Housing performance report

Quarter 4 2025/26

This report provides updates on performance indicators covering a wide range of housing services provided by Brighton & Hove City Council. The report presents results for Quarter 4 (Q4) of the 2025/26 financial year alongside year‑end performance for the full 2025/26 financial year. Red, amber and green (RAG) ratings and trend arrows are used to show performance. Commentary has been included for all indicators that are red as well as any marked ‘Corporate KPI.’

The ratings and trends for Quarter 4 2025/26 are as follows:

	Green – on target (9 indicators)		Improved since last time (8 indicators)
	Amber – near target (7 indicators)		Same as last time (3 indicators)
	Red – off target (5 indicators)		Poorer than last time (10 indicators)

The ratings and trends for the 2025/26 financial yearare as follows:

	Green – on target (11 indicators)		Improved since last time (9 indicators)
	Amber – near target (6 indicators)		Same as last time (5 indicators)
	Red – off target (4 indicators)		Poorer than last time (7 indicators)

Contents – performance areas	Page
Customer Feedback	8
Compliments received	8
Stage one complaints	8
Stage two complaints	8
Private Sector Housing	9–10
Private sector homes improved	9
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)	9
Property inspections completed	9
Requests for assistance (RFAs)	9–10
Private sector vacant dwellings returned to use	10
Housing options and homelessness	11–12
Homelessness preventions	11
Homelessness acceptances	11
Social housing waiting list	12
Rough sleepers	12
Temporary accommodation	13
Households	13
Rent collected	13
Voids (empty dwellings)	13
Gas safety compliance (Seaside Homes)	13
Housing supply	14–16
Additional council homes	14
Right to Buy sales	15
Other additional affordable homes	16
Council housing management	17–18
Rent collected	17
Universal Credit	17
Tenants evicted	17
Anti-social behaviour (ASB)	17
Calls and emails (Housing Customer Services)	18
Re-let times	18
Voids (empty dwellings)	18
Council housing maintenance	19–21
Repairs completed in time	19
Calls, emails and online forms (Repairs Helpdesk)	18
Satisfaction with completed repairs	20
Decent Homes Standard	21
Energy efficiency rating of council homes	21
Gas safety compliance (council homes)	21
Lift breakdowns	21
Council housing adaptations	21
Leaseholder disputes	22

		Customer feedback (all indicators in this table are for the financial year to date)	Target (amber value)	Q3 2025/26	Q4 2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last quarter	2024/25	2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last year
1.1	Compliments received from customers		Info	109	159	-	-	190	159	-	-
Overlapping themes covering the majority of the 159 customer compliments received during 2025/26 included polite, respectful and friendly interactions with staff (70%), clear updates, responsiveness and explanations (64%) and teamwork across services (53%).
1.2	Stage one complaints responded to within 10 working days		80% (70%)	77% (604 of 789)	77% (781 of 1,012)	Rated amber	Same	73% (611 of 838)	77% (781 of 1,012)	Rated amber	Improved
1.3	Stage one complaints upheld		Info	54% (425 of 789)	53% (533 of 1,012)	-	-	49% (408 of 838)	53% (533 of 1,012)	-	-
The 1,012 Stage 1 complaints received during 2025/26 were most commonly about unhappiness with service delivery (26%), unhappiness with the outcome of a service request (25%) and delays completing repairs (19%). These were more likely to be upheld when they reflected gaps in service delivery, such as delayed responses to service requests, and less likely to be upheld when they related to disagreement with policies or procedures that were followed correctly.
1.4	Stage two complaints responded to within 20 working days		Info	83% (111 of 134)	78% (155 of 198)	-	-	57% (75 of 131)	78% (155 of 198)	-	-
1.5	Stage two complaints upheld		18% (20%)	45% (60 of 134)	50% (99 of 198)	Rated red	poorer	51% (67 of 131)	50% (99 of 198)	Rated red	Improved
During 2025/26, 198 stage two complaints were investigated by the corporate Customer Feedback team, after they were escalated following the stage one response from the relevant housing service. These complaints were most commonly about unhappiness with the outcome of a service request (28%), unhappiness with service delivery (23%) and delays completing repairs (21%). The 99 stage two complaints which were then upheld (upheld or partly upheld) were more often about demonstrable problems with service delivery, such as delays completing repairs, whereas those not upheld more often reflected disagreement and dissatisfaction with decisions.

