Every housing provider knows that compliance is non-negotiable. But the latest learnings from the Housing Ombudsman’s Severe Maladministration report serves as a stark reminder that it’s not just about ticking boxes - it’s about people.
From missed asbestos risks to delayed lift repairs and failures in water safety, the report paints a clear picture: when landlords fall short on compliance, the fallout is human. As Ombudsman Richard Blakeway puts it, “There is much to be proud of in the sector's approach to safety, but it must not be complacent… every property manager will know the importance of complying with the Big 6 health and safety issues.”
Those six issues - gas, electrics, fire, asbestos, water, and lift safety - are precisely where things often go wrong. And when they do, it isn’t just compliance scores that suffer. It’s tenant satisfaction. Which brings us to the bigger point: prevention is better than cure.
With the Regulator of Social Housing’s Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) now in full force, providers need to think seriously about how they’re going to stay on top of things. The good news? If you embed the right technology at the heart of your operations, good TSM scores almost take care of themselves.
Keeping Properties in Good Repair
Ombudsman Report Findings: Inadequate planning, knowledge gaps, severe delays in repairs, disconnected surveys vs. repair works and incomplete evidence of resolution.
Plentific’s repairs diagnostics tool helps residents report issues clearly - with photos, videos and precise fault categorisation. Also, because Plentific is an end to end Property Operations solution, all properties and cases are visible on one, centralised platform – allowing operators to triage and assign jobs fast, track and record every step, and close the feedback loop once complete.
Maintaining Building Safety
Ombudsman Report Findings: Delayed or missed inspections, significant and life threatening hazards left unattended, not considering residents requests and reports.
Plentific’s compliance management platform enables landlords to maintain full visibility of safety obligations across their entire portfolio. Statutory trackers, custom templates, and automated notifications ensure nothing slips through the cracks - especially across the 'Big Six' safety categories.
Conducting Safety Checks
Ombudsman Report Findings: Inspections either missing or mismatched with repairs.
With Plentific's inspections management product, you get digital tools to plan, capture, and follow up inspections in real time. Custom templates ensure you’re checking what matters most, while embedded photos, comments, and tags make sure the right action follows.
Respectful and Helpful Engagement
Ombudsman Report Findings: Residents being ignored, poor communication during urgent works.
Plentific’s resident portal transforms the resident relationship from reactive to proactive. Two-way messaging, real-time updates, alerts, and appointment visibility put residents in the loop at every stage.
Effective Handling of Complaints
Ombudsman Report Findings: Poor case tracking, no updates, unresolved concerns.
The same resident portal features feed directly into better complaint handling. Residents can escalate issues, see what’s happening next, and understand timelines.
Responsible Neighbourhood Management
Ombudsman Report Findings: Indirect, but the mental health toll of unresolved safety risks is significant and leads to anxiety, distress and fears about safety during a fire.
Unsafe homes don’t just cause physical harm. They affect mental wellbeing, relationships, and a tenant’s entire experience of living in their neighbourhood. Plentific’s tools help address problems earlier, faster, and more transparently - before they start to spiral.
The Housing Ombudsman has made it clear: high-level compliance stats mean nothing if real people are still falling through the gaps. That is why TSMs are structured to reward those who act early, engage often, and manage operations with transparency and care.
With Plentific’s property operations platform, you’ll not only be better placed to meet the letter of the law – you’ll be able to live up to the spirit of it.
On-Demand Webinar: Empowering Housing Compliance
Our on-demand webinar explores key regulations, common challenges, and how digital solutions can support long-term, sustainable compliance and operational efficiency.
