Housing performance and 'you said, we did'

Gas safety checks

We asked

Tenant Involvement Panel members to consider if anything could be improved when carrying out gas safety checks.

You said

Panel members told us that some stop taps were broken or not working properly. This means that if there is a water leak, the water cannot be turned off quickly, which can cause damage to homes. They suggested checking stop taps every year to find problems early.

We did

We added annual stop tap checks to our new safety inspection contract.

Since April, around 30 stop taps have been found that need repair, and one damaged outside stop tap has been replaced.

The difference it's making

This is a great example of the Tenant Involvement Panel making a real difference by:

• Spotting a problem that affects homes.
• Suggesting a simple solution.
• Helping improve our service.
• Checking that the change is working.

By working together, panel members are helping to protect homes and improve services for tenants.

Good Neighbourhood Policy

We asked

We asked tenants and leaseholders for their views on the proposed Good Neighbourhood Management Policy through Get Talking Norwich during October 2025.

You said

Residents told us that:

• Expectations about neighbourly behaviour should be clearer
• Information and guidance should be easier to understand
• Fly-tipping and environmental issues are affecting neighbourhoods
• More support is needed to help resolve issues informally
• Noise, anti-social behaviour, and poorly maintained shared spaces are having a negative impact on wellbeing

We did

Using your feedback, we:

• Added clearer standards and expectations within the policy
• Began developing an easy read resident version
• Referred fly-tipping concerns to Environmental Services
• Included guidance on resolving disputes and accessing support
• Finalised and implemented the Good Neighbourhood Management Policy to help create safer, cleaner and more respectful neighbourhoods

Thank you to everyone who shared their views and helped shape the policy.

Stock condition surveys

As part of our work to understand the condition of tenants’ homes, we carried out a stock condition survey and asked Norwich City Council tenants to tell us what works best when arranging appointments. This feedback is helping us improve how we plan surveys, gain access, and communicate with residents in the future.

Thank you to everyone who took part and shared their views.

We asked

We asked tenants a few simple questions about arranging survey visits, including which day and time suits them best and how they would prefer us to contact them if they are unavailable. This was to help us plan appointments at times that are convenient and improve access for surveyors.

You said

You told us that:

• Mondays are the most convenient day for visits, with Tuesday and Saturday also popular
• Early morning appointments are preferred, with lunchtime and afternoon also suitable for some residents
• Email is the preferred way to be contacted, followed by telephone and text message

Some residents also chose to contact us directly to arrange appointments at a time that suited them.

We did

In response to your feedback, we will:

• Plan survey appointments around the most popular days and times where possible
• Offer more flexible appointment slots to make access easier
• Use email as the main way to contact tenants, alongside phone and text where appropriate
• Continue to encourage tenants to book appointments directly at a time that suits them

This will help us complete more surveys efficiently and ensure we can maintain and improve homes in the right way.

Annual rent review

As part of our recent consultation on the annual rent review, we asked Norwich City Council tenants to share their views on the proposed rent increase from April 2026 and how we can improve the way we communicate about rents and service charges. This feedback will help shape how we provide information to residents in the future, including the clarity of our annual rent review letters and online rent updates.

Thank you to the 373 residents who took part.

We asked

We asked for your views on how we communicate with you about the annual rent review, including the proposed rent increase from April 2026. We also sought feedback on how clear the information was, whether the example rent letter was easy to understand, and how we could improve future communication about rents and service charges.

You said

You told us that some of the rent information was not clear enough, and that rent letters should be written in plain English with a clearer layout. Many residents also wanted a better understanding of how rent money is spent, especially during ongoing cost‑of‑living pressures.

Additional themes included:

• Repairs remain a top priority and delays are frustrating
• Rent increases feel harder to manage because of wider financial pressures

We did

In response to your feedback, we will:

• Improve future rent letters, making them clearer and easier to read for 2027–28
• Provide a simpler breakdown of rent and service charges so you can easily see what you pay for
• Show how rent is spent with a clear, easy‑to‑read breakdown in future communications
• Add a comparison with private rents to help show value for money
• Update the rent information on our website for 2026–27 to be more transparent
• Make sure rent updates are available by letter, email and text, so everyone gets information in a way that suits them

Need support?

If you are struggling with rent, help is available. Visit our website: Norwich CC Homepage | Norwich City Council or call an income officer during office hours on 01603 987601.