Long-term fix for maintenance services

When Believe Housing Australia (BHA) introduced its Mobile Maintenance Service to address critical challenges in the social housing sector, it did more than lead to costs savings and service enhancements – it resulted in greater tenant satisfaction and security.

Amy moved into her Believe Housing Australia property in 2019 and said the introduction of the Mobile Maintenance Service had been nothing but positive.

Whether it was fixing the hardware on her screen door, repairing the towel rail in her bathroom, or something as simple as fixing the toilet roll holder, Amy said nothing was too big or small.

“When the Believe Housing Australia maintenance officer Paul comes to my home, he is really friendly, remembers my name, and gets the job done right,”

 

“He communicates well with me, is respectful, and importantly I feel safe with someone different in my home.” Amy said.

Faced with rising contractor costs and industry-wide trade shortages, Senior Manager Housing Operations, Darren Huitema, said BHA developed an in-house team of Mobile Maintenance Officers equipped to perform general repair and maintenance tasks efficiently and cost-effectively.

“The establishment of this service reduced our reliance on external contractors and resulted in the deployment of branded, fully equipped mobile vans for in-house maintenance staff,” Darren said.

“We’ve been able to optimise efficiency and minimise travel through scheduling as well as being able to prioritise tenant-occupied maintenance requests alongside vacancy repairs.”

Amy said the majority of her experiences in the past with tradespeople that weren’t Believe Housing Australia employees had been poor from both a quality of work and communication standpoint.

“There are a lot of older tenants or others like me who don’t always feel safe,” she said. “If we know and recognise the people coming to our homes, we feel more comfortable with them doing work for us.

“When it’s someone different, and people don’t always show ID, it can be unsettling having them come to your door – plus I’ve also had tradespeople that haven’t let me know ahead of time that they are coming to do a job.”

And it’s the lines of communication that also made the Mobile Maintenance Service stand out for Amy.

“The experience on the phone with the maintenance team is unbelievable,” she said. When you ring about something they are really accommodating, understanding, and engaging.

“Sometimes it can feel awkward asking for something to be fixed, particularly in the private rental market, but with Believe Housing Australia they are kind and supportive and make sure things get done – we are really lucky.”

By bringing maintenance in-house, Darren said BHA had lowered repair expenses, accelerated response times, and ensured a higher standard of service.

“The success of this initiative has not only transformed asset management within BHA but also serves as a scalable model for the broader housing sector,” Darren said.

“The visibility of BHA vans in communities has reassured tenants that maintenance is actively being undertaken and has encouraged positive tenant interactions.

“The superior customer service levels provided by our in-house staff, trained to prioritise tenant relationships, has exceeded the experience tenants have had with external contractors.”

For any maintenance needs, please contact our friendly Maintenance Service team on 1800 688 000.