Resident liaison is the planning and communication that lets works go ahead in occupied homes safely, with the resident informed at each step. It covers pre-start visits, written dates, reasonable adjustments, recorded access attempts, keeping essential facilities working, a complaints route through the landlord, and a handover walk-round.
Resident liaison is the planning and communication that lets works go ahead in occupied homes safely, on time and with the resident informed at every step. It gives residents written dates, adjustments for their needs, working facilities and a clear route to complain, and it produces the records you need for complaints, Tenant Satisfaction Measures and regulatory evidence.
Why does resident liaison matter to landlords?
In England, several rules make liaison a regulatory issue, not just good manners:
- Complaint Handling Code: statutory since 1 April 2024. Complaints about contractors go through your two-stage process, with a stage 1 response within 10 working days and a stage 2 response within 20.
- Tenant Satisfaction Measures: TP02–TP05 measure satisfaction with repairs, the time taken, the home being well maintained and the home being safe. How works are run affects all four.
- Housing Ombudsman: its Repairing Trust report (29 May 2025) found a 474% rise in complaints about living conditions and called for a code of conduct for staff and contractors entering homes.
- Competence and Conduct Standard: from 1 October 2026, registered providers must make sure their contractors' staff are competent and behave appropriately.
- Safety and Quality Standard: completion timescales must be communicated to tenants.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules; see the standards pages for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The practice below applies everywhere.
What should a pre-start visit cover?
A pre-start visit, ideally by the person who will manage the works, sets expectations before anyone arrives with tools. Cover:
- the scope, room by room, and what the resident will see on each day;
- the condition of the home, recorded with dated photos of existing damage, decoration and floor coverings;
- access: parking, keys, pets, items to move, and times that suit the household;
- health, disability, language and communication needs, recorded with consent;
- named contacts on each side, with a phone number that is answered during working hours.
Check that asbestos information is adequate before work starts. A refurbishment and demolition survey is needed before refurbishment work, especially in buildings built or refurbished before 2000, and contractors must check the information is enough for their work.
Why should dates be given in writing?
Spoken dates are easily misheard and hard to evidence. After the pre-start visit, confirm in writing:
- the start date and expected finish date;
- daily working hours;
- which rooms or facilities will be out of use, and when;
- what the resident needs to do, such as clearing cupboards;
- who to contact, and how.
If dates change, confirm the new dates in writing, with the reason. This supports the requirement to communicate completion timescales, and gives you evidence if a complaint follows.
How should you support vulnerable residents?
Some residents need changes to how works are planned and delivered. Agree reasonable adjustments at the pre-start visit and record them on the job. They might include:
- longer notice periods, and a reminder the day before;
- shorter working days, or breaks from noisy work;
- the same small team throughout, where possible;
- large print, translated or easy-read information, or contact through a carer or support worker with the resident's consent;
- one warm, usable room kept free of work at all times.
In supported housing, plan with scheme staff before work starts. If operatives notice a safeguarding concern or a change in a resident's circumstances, they should report it to you the same day through an agreed route.
How should access attempts be recorded?
Every access attempt needs evidence. The Ombudsman's spotlight on roof leaks under Awaab's Law (2 July 2026) found unevidenced "no access" claims. For each attempt, record:
- the date and time, and who attended;
- how contact was attempted: call, text, letter or calling card;
- a photo of any card left at the door;
- the next step, agreed in advance.
Require escalation to you after the agreed number of attempts, so you can decide what happens next. In England, the landlord's "all reasonable endeavours" defence under Awaab's Law can cover access problems, but only with evidence. See Awaab's Law timescales.
How do you keep essential facilities available?
Residents still need to wash, cook and keep warm while works are under way. Plan the sequence so that:
- a working toilet is available at the end of every day;
- there is a way to prepare food and boil water while the kitchen is out of use;
- heating and hot water are restored at the end of each day, or temporary heating is provided in cold weather;
- water and electricity are not left isolated overnight.
In England, section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 requires landlords, on leases under 7 years, to keep the installations for water, gas, electricity, sanitation and space and water heating in repair and working order. If a home cannot be kept usable during the works, decide on a temporary move before work starts, not part-way through.
How should complaints be handled?
Complaints about contractors go through your two-stage process, not a separate contractor process. Agree in the contract that:
- operatives explain how to complain to you, and do not discourage residents from doing so;
- complaints received on site are passed to you within a time the contract sets;
- photos, job notes and access records are supplied quickly enough for you to respond within stage 1's 10 working days.
What should a handover walk-round include?
Finish with a walk-round with the resident, so problems are caught before the team leaves:
- check the finished work against the agreed scope;
- list any snags, with dates for putting them right;
- show the resident how to use new controls, such as heating, ventilation and window restrictors;
- hand over manuals and certificates, or confirm when they will follow (in England, an electrical inspection report goes to the tenant within 28 days, as does a copy of a gas safety record);
- take completion photos and record the resident's sign-off or concerns;
- ask for feedback, which helps you track satisfaction alongside TP02–TP05.
This guide describes practice, not legal advice. Check the current rules or take advice for your own case.
How we help
We run resident liaison as part of planned and occupied-home works: pre-start visits, written dates, recorded access attempts and handover walk-rounds. Complaints we receive are passed to you for your own process, with the evidence you need to respond. Request a quote or contact us.
Common questions
Who is responsible for how a contractor's staff behave in residents' homes?
The landlord. Complaints about contractors go through the landlord's own two-stage process, and from 1 October 2026 registered providers in England must make sure their contractors' staff are competent and behave appropriately.
How many access attempts should be made before reporting no access?
No single legal number applies. Agree the number and methods in the contract, and make sure every attempt is dated, timed and evidenced.
Does resident liaison apply to responsive repairs?
Yes, in a lighter form. Appointment times, recorded access attempts and a clear complaints route matter on repairs too, and in England repairs satisfaction and time taken are measured through TSMs TP02 and TP03.
Do these rules apply outside England?
The Complaint Handling Code, the TSMs and the Competence and Conduct Standard are English. The practice in this guide works across the UK, but check each nation's own rules.
Sources
- Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code 2024
- Tenant Satisfaction Measures: technical requirements
- Housing Ombudsman: Repairing Trust (29 May 2025)
- Housing Ombudsman spotlight reports
- RSH Competence and Conduct Standard
- RSH Safety and Quality Standard
- HSE: asbestos, what you must do
Checked 31 October 2026. This guide summarises the rules for planning purposes and is not legal advice; check the current legislation or take advice for your own case.
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