Dr Hannah Absalom

The unseen emotional landscape of home visits

Home visits by landlord representatives are a common occurrence in social housing, yet the emotional impact of these encounters on tenants is often overlooked. While landlords focus on property condition, tenancy issues, and behavioural compliance, tenants experience these visits in deeply personal ways, with emotions ranging from anxiety and mistrust to feelings of invasion and belittlement. This blog explores the hidden emotional effects of home encounters and offers actionable steps social landlords can take to make these visits more positive experiences for tenants.

The emotional toll of home visits

Home is more than just a physical space; it is a sanctuary where people find safety, comfort, and a sense of identity. When this private space is intruded upon by an outsider, even for legitimate reasons, it can trigger a range of emotional responses. The early findings report on home encounters reveals several key emotional dynamics at play during these visits:

1. Anxiety and distrust: Negative historical experiences with landlords and other authority figures, can create a lasting sense of distrust among tenants. The anticipation of a home visit often brings anxiety, particularly when the purpose of the visit is unclear or when tenants feel they have no control over the situation.
2. Invasion of privacy: The physical invasion of personal spaces within the home, such as bedrooms, can be especially distressing for tenants and discomfiting for visiting staff. The discomfort of having someone inspect intimate areas of their homes can undermine tenants’ sense of ownership, privacy and self-esteem.
3. Feeling judged and belittled: Many tenants report feeling judged by home visitors, particularly when the visit involves assessing the condition of the property. This can be exacerbated when tenants have invested their own time and money into home improvements, only to be met with criticism, dismissal or punitive sanctions.
4. The complexity of help: The dynamic of offering and receiving help is emotionally charged. Some tenants may resist help, out of a desire to maintain independence, while others may feel that accepting help makes them appear weak or needy. This complex relationship can lead to misunderstandings and tension between tenants and landlords. Sometimes well intended helping services by landlords, can be experienced as an invasion of privacy, and may unintentionally undermine a tenants right to quiet enjoyment of their home.

Actions landlords can take to improve home encounters

To mitigate the negative emotional effects of home visits and create a more positive experience for tenants, landlords can implement the following strategies:

1. Clear communication and purpose: Ensure that the purpose of each home visit is clearly communicated to the tenant in advance. Provide detailed information about who will be visiting, the reason for the visit, and what the tenant can expect. Planned home visits, such as property inspections, would benefit from being co-designed with tenants. This transparency can help build trust and reduce anxiety.
2. Offer alternatives to in-person visits: Whenever possible, offer tenants alternatives to in-person visits, such as virtual inspections or the option to submit photographs of property issues. This not only respects the tenant’s privacy but also provides them with a sense of control over the process.
3. Social and emotional training for staff: Train staff in empathetic listening and emotionally informed practices. Understanding that a home is a deeply personal space, staff should approach each visit with sensitivity, avoiding judgmental language and focusing on building a rapport with tenants.
4. Respecting personal boundaries: Be mindful of the emotional significance of different areas within the home. For example, if a visit requires access to a bedroom or other private space, ensure that the tenant is comfortable with this before the visit and consider alternatives if they are not.
5. Amnesty for tenant-initiated home improvements: Many tenants take pride in their homes and may undertake improvements to enhance their living space, often without seeking prior permission from the landlord. These improvements, while unauthorised, are typically made with the intention of creating a safer, more comfortable environment for the tenant and their family. However, when landlords discover these changes, tenants often face penalties or demands to revert the property to its original state.

To address this issue, landlords could introduce an amnesty programme for tenant-initiated home improvements. Under such a scheme, tenants would be encouraged to declare any unauthorised changes without fear of retribution. The landlord would then assess these improvements on a case-by-case basis, granting retrospective permission where the changes do not pose safety risks or violate planning regulations.

This approach recognises the effort and care tenants put into their homes, transforming a potentially adversarial situation into a collaborative one. It also acknowledges that tenants are more than mere occupants; they are active participants in creating a home. By adopting an amnesty scheme, landlords can foster goodwill, reduce conflict, and ultimately contribute to a more harmonious tenant-landlord relationship.

6. Peer support during visits: Consider developing a volunteer programme where trained tenants accompany home visitors, providing peer support to those who may feel anxious or uncomfortable during the visit. This can help alleviate stress and create a more positive atmosphere.

Moving towards emotionally informed housing practices

The emotional well-being of tenants should be a central consideration in social housing practice. By acknowledging the hidden emotional effects of home encounters and taking proactive steps to address them, landlords can improve tenant satisfaction, foster trust, and create a more supportive living environment. Emotionally informed practices not only benefit tenants but also contribute to a more professional and caring social housing sector.

Call to action

Landlords, tenants, and policymakers must work together to redefine the home visit experience. By implementing these recommendations, landlords can transform home encounters from a source of stress into an opportunity for developing a trusting relationship with tenants, and a collaborative approach to working together to create safe and stable homes.

The full report is available here:

Dr Hannah Absalom worked in the English social housing sector for 18 years before undertaking her PhD examining the use of behavioural insights in social housing. Her research interests can be broadly described as the application of relational frameworks and ideas in housing policy and practice. She has recently completed an ESRC Fellowship.