RENTSENSE
HOUSING ASSOCIATION
Arrears level, beating target of 2.8
Evictions throughout 23/24, one of the lowest ever numbers for SYHA
Mobysoft
Why did SYHA initially invest in RentSense?
Darren Joyce
Before I became Income Team Leader, our approach was reactive, and we were missing small arrears cases that could have been prevented from escalating. We needed a more efficient and proactive system to improve performance from top to bottom. RentSense offered the ability to identify arrears earlier, helping us intervene before they became unmanageable for tenants.
Mobysoft
How has the cost-of-living crisis impacted your residents?
Darren Joyce
It has made affording rent harder for many of our tenants. Rising costs for essentials like food and energy mean that rent is competing with other urgent expenses. This makes it even more important for us to ensure that financial support and guidance are available at the earliest possible stage.
Mobysoft
How does RentSense support your staff in managing arrears?
Darren Joyce
There’s a direct link between financial stress and both mental and physical health. By preventing tenants from falling deeper into debt, RentSense helps us protect their well-being. From a staff perspective, it allows us to access and assist tenants much more efficiently. The rules built into RentSense help us ensure that new tenants make their first rent payment correctly, reducing the risk of early arrears.
Mobysoft
How has RentSense helped SYHA mitigate the challenges all landlords face?
RentSense allows us to take a preventative approach to arrears rather than just reacting to them. Before RentSense, our team had significantly higher caseloads. Now, each full-time equivalent (FTE) officer manages around 500 homes but only needs to actively deal with about 60–70 at any given time.
Mobysoft
What impact has RentSense had on tenancy sustainment and income collection?
Darren Joyce
One of the biggest improvements has been the reduction in evictions. In 2023/24, we had just three (evictions). RentSense plays a vital role in helping us prevent them by allowing us to intervene earlier. In terms of arrears, we used to have over 4% of our rent income outstanding. Now, we’ve managed to bring this down to around 2%, which is a significant achievement.
Mobysoft
What were your arrears performance objectives for the year ending March 2024, and did you meet them? What are your targets for 2024/25?
Darren Joyce
Our goal for 2023/24 was to reduce arrears to 2.8%, and we surpassed this, hitting 2.2%. For 2024/25, we’ve set a target of 2.5%, and we are on track to reach 2%.
Mobysoft
Beyond reducing arrears, what other benefits have you observed in tenant and staff well-being?
Darren Joyce
One of the biggest indicators of success is that we receive very few complaints. Staff turnover is also almost non-existent, which speaks volumes about how much easier and more effective RentSense has made their jobs.
Mobysoft
Have there been any unexpected benefits from using RentSense?
RentSense allows us to take a preventative approach to arrears rather than just reacting to them. Before RentSense, our team had significantly higher caseloads. Now, each full-time equivalent (FTE) officer manages around 500 homes but only needs to actively deal with about 60–70 at any given time.
Mobysoft
How would you describe Mobysoft’s service and support?
Darren Joyce
The support we receive from Mobysoft is fantastic. Our officers have attended training sessions, and Mobysoft Income Maximisation Director, Nick Beasley, did in-house Universal Credit training as part of the wrap-around service offer, which was incredibly useful. Whenever we put calls through, we receive excellent service. Nick and Tracy Pickup, our account manager at Mobysoft, provide a wealth of information, and the reviews and presentations they share help us benchmark our performance against others. The external validation of our success makes it an easy sell to our team
Mobysoft
Do you have any statistics on how RentSense has helped?
Darren Joyce
One area where RentSense has been particularly helpful is in managing shared ownership arrears. Previously, we struggled to keep on top of these cases, but with RentSense, the caseload is small enough to be effectively managed within our existing resources. We also manage around 550 properties, and the extra work we can now take on without additional hires is a clear benefit to the organisation.