		Private sector housing	Target (amber value)	Q3 2025/26	Q4 2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last quarter	2024/25	2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last year
2.1	Corporate KPI: Private sector homes improved by council intervention		Info	37	64	-	-	213	179	-	-
Corporate update for 2025/26: The number of private sector homes that have been improved due to council intervention was 179 between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. This is a new indicator for 2025/26 and is currently being monitored without a target to establish a baseline ahead of setting a target for the next financial year. Public comparator data for other Local Authorities is not available. During the year we have continued to monitor the completion of works to ensure cases can be closed and interventions recorded. This has included prioritising Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) cases which are falling short of the required energy efficiency standards to bring about improvements in these homes. Further information: The result of 179 homes improved during 2025/26 breaks down as: · 105 closed requests for assistance where there were Category 1 or 2 Hazards in property · 12 where the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating was improved to meet at least an E rating in line with MEES legislation · 62 Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) where the special licence conditions were confirmed as met.
2.2	Total fully licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)		Info	2,351	2,486	-	-	1,963	2,486	-	-
2.3	Requests for assistance received (RFAs)		Info	110	125	-	-	599	450	-	-
The top categories for requests for assistance received during 2025/26 were dampness (31%) and disrepair to customer’s home (21%).
2.4	Property inspections completed		Info	386	345	-	-	651	1,093	-	-
2.5	… of which RFA visits		Info	27	43	-	-	180	115	-	-
2.6	… of which licensing visits		Info	359	302	-	-	471	978	-	-
2.7	RFA cases closed		Info	56	83	-	-	367	265	-	-
2.8	Properties with Category 1 and 2 hazards resolved through informal actions		Info	100% (22 of 22)	95% (36 of 38)	-	-	95% (60 of 63)	95% (100 of 105)	-	-
2.9	Properties with Category 1 and 2 hazards resolved through formal action		Info	0% (0 of 22)	5% (2 of 38)	-	-	5% (3 of 63)	5% (5 of 105)	-	-
2.10	Private sector vacant dwellings (for more than one year) returned into occupation		25 per quarter	65	69	Rated green	Improved	140	313	Rated green	Improved

		Housing options and homelessness	Target (amber value)	Q3 2025/26	Q4 2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last quarter	2024/25	2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last year
4.1	Corporate KPI: Homelessness cases presenting during the prevention duty stage		45% (37%)	41% (174 of 426)	47% (219 of 462)	Rated green	Improved	32% (597 of 1,840)	39% (794 of 2,050)	Rated green	Improved
Corporate update for 2025/26: The proportion of homelessness cases presenting during the prevention duty stage was 38.7% (794 of 2,050) between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. This is below target and slightly underperforms other Local Authorities within the South East of England (benchmark of 37.5%). During the previous quarter, work has continued to focus on early intervention, strengthen the prevention approach and continuing to build close working relationships with the services most likely used by people experiencing homelessness. Recruitment has now been completed to enhance the service to within the Housing Advice and Triage service, to further increase the work of the service to be moved into an early intervention space. The team has been going through a period of induction and training and have reduced the outstanding cases awaiting assessment, meaning focus can now move to early intervention work. Work in the coming quarter will continue to focus on exploring predictive analytics to improve early intervention, now the pilot has been completed and results are being analysed. As well as embedding the new staff and looking at how cases are triaged across the service.
4.2	Corporate KPI: Homelessness prevention cases closed with a successful prevention outcome		53% (52%)	60% (122 of 204)	65% (107 of 165)	Rated green	Improved	66% (410 of 625)	61% (447 of 732)	Rated green	Improved
Corporate update for 2025/26: The proportion of homelessness prevention cases closed with a successful prevention outcome was 61.1% (447 of 732) between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. Furthermore, there have been 107 early intervention cases with successful outcomes, in addition to the 447 successful prevention cases. The council’s work to prevent homelessness continues to exceed target and outperform other Local Authorities within the South East of England (benchmark of 52.19%). The Homelessness and Rough Sleeper Strategy was adopted by Council in December 2025 and contains the action plan for 2025 to 2030 on how the Council will work with partners across the city to support residents experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping. There are key focus areas around early intervention, children, families and young people as well as work with those with multi compound needs. An early intervention strategy and working group sits underneath the action plan to develop the next steps to further increase our prevention of homelessness for residents.
4.3	New households with a full housing duty accepted		Info	189	173	-	-	601	665	-	-
4.4	Number of households on the housing register		Info	5,866	6,046	-	-	6,422	6,046	-	-

