Tenant survey reveals top housing improvement priorities

Housing Improvements - tenant priorities are clear! 

In Spring 2025, we shared a survey with our housing tenants, to try and understand more about their priorities when it comes to housing improvements.

We had 576 responses to the survey, with tenants making it clear that they want to live in a modern, warm and secure home.

When we asked what their top three desired home upgrades were, they told us that that their priorities are:

• Kitchen replacement
• Bathroom replacement 
• Double glazing. 

Other favoured areas of improvement include heating upgrades, insulation, renewable technologies such as solar PV and roof replacement. 

We also asked about tenant satisfaction with the current condition of their home. With an average score of 2.79 out of 5, we can see that although 60% of tenants are generally satisfied with their home, there are still 40%  that would like to see improvement. And that is something we are working hard to rectify, alongside our contractor partners, with the support of our Tenant Voice Group.

The survey has also helped us to understand a bit more about the health of tenants living in our homes, with 42% of respondents telling us they are living with a disability or long-term health condition. This is really important information for us to understand as a housing provider, as this does impact on aids and adaptations to homes, and whether housing needs are currently being met with our existing housing stock across the district. 

Cllr Gordon Rhind, Chair of the Housing and Community Services Committee at South Derbyshire District Council, said: "Firstly can I thank the 576 tenants that responded to this survey. It is really important that we carry out surveys like this to help us better understand our customers, their needs and wishes. 

"The homes in our district are regularly reviewed under stock surveys, to help us understand their current condition. There are some planned improvement works taking place under the Decent Homes scheme as a result of these surveys, which includes kitchen, bathroom and window replacement, as well as some insulation and heating upgrades. 

"We are working on some larger scale projects, including some recently completed energy efficiency improvements to a community of bungalows in Hilton. We have also made a start on some new-build homes in Chellaston, through our construction partner, NCHA. 

"We will continue to do our best to make the improvements that are needed and provide the best service we can, alongside our partner Wates, for regular repairs and maintenance for the properties we manage." 

If you want to know more about the housing service, please visit our dedicated website pages: Housing | South Derbyshire District Council

11 August 2025