BRIKHousing_
The modular approach to Housing Management Systems

There is no universal accepted definition of housing management. However, we may talk to the essential practical activities of housing management that involve managing residential buildings, including tasks like rent collecting, housing allocation, tenant care, and property maintenance. There are also operational and social activities that help to keep communities safe and well-maintained, as well as meet the needs of renters.

Housing management software streamlines operations for housing associations by automating duties such as rent collecting, maintenance requests, and tenant contacts. It streamlines property management while increasing tenant happiness.

Housing management services include tenant management, property maintenance, financial control, and adherence to housing legislation. The purpose is to keep properties in good condition, meet the needs of tenants, and ensure that daily operations run smoothly.

A strong housing management system should include all of the processes that enable any registered social landlord to efficiently manage their property stock and the residents who live in those units while conforming to all legislation. A housing management system will often comprise modules for rent administration, arrears management, customer relations management, tenancy management, reactive repairs, compliance, assets and planned maintenance, resident and contactor portals, and a mobile app. It should also provide effective and centralised communication with residents, utilising their preferred communication methods on the go.

Moving from one housing management provider to another might feel daunting, but there are practical ways to transition between systems. When beginning the implementation process, stick to the following principles to dramatically boost your chances of success.

• One module at a time: don’t try and do everything at once, start with one process and gradually go live
• As is/to be: avoid mapping your processes and settling on which processes to keep as these will likely change as the project progresses
• Data first: begin data migration on core tables as soon as possible
• Bring the users with you: engage with users as early as possible and make them feel like they’re part of the journey
• Set expectations: effectively setting expectations can prevent scope creep and disillusionment; like for like implementations work best
• 80% rule – when rolling out processes stick with the 80% rule, if it does 80% of what you need move on to the next process; you can always come back and refine later
• Partners – work in partnership with your provider, foster an honest and open connection, and the inevitable project challenges will be resolved more quickly

Property management software expenses vary according to the size of the housing organisation. Pricing also depends on the amount of modules that a housing organisation wishes to integrate.