Housing performance report

Quarter 1 2026/27

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 1 (Q1) of the 2026/27 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 the quarter are as follows:

	Green – on target (8 indicators)		Improved since last time (9 indicators)
	Amber – near target (6 indicators)		Same as last time (3 indicators)
	Red – off target (7 indicators)		Poorer than last time (9 indicators)

Contents – performance areas	Page
Customer Feedback	7
Compliments received	7
Stage one complaints	7
Stage two complaints	7
Private Sector Housing	8–9
Private sector homes improved	8
Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)	8
Property inspections completed	8
Requests for assistance (RFAs)	9
Private sector vacant dwellings returned to use	9
Housing options and homelessness	10–11
Homelessness preventions	10
Homelessness acceptances	11
Social housing waiting list	11
Rough sleepers	11
Temporary accommodation	12
Households	12
Rent collected	12
Voids (empty dwellings)	12
Gas safety compliance (Seaside Homes)	12
Housing supply	13–15
Additional council homes	13
Right to Buy sales	14
Other additional affordable homes	15
Council housing management	16–17
Rent collected	16
Universal Credit	16
Tenants evicted	16
Anti-social behaviour (ASB)	17
Calls and emails (Housing Customer Services)	17
Re-let times	17
Voids (empty dwellings)	17
Council housing maintenance	18–19
Repairs completed in time	18
Calls, emails and online forms (Repairs Helpdesk)	18–19
Satisfaction with completed repairs	19
Decent Homes Standard	19
Energy efficiency rating of council homes	20
Gas safety compliance (council homes)	20
Lift breakdowns	20
Council housing adaptations	21
Leaseholder disputes	22

		Customer feedback (all indicators in this table are for the financial year to date)	Target (amber value)	Q4 2025/26	Q1 2026/27	Status against target	Trend since last quarter
1.1	Compliments received from customers		Info	159	180	-	-
More customer compliments were logged in Quarter 1 2026/27 (180) than across the whole of 2025/26 (159), with most of these (81%) relating to responsive repairs. Overlapping themes covering the majority these compliments included good quality repair work and resolution of issues (80%), clear updates, responsiveness and explanations (78%), polite, respectful and friendly interactions with staff (75%), and teamwork across services (58%).
1.2	Stage one complaints responded to within 10 working days		80% (70%)	77% (781 of 1,012)	70% (183 of 260)	Rated amber	poorer
1.3	Stage one complaints upheld		Info	53% (533 of 1,012)	61% (158 of 260)	-	-
The 260 Stage 1 complaints received during Quarter 1 2026/27 were most commonly about unhappiness with service delivery (23%), delays completing repairs (11%) and failure to take action following a service request (9%). Complaints were more likely to be upheld where they related to delayed outcomes, lack of information, repair delays or poor communication, and less likely to be upheld where they concerned anti-social behaviour, poor quality accommodation, or disagreement with policies and procedures.
1.4	Stage two complaints responded to within 20 working days		Info	82% (159 of 195)	73% (45 of 62)	-	-
1.5	Stage two complaints upheld		18% (20%)	50% (98 of 195)	47% (29 of 62)	Rated red	Improved
During Quarter 1 2026/27, 62 Stage 2 complaints were investigated. These were most commonly about unhappiness with service delivery (23%), delays completing repairs (15%) and delays in providing an outcome (13%). The 29 upheld complaints were more often linked to delays in outcomes and repairs, while those not upheld more often related to service delivery dissatisfaction and anti-social behaviour.

		Private sector housing	Target (amber value)	Q4 2025/26	Q1 2026/27	Status against target	Trend since last quarter
2.1	Corporate KPI: Private sector homes improved by council intervention		Info	64	37	-	-
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: The number of private sector homes that have been improved due to council intervention was 37 between 1 April 2026 and 30 June 2026. The 2026/27 target is 45 homes per quarter, so latest performance is lower. Public comparator data for other local authorities is not available. The service is continuing to monitor the completion of works so cases can be closed and interventions recorded. The total of 37 private sector homes improved so far includes 28 homes where Category 1 and 2 hazards were identified and resolved, 1 home where the EPC was improved to minimum E rating in line with MEES, and 8 HMOs where licence conditions were confirmed as met.
2.2	Total fully licensed Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)		Info	2,486	2,896	-	-
2.3	Requests for assistance received (RFAs)		Info	125	87	-	-
The top categories for requests for assistance received during Q1 2026/27 were dampness (38%), disrepair to customer’s home (21%), works required to HMOs to comply with regulations (7%) and fire safety in HMOs (6%).
2.4	Property inspections completed		Info	345	132	-	-
2.5	… of which RFA visits		Info	43	32	-	-
2.6	… of which licensing visits		Info	302	100	-	-
2.7	RFA cases closed		Info	83	61	-	-
2.8	Properties with Category 1 and 2 hazards resolved through informal actions		Info	95% (36 of 38)	100% (28 of 28)	-	-
2.9	Properties with Category 1 and 2 hazards resolved through formal action		Info	5% (2 of 38)	0% (0 of 28)	-	-
2.10	Private sector vacant dwellings returned into occupation which had been vacant for more than one year		25 per quarter	69	96	Rated green	Improved