		Temporary accommodation	Target (amber value)	Q3 2025/26	Q4 2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last quarter	2024/25	2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last year
5.1	Corporate KPI: Total households in temporary accommodation		Info	2,170	2,200	-	-	1,970	2,200	-	-
Corporate update for 2025/26: As of 31 March 2026, there were 2,200 households in temporary accommodation — an increase of 230 since 31 March 2025. While this is a trend indicator with no formal target, the rise reflects both local pressures and a broader national challenge. Across England, the number of households in temporary accommodation reached a record high of 134,760 at the end of September 2025 — a 7% increase compared to a year before. In this context, the city’s figures represent approximately 1.6% of the national total, despite having a smaller population share. This suggests a disproportionately high demand for temporary accommodation locally, underscoring the acute housing pressures facing the area. The council continues to prioritise early intervention and prevention, as evidenced by strong performance under the prevention duty, with successful preventions and early interventions achieved for over 500 households during 2025/26. The council also continues to invest in temporary accommodation (TA), with 32 council-owned TA homes delivered during 2025/26 though buy backs and at Palace Place. A further 38 short-life TA homes were handed over during 2025/26 through the Large Panel Systems (LPS) programme to provide high quality TA prior to the redevelopment of these blocks. This work remains central to the council's commitment to building a fair and inclusive city, with homes for everyone, and aligns with national efforts to reduce homelessness through expanded access to affordable housing and strengthened prevention strategies.
5.2	Rent collected for temporary accommodation (year to date including changes in arrears)		95% (90%)	95.0% (£12.9m of £13.6m)	95.5% (£17.4m of £18.2m)	Rated green	Improved	94.5% (£16.4m of £17.4m)	95.5% (£17.4m of £18.2m)	Rated green	Improved
5.3	Void temporary accommodation dwellings		Info	159	223	-	-	124	223	-	-
There were 223 void temporary accommodation dwellings on 31 March 2026, of which 146 (66%) became void during Q4 2025/26. This indicator covers all types of temporary accommodation voids, including those undergoing works, and provides a breakdown of their status. Of the 223 voids, 31 were newly acquired dwellings (14%), typically council or private sector leased properties, 44 were being prepared for works (20%), 41 were undergoing works (18%), 9 were ready to let (4%), 13 were void for other reasons (6%), and 85 were being prepared by a block‑booked accommodation provider (38%). The relatively high number of temporary accommodation voids reflects an overall increase in block‑booked and council‑owned temporary accommodation supply, mainly due to newly acquired dwellings and expanded block‑booked provision, both of which help reduce reliance on comparatively more expensive spot‑purchased accommodation.
5.4	Seaside Homes properties with a valid Landlord’s Gas Safety Record		100% (99%)	99.4% (491 of 494)	99.6% (492 of 494)	Rated amber	Improved	99.6% (492 of 494)	99.6% (492 of 494)	Rated amber	Same

