What was income collection like prior to RentSense?

Prior to RentSense the income team were working off a monthly list from the Housing Management System (HMS). Not only were they unable to get through their caseload, but there was a lot of time wastage with officers checking cases that required no action. We looked at reducing the caseload coming from the HMS with some limited success, but we realised we needed to work more efficiently and essentially deliver more for less.

How have your team managed with a growing workload because of welfare reform and Universal Credit?

The income team has remained static over time, but RentSense has freed up time to deal with additional workload. Before the Customer Service Team used to deal with low-level arrears work but the income team now has the capacity to pick this up.

Connect Housing is now an upper quartile performer how has this been achieved?

We are picking up arrears cases earlier. Under the old system we were not picking up low level arrears cases quick enough. Now we are getting them earlier we can contain them and our communication and contact with the tenant is less about ‘enforcement’ and more about enabling arrears to be cleared. This approach has helped us deliver more support and develop that rapport with tenants as well.

Has this also helped with tenancy sustainment?

Yes, RentSense helps us maintain low arrears as it picks up the debt earlier, and also evictions are low and tenancies are sustained, which is key for us as an organisation. It is the simple things.

How would sum up the impact of RentSense?

How does your Customer Success Manager assist you with the product?

Our Customer Success Manager is good to work with and the regular meetings we have are very useful. It shows how we are performing, and we analyse reports that shine a light on performance.

Have the senior management team enquired about the performance of RentSense?

I put forward a report to the board on the effectiveness of RentSense, eighteen months after go-live. Is was able to substantiate a lot of the benefits as well demonstrate a 1.47 FTE (full-time equivalent) RentSense has helped save, which in turn has enabled low-level arrears to be returned to the income team, as demonstration of the system’s effectiveness in creating efficiencies and working smarter.