Digital contact between landlords and tenants has reached its highest level ever recorded, says Housemark, with AI and self-service portals playing a key role.
According to the organisation’s June 2025 Pulse survey, the median proportion of tenant contact made via digital channels rose to 36.1% in May 2025, continuing an upward trend across the UK.
Housemark’s data suggests that this shift is being driven by widespread investment in tenant portals alongside a growing wave of AI-powered virtual assistants designed to handle common queries and support round-the-clock self-service.
Jonathan Cox, chief data officer at Housemark, said: “AI is no longer just a back-office tool – it’s now a visible accessible part of the customer experience. We’re seeing a growing number of landlords adopting digital solutions that make services more efficient, while also more responsive to tenant needs. What’s especially encouraging is that these tools aren’t replacing human interaction – they’re giving staff more capacity to focus on complex or sensitive issues.”
Some landlords are now using AI to triage repairs, flag safeguarding risks and identify common pain points in customer journeys, the organisation says.
While adoption varies across the sector, Housemark notes a growing number of providers are moving beyond basic automation to embed AI into service design and decision-making. This marks a shift from efficiency-driven innovation to tenant-centred transformation.
Cox added: “The sector is at a real turning point. As costs come down and capabilities improve, we expect digital contact to continue rising – not just for convenience but because tenants increasingly expect to access services on their own terms. The challenge now is making sure digital inclusion keeps pace with this progress.”
Other key findings from Housemark’s June 2025 Pulse survey include:
- Landlords investing in digital contact are also seeing improvements in tenant satisfaction with repairs and overall service delivery
- Responsive repairs volumes dropped by 9.6% in May while satisfaction with completed repairs rose to a median of 89.7%
- New anti-social behaviour (ASB) cases increased by 13% in May following warmer weather and seasonal patterns
- Complaint resolution performance remained strong with 95.3% of formal Stage 1 and 2 complaints resolved within timescales
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