Key performance measures

This section presents the aggregated sector results of 2021‑22 key performance measures (KPMs) reported by registered agencies.

KPMs are used to monitor registered agencies against performance standards and inform regulatory engagement with registered agencies throughout the year. Aggregate KPM results reflect trends across the sector.

The 2021-22 Performance Reports, containing each registered agency’s KPM outcomes, are available on the Public Register(opens in a new window).

Sector operations

The number of staff employed by the sector, including support workforce, increased by 138 (up 8.5 per cent). The majority of this growth was within housing providers. The increase in the number of staff is consistent with housing growth, increased tenancies and delivery of new programs and services. In 2021-22, this included Big Housing Build activities and various housing programs supporting women and others at-risk of homelessness (notably the H2H program).

Registered sector staff

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Overall, the ratio of 12.6 homes per staff member1 was largely consistent with the previous year. There remained a marked difference between agency types; housing associations averaged 19.2 homes per staff member, compared to 6.9 for housing providers.

Homes to staff ratio

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Staff turnover

Staff turnover across the registered sector in 2021-22 was 24.7 per cent. This has increased from 19.7 per cent in 2020-21 but remains in the satisfactory range. The increased turnover rate has resulted from organisational restructures and COVID-19 impacts.

Staff turnover

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Turnaround time

Turnaround time is a measure of the average number of days taken to re-let a tenancy unit, either when it is ready for a tenant to move in (vacant tenantable) or when it requires significant cleaning or maintenance prior to tenanting (vacant untenantable). Turnaround time is an indicator of efficiency. Reducing turnaround times enables new tenants to be housed faster and maximises registered agencies’ rental revenue.

In 2021-22, the average vacant tenantable turnaround time was 25.2 days, consistent with the 2020-21 rate of 25.1 days. Sector results have remained in the action required range for the last two financial years, reflecting the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 public health measures. Registered agencies managing rooming houses and other high-density accommodation experienced greater impacts, as they delayed re-tenanting vacant units to allow for greater social distancing at properties with shared facilities. Some registered agencies also reported difficulty re-tenanting vacant rooms in rooming houses as prospective tenants were reluctant to move into properties with shared facilities.

Vacant tenantable turnaround (days)

In 2021-22, the average vacant untenantable turnaround time was 39.6 days. This is a 12.4 per cent improvement on the 2020-21 average of 45.3 days and is in the satisfactory range.

Vacant untenantable turnaround (days)

Occupancy rate

The occupancy rate reflects the percentage of occupied tenancy units against available capacity2. Similar to turnaround time, the occupancy rate measures the efficiency of registered agencies in ensuring that a property is tenanted to its full capacity and rental revenue is maximised.

In 2021-22, the occupancy rate declined slightly to 95.9 per cent, reflecting continued COVID-19 measures impacting higher density accommodation.

Average occupancy rate

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Tenant specific performance

Rent outstanding

Rent outstanding measures the amount of rent that is overdue (rent arrears) to a registered agency at 30 June 2022 as a percentage of total rent charged in 2021-22. This indicates a registered agency’s performance in appropriately managing rents and providing support for tenants facing payment difficulties. As rent revenue is a major source of income for most registered agencies, this measure has a direct impact on financial viability.

The average rent outstanding from current tenants was 1.84 per cent. This is a slight increase from the previous year (1.48 per cent) but remains in the satisfactory range.

Rent outstanding from current tenants

Tenancies maintained

Tenancies maintained measures the percentage of long-term housing tenants that have remained housed with a registered agency for the entire reporting year3. This is an indicator of a registered agency’s effectiveness in sustaining tenancies and minimising evictions.

The 2021-22 tenancies maintained rate decreased slightly (to 87.3 per cent) but remains in the satisfactory range. The decrease is mostly attributed to a higher tenant turnover in rooming houses.

Tenancies maintained (long-term housing)

Complaints

The sector recorded 411 complaints from tenants and prospective tenants in 2021-22, representing approximately two per cent of the number of tenancies under management.

Table 1: Total number of complaints received by registered agencies from tenants or prospective tenants

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020‑21

2021-22

425

380

428

417

411

Registered agencies are required by the Act to have accessible and efficient complaints systems in place. They must also demonstrate a positive complaints management culture and take all reasonable steps to resolve complaints from tenants and prospective tenants within 30 days.

The majority of complaints (85.2 per cent) lodged by tenants and prospective tenants in 2021-22 were resolved within 30 days. This was a reduction from the previous year (93.5 per cent) but remains in the satisfactory range.

The median of complaints resolved within 30 days was 91.3%. Some registered agencies reported that they kept complaint cases open whilst awaiting VCAT hearings which experienced increased backlogs during the period, contributing to the long complaint resolution time.

