Four ways to improve your tenants' health and well-being

The tenants involved in our research told us how important it was to be able to deal with a named member of staff, who knows them personally and understands their situation. Where landlords built a positive relationship, this not only helped tenants to settle and feel at home, but also gave them confidence to get on with the rest of life – finding work, reconnecting with friends and family and trying new things.

Property quality was important, but most tenants needed something beyond the basics, which met their varied expectations, aspirations and capacities. Some tenants told us that they needed a property which was already well furnished and decorated, while others wanted an empty shell to refurbish in their own style. So landlords need to understand these differences and give tenants the support they need.

Rent is important, but tenants were often more stressed by other costs related to their new tenancy like decorating, furnishing and bills. Again, landlords need to have a relationship with tenants, so that they can understand their financial situation and offer appropriate support and flexibility.

It’s a cliché, but our research shows that location really is important. When tenants have a choice of where to live, it can make a real difference to their health and well-being, whether they want to be close to friends and family, or just somewhere peaceful and quiet.

Perhaps most importantly, we found that tenants needed all four of these basic foundations in order to settle in to their new tenancy and start to feel at home. Where any one was missing, their health and wellbeing tended to deteriorate and often they struggled to sustain their tenancy.