Dissatisfaction with stock condition surveys in social housing

Abstract

This paper arises from findings which emerged during the preparation of the Good Practice Guide to Maintenance Cost Forecasting. This Guide was commissioned by the Housing Corporation to assist Registered Social Landlords forecast the future maintenance costs of their stocks. It became apparent during the work that client experiences of stock condition surveys had been far from satisfactory. The surveys had often been carried out by professional surveyors and yet many had fundamental weaknesses in their specification, execution and use of data. The level of dissatisfaction expressed, coupled with recent evidence regarding the quality of domestic building surveys, should give cause for concern to the surveying profession. The paper identifies some causes of this dissatisfaction and suggests lessons that can be drawn from the experience. Further investigation is recommended into this crucial area of practice.