Maximising potential rental revenue and optimising voids processes for greater efficiency
L&Q, one of the nation’s leading real estate providers, has found a trusted digital partner in Plentific. The organisation now harnesses real-time, data-driven property solutions that create operational efficiencies and boost resident satisfaction.
Key results
73%decrease in annual rent loss
28days on average decrease in void turnaround time
40%decrease in repairs backlog
Customer Background
L&Q is a leading residential developer & housing association in the UK, founded over 50 years ago to create affordable, high-quality homes for better living. L&Q houses around 250,000 people in more than 105,000 homes, primarily across London, the South East and North West of England. Their vision that everyone deserves a quality home that gives them the chance to live a better life echoes their purpose to provide homes and neighbourhoods everyone can be proud of.
“Plentific has made life easier for L&Q teams using the platform day-today. It’s created empowerment, it’s built around our people and it helps us make better decisions for our residents. Jobs are completed in a timely manner, and the insight we gather along the process helps us deliver on our promise to our residents.”
– Head of Central Operations within Direct Maintenance, L&Q
The challenge
Voids, or end-of-tenancy works, include a lot of moving parts, and can become a cumbersome aspect of property operations – especially if there is a lack of visibility in the process. Disconnected systems have long prevented a single source of truth for voids management. In such scenarios, L&Q quickly realised that streamlining these processes is crucial for enhanced operational efficiency and unlocking potential rental income to make the strategic shift toward rigour and cost control.
Digital property operations and voids
Since partnering with Plentific, L&Q have transitioned their property operations to a SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform that connects people, systems and processes across key repair, maintenance and compliance workflows, while providing actionable insights.
The optimised voids management workflow allows L&Q Voids teams to define and automate voids procedures, including tasks, work orders and inspection templates. The team’s tasks are automated, rapidly turning identified issues into work orders and sending them for completion to their in-house technicians or posting them on Plentific’s contractor marketplace.
L&Q now initiates a void project upon receiving the end of tenancy notice, allowing them to prepare for the property’s vacancy approximately two months in advance. The tagging functionality in the voids management solution facilitates efficient void stage management, enabling quick filtering based on void status and associated work order status. This consistency in workflow contrasts with the error-prone spreadsheet system used previously, significantly reducing delays in the process.
Plentific’s offering
Work order management
Voids management
Inspections
Supply chain management
A ‘mixed-economy’ delivery model
L&Q also employs a ‘mixed-economy’ delivery model, enabling flexible dispatch of work orders to internal teams, appointed contractors, or the Plentific marketplace. This flexible procurement approach accommodates fluctuations in demand, allowing seamless redirection of unfulfilled jobs, and ensuring residents receive rapid service without delays.
On top of the effective use of the voids management solution, L&Q have opened their repairs backlog to a nationwide contractor marketplace of over 25,000 service providers available on Plentific and are now working with 400 new vetted contractors. This has allowed them to move away from its reliance on existing contractors - all while improving speed, level of service, and keeping residents updated on repair requests and contractor visits.
Moreover, L&Q see the adoption of Plentific as important in creating employment opportunities for local service providers, benefiting existing L&Q residents and contributing to community development.
The result
The adoption of a voids management solution has streamlined workflows, reducing the need for multiple mailboxes and minimising email volumes for L&Q teams. The introduction of the voids duration report, following collaborative efforts between teams, has transformed weekly 3-hour alignment meetings into a concise 30-minute session so that Voids and Lettings teams are all on the same page.
Plentific now serves as a single source of truth for L&Q, eliminating reliance on word of mouth and ensuring comprehensive tracking within a centralised system.
