing number of forward-thinking organisations to the platform—Karbon Homes, Waltham Forest, Stockport, Linc, and Magenta among them. At the same time, many of our existing customers are deepening their use of our self-service products, confident in the value they bring.
This kind of trust means a lot. It shows that what we’re building is working: intuitive, efficient solutions that meet real needs in a sector that can’t afford guesswork.
Listening to residents and landlords alike has helped us shape the next generation of our self-service platform. Over the last 12 months, we’ve launched:
A UI overhaul of our diagnostics solution and enhancements to our resident portal
Digital document signing for agreements
Tools to report potential mould and damp
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for added security
Protections against duplicate repair requests
Diagnostics AI assistant
Each of these updates is designed to cut friction and boost confidence for residents using the tools, and for providers managing the process behind the scenes.
AI is everywhere right now and with good reason. It has the potential to fundamentally change how we deliver services in housing. But let’s be honest: this sector isn’t known for jumping headfirst into emerging tech, and that’s not always a bad thing. The stakes are high, the budgets tight, and the responsibilities enormous.
That’s why we’re taking a measured approach. Our AI Assistant, for example, is now embedded in our Repairs Diagnostics tool. It helps residents describe issues more accurately, which means faster, more precise fixes and fewer return visits.
Importantly, this isn’t “AI for AI’s sake.” Housing teams still review repairs scripts, business rules and if/when appointments can be self-scheduled by residents. The technology supports them; it doesn’t replace them. That balance is key.
If you’re heading to Housing 2025 this June, come say hello. We’ll be at Manchester Central from the 24th to the 26th, showcasing what’s next in self-service.
I’ll be there all three days, happy to chat about where your organisation is headed and how Plentific can help you get there. Drop me a message on LinkedIn or email if you’d like to book a time.
See you in Manchester.
Simon Wilkes, Head of Resident Experience