		Housing options and homelessness	Target (amber value)	Q4 2025/26	Q1 2026/27	Status against target	Trend since last quarter
4.1	Corporate KPI: Homelessness cases presenting during the prevention duty stage		45.0% (37.2%)	47.4% (219 of 462)	44.9% (229 of 510)	Rated amber	poorer
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: The proportion of homelessness cases presenting during the prevention duty stage was 44.9% (229 of 510) between 1 April 2026 and 30 June 2026. This is slightly below the 2026/27 target of 45.0% and also underperforms other local authorities within the South East of England (benchmark of 52.4%). During the quarter, work continued to focus on early intervention, strengthening the prevention approach and building close working relationships with the services most likely used by people experiencing homelessness. Recruitment has now been completed to enhance the service within the Housing Advice and Triage team as well as the Allocations team, to further increase the capacity of the wider Housing Options & Homelessness service and move it into an early intervention space. The Housing Advice and Triage 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 we are considering the next steps and whether to bring this into the mainstream, alongside other options. Alongside this the service is expanding its co-location with key partners across the city and over the next six months will be trialling a new notification pilot around those at risk of experiencing homelessness.
4.2	Corporate KPI: Homelessness prevention cases closed with a successful prevention outcome		53.4% (52.2%)	64.8% (107 of 165)	67.5% (133 of 197)	Rated green	Improved
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: The proportion of homelessness prevention cases closed with a successful prevention outcome was 67.5% (133 of 197) between 1 April 2026 and 30 June 2026. Furthermore, there have been 40 early intervention cases with successful outcomes, in addition to the 133 successful prevention cases. The council's work to prevent homelessness exceeds the 2026/27 target of 53.4% and outperforms other local authorities covering the Core Cities in England (target is same as this benchmark). 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 working with people with multiple 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	173	174	-	-
4.4	Number of households on the housing register		Info	6,046	6,244	-	-

		Temporary accommodation	Target (amber value)	Q4 2025/26	Q1 2026/27	Status against target	Trend since last quarter
5.1	Corporate KPI: Total households in temporary accommodation		Info	2,200	2,292	-	-
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: As of 30 June 2026, there were 2,292 households in temporary accommodation, a net increase of 92 since 31 March 2026. This is a trend indicator with no formal target for 2026/27, reflecting both local pressures and a broader national challenge. Across England, the number of households in temporary accommodation reached a record high of 134,210 at the end of December 2025, a 6% increase compared to a year before. In this context, the city’s figures represent approximately 1.7% 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 133 successful preventions and 40 successful early interventions achieved during Q1 2026/27. The council also continues to invest in its own temporary accommodation stock, with 32 council owned temporary accommodation homes delivered during 2025/26 through buy backs and at Palace Place, followed by 13 more delivered through buy backs during Q1 2026/27. A further 38 short-life homes were handed over during 2025/26 through the Large Panel Systems (LPS) programme, followed by 19 more during Q1 2026/27, to provide high quality TA prior to the redevelopment of these blocks.
5.2	Rent collected for temporary accommodation (year to date including changes in arrears)		95% (90%)	95.5% (£17.4m of £18.2m)	94.6% (£4.4m of £4.6m)	Rated amber	poorer
5.3	Void temporary accommodation dwellings		Info	223	234	-	-
There were 234 void temporary accommodation dwellings on 30 June 2026, of which 153 (65%) became void during Q1 2026/27. This indicator covers all types of temporary accommodation voids, including those undergoing works, and provides a breakdown of their status. Of the 234 voids, 18 were newly acquired dwellings (8%), 23 were being prepared for works (10%), 44 were undergoing works (19%), 10 were ready to let (4%), 10 were void for other reasons (4%) and 129 were with a block booked accommodation provider (55%). The relatively high number of temporary accommodation voids reflects a recent overall expansion of council owned and 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%)	99.6% (492 of 494)	99.4% (491 of 494)	Rated amber	poorer