Prospective and tenant complaints resolutions <30days

Most fully operational registered agencies (all but two) recorded at least an 80 per cent resolution rate for tenant and prospective tenant complaints, with the majority reporting rates in the 90 to 100 per cent range.4 Ten fully operational registered agencies reported no tenant and prospective tenant complaints in the reporting period.

Tenant and prospective tenant complaints are proportionately concentrated within larger registered agencies. Complaint data showed 70.3 per cent of the complaints were received by Housing Associations who managed about 70 per cent of homes.

Evictions

The rate of evictions5 measures evictions as a proportion of tenancy exits from community housing.

The 2021-22 eviction rate was 4.1 per cent and remains in the satisfactory range (below 5 per cent). The slight increase from the previous year reflects the end of government’s temporary COVID-19 measures. Significant rental arrears and non-compliance with agreed payment plans were reported to be the leading factors that led to evictions.

Average evictions as proportion of tenancy exits

Repairs

The Registrar monitors repairs to ensure responsive maintenance is completed by registered agencies within timeframes required under the Residential Tenancies Act 1997 (RTA).

Under the RTA, urgent repairs are to be completed as soon as possible. Many registered agencies set a timeline for urgent repairs to be undertaken within 24 hours of being notified.

In 2021-22 tenants requested 11,995 urgent repairs of which 91.6 per cent were actioned on time. This is a slight decrease from the previous year (95.2 per cent) but remains in the satisfactory range. Registered agencies cited difficulties with arranging tradespeople and tenants in a COVID-19 restricted environment and material supply shortage as main reasons for delays.

Urgent requested repairs on time

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Non-urgent repairs are expected to be completed within 14 days under the RTA. Tenants requested 30,189 non-urgent repairs in 2021-22 of which 87.3 per cent were actioned on time. This result remains largely consistent with previous years and within the satisfactory range.

Non-urgent requested repairs on time

Tenant survey results

Registered agencies are required to conduct tenant surveys at least every two years. The surveys must include the following questions with a standard response scale to ensure data are comparable across the sector:

  • Taking everything into account, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the services provided by [registered agency]?
  • How satisfied or dissatisfied are you that your views are being taken into account by [registered agency]?
  • Generally, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way [registered agency] deals with repairs and maintenance?

Survey results provide insights into tenants’ needs and potential areas for service improvement.

In 2021-22, twenty registered agencies surveyed 8,454 tenants. Thirty-nine per cent of those tenants responded. The Registrar will continue to work with registered agencies to improve the participation rate of future tenant surveys.

Tenant satisfaction – housing services

Tenant satisfaction rates in housing services have been consistent over the previous four years with approximately 85 per cent of tenants surveyed indicating that they were satisfied with the housing services provided.

The 2021-22 survey results indicate a drop in the housing services satisfaction rate to 77.4 per cent which is just above the action required range. Registered agencies noted the continued limitation of face-to-face interaction with tenants and other COVID-19 measures on these results.

Tenant satisfaction - housing services

Tenant satisfaction – consideration of views

Tenant satisfaction for registered agencies’ consideration of tenants’ views have dropped to 66 per cent in 2021-22. It is noted that housing providers have outperformed on this measure compared to the overall sector, recording an average 86.5 per cent satisfaction rate.

Registered agencies reported that the lack of regular face-to-face contact with tenants due to COVID-19 measures contributed to lower results. Several registered agencies have advised they are developing new systems and strategies to ensure that tenant voices are better considered when planning and delivering housing services. The Housing Registrar will closely monitor this area to ensure that there is improvement in the KPM in future.

Tenant satisfaction – consideration of views

Tenant satisfaction – maintenance

Tenant satisfaction for maintenance provided by registered agencies was recorded at 67.4 per cent for 2021-22, a substantial decline compared to pre-pandemic periods. Consistent with the previous two years, the effects of COVID-19 measures on the completion of repair requests have significantly impacted tenant satisfaction for this KPM.

It is expected this measure will improve over the coming years with the easing of COVID-19 measures, allowing non-urgent maintenance activities to resume. However, it is acknowledged that ongoing global supply chain disruptions and other long-term implications of COVID-19 such as labour shortages and maintenance backlogs might continue to have unfavourable impacts on this measure.

Housing providers have outperformed on this measure compared to the overall sector, recording an average 84.2 per cent satisfaction rate.

Tenant satisfaction – maintenance

Footnotes

  1. The number of staff members used in the calculation of this ratio included support workforce.
  2. There are no performance ranges for the average occupancy rate as this measure is derived from data provided for the turnaround time KPM.
  3. Tenancies maintained data includes voluntary exits and deceased tenants during the reporting period.
  4. Fully operational registered agencies exclude newly registered agencies without any tenants in the reporting period.
  5. Evictions are defined under this KPM as ‘a warrant of possession is issued (purchase of warrant) and the tenancy is subsequently terminated’.

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