		Council housing management	Target (amber value)	Q3 2025/26	Q4 2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last quarter	2024/25	2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last year
7.1	Corporate KPI: Rent collected from current council tenants		95.92%	92.04% (£70.3m of £76.3m)	92.49% (£70.5m of 76.2m)	Rated red	Improved	93.12% (£68.6m of) £73.6m)	92.49% (£70.5m of 76.2m)	Rated red	poorer
Corporate update for 2025/26: The proportion of rent collected from current tenants of council owned homes was 92.49% (£70,478,006 of £76,204,300) during the 2025/26 financial year. This collection rate currently underperforms the target of 95.92%, which has been set to match the benchmark from Housemark for Local Authority social landlords with 10,000 or more homes. The managed migration to Universal Credit (UC) has accelerated significantly, with around 900 tenants known to have moved from Housing Benefit (HB) to UC during 2024/25. This trend has continued into the current financial year, with approximately 1,171 tenants migrating by Q4 2025/26. This shift has had a notable impact on rent arrears. The latest group of tenants includes many who receive Employment Support Allowance (ESA), so include individuals with higher levels of vulnerability, requiring more intensive support to navigate the complexities of the UC system. This challenge is particularly acute in the city. The DWP recognise that Brighton & Hove is out of sync with most of the country in relation to the vulnerabilities of this cohort as a significant portion are in receipt of ESA because of a mental health condition, rather than a physical vulnerability. In response, we have strengthened our focus on early intervention and prevention. Housing staff are making early contact with all new tenants and those who have recently migrated to UC, helping to establish payment plans from the outset. A Senior Income Advisor has also been in post since June 2025 to help resolve the most complex UC migration cases alongside closer collaboration with the council’s Welfare Rights Team. This post has now come to an end with the conclusion of UC migration. The team has also increased direct payments from UC. During Q4 2025/26, this has averaged £2 million per calendar month across around 4,000 revenue accounts. This represents a significant shift in how rent is collected and has helped to mitigate the risk of arrears by ensuring more consistent income flows.
7.2	Evictions due to rent arrears		Info	0	0	-	-	7	0	-	-
7.3	Evictions due to anti-social behaviour (ASB)		Info	0	0	-	-	3	1	-	-
7.4	ASB cases opened		Info	216	239	-	-	785	884	-	-
There were also 449 live ASB cases on 31 March 2026, including those opened before Q4 2025/26. The housing service wishes for residents to report ASB, so the number of cases can be driven by both reporting and incidents, and the service welcomes the former.
7.5	ASB cases closed		Info	177	207	-	-	636	707	-	-
7.6	Average days to close ASB cases		Info	169	170	-	-	135	166	-	-
7.7	Calls answered by Housing Customer Services		85% (80%)	90% (4,610 of 5,122)	89% (5,282 of 5,936)	Rated green	poorer	86% (22,395 of 25,920)	89% (19,856 of 22,328)	Rated green	Improved
7.8	Emails received by Housing Customer Services		Info	6,772	6,486	-	-	26,645	27,591	-	-
7.9	Number of council homes let		Info	122	74	-	-	584	444	-	-
7.10	… of which first lets of new council homes		Info	27	7	-	-	140	65	-	-
7.11	… of which re-lets of previously occupied homes		Info	95	67	-	-	444	379	-	-
7.12	Average ‘key to key’ re-let time in calendar days including time spent in major works		Info	86	90	-	-	85	80	-	-
7.13	Average re-let time in calendar days excluding time spent in major works		42 (49)	47	48	Rated amber	poorer	40	42	Rated green	poorer
7.14	Void council dwellings (includes new properties)		Info	144	139	-	-	131	139	-	-
There were 139 void council housing dwellings on 31 March 2026, of which 36 (26%) were newly acquired dwellings, 88 were undergoing works (63%), 5 were ready to let (4%) and 10 were void for other reasons (7%) on this date. Furthermore, 68% of these dwellings (94 of 139) became voids during Q4 2025/26.

		Council housing maintenance		Target (amber value)		Q3 2025/26		Q4 2025/26		Status against target		Trend since last quarter		2024/25		2025/26	Status against target	Trend since last year
8.1	Corporate KPI: Emergency repairs completed within 24 hours		99% (97%)		99.6% (3,351 of 3,363)		98.0% (3,347 of 3,414)		Rated amber		poorer		97.5% (12,836 of 13,169)		99.1% (12,737 of 12,849)		Rated green	Improved
Corporate update for 2025/26: The proportion of emergency repairs completed within 24 hours was 99.1% (12,737 of 12,849) for repairs completed between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. This is above the target and outperforms most other Local Authority social landlords with 10,000 or more homes (benchmark of 93.7%).
8.2	Corporate KPI: Routine repairs completed within 28 calendar days		70% (58%)		61.2% (4,196 of 6,858)		55.2% (3,563 of 6,451)		Rated red		poorer		47.2% (13,509 of 28,620)		58.2% (17,024 of 29,229)		Rated amber	Improved
Corporate update for 2025/26: The proportion of routine repairs completed within 28 calendar days was 58.2% (17,024 of 29,229) for repairs completed between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. This is below the target and underperforms most other Local Authority social landlords with 10,000 or more homes (benchmark of 78.8%). Although the target has not been met yet, performance against this indicator has been improving, with 2025/26 performance 9.0pp above the 2024/25 result of 47.2%.
8.3	Average days to complete routine repairs		15 (17.5)		36		43		Rated red		poorer		97		45		Rated red	Improved
The average time taken to complete routine repairs can be impacted when jobs that have been outstanding for a long period are completed, increasing the average even when more recent repairs are being completed more quickly. However, there has been a significant improvement overall between the last two financial years, having more than halved, from 97 to 45 days.