		Council housing management	Target (amber value)	Q4 2025/26	Q1 2026/27	Status against target	Trend since last quarter
7.1	Corporate KPI: Rent collected from current council tenants		95.92% (94.12%)	92.49% (£70.5m of £76.2m)	91.89% (£73.8m of £80.3m)	Rated red	poorer
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: As of 30 June 2026, the proportion of rent collected from current tenants of council owned homes is forecast to be 91.89% (£73,832,582 of £80,348,954) for the 2026/27 financial year. This collection rate currently underperforms the 2026/27 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. With the completion of the Universal Credit (UC) managed migration programme, and the movement of 1,171 tenants to UC during the last financial year, a significant change in how tenants receive benefits and pay their rent has now largely concluded. While the migration programme is substantially complete, a small number of tenants remain to transition. In Q1 2026/27, for example, we identified and supported two tenants through the move to UC. The longer-term impacts of migration to UC continue to be felt, and support for affected tenants is now being delivered as part of a business-as-usual approach. To address current levels of rent arrears, we have introduced a Rent Collection Strategy focused on prevention and early intervention. The strategy aims to identify and address payment issues at the earliest opportunity, while ensuring that the most serious cases are managed appropriately with the necessary care and support. It also recognises the ongoing impact of UC and wider welfare reforms, promotes a 'rents first' and income maximisation culture, and supports the delivery of resident-focused services. The team has continued to see a significant increase in direct payments from UC. During Q1 2026/27, £6.47 million was collected through direct payments, compared with £4.49 million during the same period last year. This reflects a substantial shift in the way rent is collected and has helped to mitigate the risk of arrears by providing a more consistent and reliable method of payment.
7.2	Evictions due to rent arrears		Info	0	2	-	-
7.3	Evictions due to anti-social behaviour (ASB)		Info	0	0	-	-
7.4	ASB cases opened		Info	239	232	-	-
7.5	ASB cases closed		Info	207	175	-	-
7.6	Average days to close ASB cases		Info	170	141	-	-
7.7	Calls answered by Housing Customer Services		85% (80%)	89% (5,282 of 5,936)	91% (5,461 of 6,032)	Rated green	Improved
7.8	Emails received by Housing Customer Services		Info	6,486	7,371	-	-
7.9	Number of council homes let		Info	74	68	-	-
7.10	… of which first lets of new council homes		Info	7	30	-	-
7.11	… of which re-lets of previously occupied council homes		Info	67	38	-	-
7.12	Average ‘key to key’ re-let time in calendar days including time spent in major works		Info	90	106	-	-
7.13	Average re-let time in calendar days excluding time spent in major works		42 (49)	48	61	Rated amber	poorer
7.14	Void council dwellings (includes new properties)		Info	139	150	-	-
There were 150 void council housing dwellings on 30 June 2026, of which 17 were newly acquired or handed over dwellings (11%), 10 were being prepared for works (7%), 94 were undergoing works (63%), 19 were ready to let (13%) and 10 were void for other reasons (7%) on this date. Furthermore, 59% of these dwellings (89 of 150) became voids during Q1 2026/27.

