Aster Group, which provides affordable housing in Test Valley, has received the highest consumer grade from the Regulator of Social Housing.
The regulator awarded Aster a C1 grade following its first inspection under new consumer standards.
A C1 grade means the regulator found Aster is meeting the required consumer standards overall.
The judgement looked at areas including home safety, repairs, complaints, tenant engagement and how landlords respond to anti-social behaviour.
Aster was also given a G1 grade for governance and a V2 grade for financial viability.
The Andover link is clear. Test Valley Borough Council lists Aster Homes as one of its preferred registered housing provider partners for new affordable housing developments.
Aster has more than 35,000 homes across the south of England.
The regulator said Aster was delivering the outcomes of the consumer standards and had arrangements in place to manage risk. However, Aster has also acknowledged through its own tenant satisfaction work that there is still more to do.
The housing provider says customers have asked for more repairs to be completed first time, better updates on repairs and maintenance, improved complaint handling and more work to look after communal areas.
Bjorn Howard, Group Chief Executive Officer at Aster Group, said the rating was recognition of the organisation’s approach to customer care and the commitment of its teams.
For local residents, the judgement is a positive result for Aster, but it does not mean every tenant’s experience will have been positive.
Tenants who are unhappy with repairs, communication or complaint handling should continue to report issues through Aster’s official complaints process.