Improved safety checks and property standards linked to higher satisfaction
Residents in council‑owned homes across West Northamptonshire report higher satisfaction with their landlord, according to the 2025/26 annual performance report from Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH). Overall tenant satisfaction rose to 71%, up from 67.5% the previous year, figures that the council says reflect work on safety compliance and property improvements.
The report comes during a period of change. After a self‑referral to the Regulator of Social Housing in 2024 over serious failings, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) voted in November 2025 to close NPH and bring housing services back into council control by April 2027. The council describes the latest results as evidence of a "positive direction of travel" as it prepares for that transfer.
Safety compliance and repairs show gains
Checks for fire, asbestos and water now report 100% compliance, while electric and gas safety compliance have also improved. The report records a substantial reduction in the proportion of non‑decent properties, down from 19.2% to 7.6%, with a target to meet decent homes standards by September 2026.
"The overall performance for 2025/26 shows a positive direction of travel,"
Tenant satisfaction with how repairs are handled rose to 76.7%, indicating improvement in day‑to‑day service delivery. However, satisfaction with the handling of anti‑social behaviour (ASB) fell to 57.2%. The most commonly reported ASB issues remain noise, verbal harassment and substance misuse.
- Overall tenant satisfaction: 71% (up from 67.5%)
- Repairs satisfaction: 76.7%
- ASB handling satisfaction: 57.2%
- Non‑decent homes: 7.6% (down from 19.2%)
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall satisfaction | 67.5% | 71% |
| Non‑decent properties | 19.2% | 7.6% |
| Repairs satisfaction | — | 76.7% |
| ASB handling satisfaction | — | 57.2% |
Regulatory oversight and next steps for the council
Council officers say they have reduced the frequency of formal meetings with the housing regulator to every two months in light of improvements, but WNC still awaits a planned inspection scheduled for March 2028 that could reassess the council's current C3 regulatory grading. Officers also acknowledged that perceptions around ASB need further work, and committed to improving communication and case handling even as incident rates reported per 1,000 homes have fallen compared with the previous year.
The full NPH performance report will be considered by West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet at a meeting on 16 July at 6pm in the Towcester Forum. As the council moves towards in‑house management by April 2027, tenants and local stakeholders will be watching whether the reported gains in safety and property condition are sustained and whether service areas such as ASB response can be strengthened.
