Housing Options Appraisal
Somerset Council is reviewing how its housing services are delivered, aiming to find the best model for customers and leaseholders across the county.
Introduction
Somerset Council has undertaken an independent review, which was carried out by Savills, to identify how its housing management service should be delivered in future and what model best works for customers and leaseholders across the county.
The council currently owns around 10,000 homes across Somerset and manage this housing stock using two different models of housing management. This is as a result of bringing together the services of the former Sedgemoor and Somerset West and Taunton District Councils, the only two district councils which owned housing stock in Somerset.
The current housing management services are split, with around 6,000 homes managed directly through an in-house team of staff at Somerset Council and around 4,000 homes managed by us, Homes in Somerset.
We are an arms-length management organisation (ALMO) which is owned by Somerset Council. We work on behalf of the council to provide housing management services to customers.
Why did Somerset Council carry out an options appraisal
The appraisal or review was undertaken to ensure that services are better aligned, provide a consistently good service and deliver best value for money for our customers and leaseholders.
Recommendation for a future housing management delivery model
At the meeting of the Somerset Council Executive on 11 March 2026, members supported the recommendation by independent consultants, Savills, to place the management of all of Somerset Council’s housing with Homes in Somerset. You can find more information in Savill’s Housing Options Appraisal Final Report.
Following this and in accordance with Section 105 of the Housing Act 1985, a final stage of consultation with Somerset Council tenants and leaseholders began on 25 February and closed on 8 April 2026. Responses to this consultation showed support for the approach.
Thank you to all who took the time to complete the survey and share their thoughts and feedback.
Decision
We are pleased to announce that Chris Hall, Executive Director – Community, Place and Economy, Somerset Council, to whom the final decision was delegated, in consultation with the Lead Member for the Housing Revenue Account, agreed to place the management and maintenance of all of Somerset Council’s housing with Homes in Somerset.
We understand that you may have questions or concerns. However, as we have said in previous updates, please be assured that:
- Somerset Council will remain your landlord and your rights as a tenant or leaseholder will not change. You will remain a tenant or leaseholder of Somerset Council
- Your homes and commercial premises will continue to be repaired, maintained and invested in as they are currently and there will be no change to your rent or services charges beyond the normal annual review and increase
- You will continue to receive the high standards of service you have been receiving
Nothing will change immediately. We anticipate the change will take effect from September. There will be a transition period over the coming months, during which time we will communicate with all customers to ensure that you understand any changes and how you can continue to engage with the service.
We will continue to keep you informed through the customer newsletter, on our website and on our social media platforms.
If you do need more information, you will find that many of your questions should be addressed on the Housing Options Appraisal section of our website. We have also published a set of frequently asked question on this page.
Alternatively, you can contact our Customer Services Team.
What does the options appraisal mean for our customers
- Customer and leaseholder rights will not be affected.
- Somerset Council will continue to own customer and leaseholder properties, and your homes will continue to be repaired, maintained and invested in.
- Customers and leaseholders will continue to be supported by Housing Officers. There will be no change to rent or service charges beyond the normal annual review and increase.
- This project is simply to move Somerset Council to a place where housing management services are delivered through one, rather than two different management models and the rights of our customers and leaseholders will remain unchanged.
- Somerset Council is not looking to sell any homes as part of this process and will therefore remain your landlord.
How will we keep customers and leaseholders informed
We will continue to keep you fully informed throughout the process through the customer newsletter, here on our website, through our social media platforms and through other bespoke engagement as this important work progresses.
Latest news
Stay up to date with the latest news regarding the Housing Options Appraisal on our website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Somerset Council owns in excess of 10,000 homes, but currently operates via two models of housing management, with circa 6,000 homes managed in-house by Somerset Council and circa 4,000 homes managed by Homes in Somerset.
The Options Appraisal was carried out by independent consultant Savills to understand how the housing management services could be best aligned, offering consistency and best value for money to customers.
An arms-length management organisation (ALMO) is a not-for-profit body, wholly owned by its parent council, created to manage council-owned housing and deliver housing-related services adhering to a Management Agreement. An ALMO also has its own management team and is governed by a Board. Whereas an in-house housing model means services are directly managed within the council and is overseen by council committees.