8.4	Calls answered by Repairs Helpdesk		85% (80%)		89% (17,562 of 19,782)		87% (19,098 of 21,850)		Rated green		poorer		94% (66,159 of 70,185)		90% (67,553 of 75,368)		Rated green	poorer
8.5	Emails received by Repairs Helpdesk		Info		5,551		6,069		-		-		22,800		22,206		-	-
8.6	Online forms received by Repairs Helpdesk		Info		461		534		-		-		3,146		2,584		-	-
8.7	Surveyed tenants satisfied with completed repairs: standard of work		96% (92%)		98.2% (1,550 of 1,576)		98.9% (1,121 of 1,134)		Rated green		Improved		98.6% (8,981 of 9,112)		98.2% (6,217 of 6,330)		Rated gree	poorer
8.8	Surveyed tenants satisfied with completed repairs: overall customer service		96% (92%)		99.8% (1,573 of 1,576)		99.6% (1,129 of 1,134)		Rated green		poorer		98.6% (8,987 of 9,112)		99.1% (6,276 of 6,330)		Rated green	Same
8.9	Corporate KPI: Council dwellings meeting Decent Homes Standard		100% (96.3%)		97.4% (11,896 of 12,219)		97.5% (11,950 of 12,251)		Rated amber		Improved		98.0% (11,933 of 12,181		97.5% (11,950 of 12,251)		Rated amber	poorer
Corporate update for 2025/26: The proportion of council owned homes that meet the government’s Decent Homes standard was 97.5% (11,950 of 12,251) on 31 March 2026. This is below the target of 100% but outperforms most other Local Authority social landlords with 10,000 or more homes (benchmark of 94.8%). Our reporting is more consistent as a result of council employed stock condition surveyors who are undertaking surveys to a wide variety of homes and locations. Several teams within Housing are collaborating to enhance the stock condition data, for example, by ensuring new elements are fully updated following works, in the asset database, and further staff training on recording it has been undertaken. Housing IT systems are now embedded and managed to ensure data is kept up to date which has improved reporting. To enhance our data base and to give a better and more robust understanding of our stock we are appointing external surveyors to undertake a full stock survey of our properties over a two-year period. The start of this commission is July 2026 and our asset management system will be updated. In addition we are increasing our in-house surveying capacity with a further stock condition surveyor whom we expect to be in post Autumn 2026.
8.10	Corporate KPI: Council homes that have an EPC rating of A to C		91.2% (90.8%)		89.2%		89.2%		Rated red		Same		89.2%		89.2%		Rated red	Same
During Q4 2025/26, first‑year Social Housing Fund grant funding was drawn down, however continued resident engagement and access issues limited delivery, with 16 retrofit completions achieved in March 2026: all met the minimum EPC requirement and several reached EPC A or B, with remaining homes reprofiled into later years. The Solar PV programme continued at pace, with over 930 homes now installed and many properties moving from EPC D to C to support future Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) compliance. Partial decarbonisation of heating and hot water services at Walter May House was 95% complete by March 2026, with planning underway for the next seniors housing scheme. Ongoing integration issues with energy modelling systems continue to restrict an up‑to‑date EPC stock position, although interim analysis has been supported through national EPC data and a Q4 infrared thermal survey. Housing has also contributed to the development of a potential future council‑wide strategic energy partnership following market engagement in February 2026.
8.11	Council dwellings with a valid Landlord's Gas Safety Record		100% (99%)		100% (10,020 of 10,020)		100% (9,999 of 9,999)		Rated green		Same		100% (10,026 of 10,026)		100% (9,999 of 9,999)		Rated green Same	Same
8.12	Lifts restored to service within 24 hours		95% (90%)		89% (172 of 194)		93% (161 of 173)		Rated amber		Improved		91% (576 of 633)		91% (652 of 714)		Rated amber
8.13	Average weeks taken to approve applications for disability adaptations to council homes		10 (26)		14		17		Rated amber		poorer		11		15		Rated amber	poorer
8.14	Average weeks taken for contractor to complete disability adaptations to council homes		Info		18		20		-		-		14		19		-	-

		Leaseholder disputes	Q3 2025/26	Q4 2025/26	2024/25	2025/26
9.1	Stage one disputes opened		63	18	102	126
9.2	Stage one disputes closed		29	48	61	137
9.3	Active stage one disputes (end quarter)		46	16	27	16
9.4	Stage two disputes opened		7	16	17	46
9.5	Stage two disputes closed		2	16	16	38
9.6	Active stage two disputes (end quarter)		14	14	6	14
9.7	Stage three disputes opened		6	2	9	17
9.8	Stage three disputes closed		2	5	13	17
9.9	Active stage three disputes (end quarter)		10	7	7	7


77% Complaint responses within 10 working days	92.49% Rent collection rate	89% Customer services calls answered

48 days Empty home re-let time	98.0% Emergency repairs within 24 hours	55.2% Routine repairs within 28 days

87% Repairs helpdesk calls answered	97.5% Dwellings meeting Decent Homes standard	100% Gas safety compliance