		Council housing maintenance	Target (amber value)	Q4 2025/26	Q1 2026/27	Status against target	Trend since last quarter
8.1	Corporate KPI: Emergency repairs completed within 24 hours		99% (97%)	98.0% (3,347 of 3,414)	99.5% (3,343 of 3,359)	Rated green	Improved
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: The proportion of emergency repairs completed within 24 hours was 99.5% (3,343 of 3,359) for repairs completed between 1 April 2026 and 30 June 2026. This is above the 99% target and outperforms most other local authority social landlords with 10,000 or more homes (benchmark of 93.7%). Please see indicator below for more commentary about repairs.
8.2	Corporate KPI: Routine repairs completed within 28 calendar days		70% (58%)	55.2% (3,563 of 6,451)	55.9% (3,679 of 6,576)	Rated red	Improved
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: The proportion of routine repairs completed within 28 calendar days was 55.9% (3,679 of 6,576) for repairs completed between 1 April 2026 and 30 June 2026. This is below the 70% target and underperforms most other local authority social landlords with 10,000 or more homes (benchmark of 83.5%). The Repairs Service continues to experience significant increases in demand, driven in part by the introduction of Awaab's Law in October 2025 and rising volumes of responsive repairs. To address this, the service is actively increasing capacity through a combination of additional contractor support, recruitment of directly employed resources, and investment in apprenticeship and trainee programmes. We are also expanding proactive planned maintenance programmes in areas such as electrical, plumbing and drainage works, allowing issues to be addressed before they result in repeat responsive repairs. These measures are intended to reduce demand pressures, improve repair completion times and support a sustained improvement in performance.
8.3	Average days to complete routine repairs		15 (17.5)	43	42	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. While the Q1 2026/27 result of 42 days is very close to the previous quarter, the longer-term position still shows a significant improvement, with the average having more than halved between 2024/25 (97 days) and 2025/26 (45 days).
8.4	Calls answered by Repairs Helpdesk		85% (80%)	87% (19,098 of 21,850)	87% (14,418 of 16,642)	Rated green	Same
8.5	Emails received by Repairs Helpdesk		Info	6,069	4,884	-	-
8.6	Online forms received by Repairs Helpdesk		Info	534	473	-	-
8.7	Surveyed tenants satisfied with completed repairs: standard of work		96% (92%)	98.9% (1,121 of 1,134)	99.0% (1,128 of 1,139)	Rated green	Improved
8.8	Surveyed tenants satisfied with completed repairs: overall customer service		96% (92%)	99.6% (1,129 of 1,134)	99.3% (1,131 of 1,139)	Rated green	poorer
8.9	Corporate KPI: Council dwellings meeting Decent Homes Standard		100% (96.3%)	97.5% (11,950 of 12,251)	88.5% (10,860 of 12,275)	Rated red	poorer
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: The proportion of council owned homes that meet the government’s Decent Homes standard was 88.5% (10,860 of 12,275) on 30 June 2026. This is below the 2026/27 target of 100% and underperforms most other local authority social landlords with 10,000 or more homes (benchmark of 94.7%). The reduction in the reported proportion of homes meeting the Decent Homes Standard reflects the council’s improving understanding of stock condition as asset data continues to be updated and strengthened. 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, supported by implementation of the Asset Management Plan and ongoing work to engage residents and improve data quality. For example, new elements are being 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 asset data and give a better and more robust understanding of our stock, we are appointing external surveyors to undertake a 100% stock condition survey of our properties over a two-year period. The survey is scheduled to start in September 2026 and will include significant resident engagement. The asset management system will be updated as the work progresses. In addition, we are increasing our in-house surveying capacity with a further stock condition surveyor whom we expect to be in post in 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
Corporate update for Q1 2026/27: The proportion of council homes with an EPC rating of A to C was 89.2% at the end of Quarter 1 2026/27, below the target of 91.2% for the year. Work continues to improve the energy efficiency of council homes through investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, retrofit activity and heating decarbonisation. The Solar PV installation programme is nearing completion, with almost 1,000 installations delivered over the course of the programme, which is due to conclude by the end of July 2026. The Warm Homes Social Housing Fund programme is also progressing, with the first batch of Year 2 properties identified, residents contacted and more than 20 homes undergoing retrofit surveys and preparatory works ahead of retrofit activity beginning in Quarter 2 2026/27. At Walter May House, the partial decarbonisation of the communal heating and hot water system has been completed, including installation of a large solar PV system and battery storage. A further Seniors Housing scheme has now been identified for decarbonisation, with initial resident engagement completed. An updated Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Energy Plan has also been drafted, setting out future targets and a high-level delivery plan to support compliance with forthcoming Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) requirements. However, integration issues between information systems continue to limit the ability to model stock performance and develop longer-term decarbonisation plans.
8.11	Council dwellings with a valid Landlord's Gas Safety Record		100% (99%)	100% (9,999 of 9,999)	100% (9,959 of 9,959)	Rated green	Same
8.12	Lifts restored to service within 24 hours		95% (90%)	93% (161 of 173)	84% (167 of 198)	Rated red	poorer
The proportion of lifts restored to service within 24 hours was 84% (167 of 198) in Q1 2026/27, below the 95% target and lower than the 93% achieved in Q4 2025/26. The number of recorded lift breakdowns increased during the quarter, from 173 to 198, while the number restored within 24 hours rose but to a lesser extent, from 161 to 167. Average lift downtime was 6 days across Q1 2026/27, but this varied by month, with lifts out of service for an average of 6 days in April, 8 days in May and 3 days in June. This reflects an atypically long time in May, followed by a much improved positiion on the same measure in June. The service continues to monitor lift performance and will review any recurring issues affecting response times, particularly where delays have a significant impact on residents’ access to their homes.
8.13	Average weeks taken to approve applications for disability adaptations to council homes		10 (26)	17	16	Rated amber	Improved
8.14	Average weeks taken for contractor to complete disability adaptations to council homes		Info	20	25	-	-

		Leaseholder disputes	Q4 2025/26	Q1 2026/27
9.1	Stage one disputes opened		18	2
9.2	Stage one disputes closed		48	21
9.3	Active stage one disputes (end quarter)		32	13
9.4	Stage two disputes opened		16	8
9.5	Stage two disputes closed		16	18
9.6	Active stage two disputes (end quarter)		17	7
9.7	Stage three disputes opened		2	4
9.8	Stage three disputes closed		5	2
9.9	Active stage three disputes (end quarter)		8	10


70% Complaint responses within 10 working days	91.89% Rent collection rate	91% Customer services calls answered

48 days Empty home re-let time	99.5% Emergency repairs within 24 hours	55.9% Routine repairs within 28 days

87% Repairs helpdesk calls answered	88.5% Dwellings meeting Decent Homes standard	100% Gas safety compliance