Somerset Council owns in excess of 10,000 homes and operates via these two models of housing management after bringing together the services of the former Sedgemoor and Somerset West and Taunton Councils, the only two district councils which owned housing stock in Somerset.
Of the 10,000 homes, Somerset Council currently manages circa 6,000 in-house and Homes in Somerset manages circa 4,000. Homes in Somerset is an ALMO which looks after houses and garages across the county on behalf of Somerset Council. It does not own any properties.
Following a number of engagement events, Savills analysed all the data collated and recommended to Somerset Council for Homes in Somerset to be the single housing
management service provider. This recommendation was supported at the meeting of Somerset Council’s Executive Committee on March 11, 2026.
Following this and in accordance with Section 105 of the Housing Act 1985, a final stage of consultation with Somerset Council tenants and leaseholders began on 25
February and closed on 8 April 2026. All feedback was collated and considered by Somerset Council.
We can confirm that Chris Hall, Executive Director – Community, Place & Economy, Somerset Council, to whom the final decision was delegated, in consultation with the
Lead Member for the Housing Revenue Account, agreed to place the management and maintenance of all of Somerset Council’s housing with Homes in Somerset.
We anticipate the change to take effect from September 2026. There will be a transition period until then, during which time we will communicate with all customers to
ensure that you understand any changes and how you can continue to engage with the service.
The recommendation was based on a number of performance measures, including Tenant Satisfaction Measures, operating costs and tenant engagement feedback. Full details are available in Savills’ Housing Options Appraisal Final Report.
No, the Options Appraisal was not carried out as part of a cost-saving exercise. The decision to align the housing management services has been made to ensure Somerset Council and Homes in Somerset provide the best value for money, with customers receiving the same, consistent services across the county. Any efficiencies made as a result of this process would go directly back into the Housing Revenue Account, to be used to invest back into the housing management services.
No. Somerset Council will remain the legal landlord of your property no matter which management model is selected. The Options Appraisal was carried out to understand how the housing management services can be best aligned, offering consistency and best value for money to customers. No houses will be sold as a result of the Options Appraisal.
No. The Options Appraisal was carried out to understand how the housing management services can be best aligned, offering consistency and best value of money for customers. No houses will be sold as a result of the Options Appraisal.
Your legal rights as a tenant will remain unchanged and you will remain a tenant of Somerset Council. Your home remains secure so long as you comply with the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement.
The Options Appraisal will not trigger rent or service charge increases. There will be no change to your rent or services charges beyond the normal annual review and increase.
You will continue to pay your rent to Somerset Council, in the same way as you currently do.
You should continue to raise a repair or contact your housing service provider as you currently do. Nothing will change immediately. While we anticipate changes to take effect from September 2026, there will be a transition period until then, during which time we will communicate with all customers to ensure they understand the changes and how to continue to engage with their housing service.
If your home is managed by Homes in Somerset, continue to use the Customer Portal, call 0800 585 360 or email customer.services@homesinsomerset.org.
If your home is managed by Somerset Council, continue to call 0300 123 2224 or visit Repair problem – report – Self Service.
Your rights as a leaseholder and the terms of any leasehold agreement Somerset Council has with you for commercial premises will not be affected. Somerset Council will continue to be responsible for your building and any repairs and maintenance it is currently liable for will continue to be carried out in the same way. The outcome of the Options Appraisal will not trigger any changes to your rent or service charge payments, beyond the normal annual review and increase.
Both Somerset Council and Homes in Somerset are committed to ensuring that the preferred service delivery model will continue to deliver the best practices of both
organisations. It is crucial that the culture is one of positivity and acknowledges the experience and differences of the two models, while moving to a single approach.
All current Somerset Council in-house staff will transfer to Homes in Somerset and service levels will be maintained. Homes in Somerset will grow in scale to accommodate the
additional properties and the employees transferring in. Governance arrangements will also be reviewed.
The engagement process was focused on priorities for a future service and not on geographical area, therefore the results cannot be skewed in this way.
Homes in Somerset is regularly reviewed by Somerset Council and will continue to be monitored and reviewed at every stage.