Thousands of doorstep visits, conversations across 161 communities and one very clear message: what matters locally isn’t always the same everywhere.
In September, colleagues and our involved customers headed out into communities across the country for Accent’s 2026 Big Local Conversation.
Over two days, we made 4,595 doorstep visits, with 1,762 doors answered. Those visits led to 1,694 meaningful customer conversations, while a further 161 customers shared their views online.
This year, we deliberately kept the conversation local.
Rather than assuming customers everywhere want the same things, we asked what would make the biggest difference in individual communities, what customers value most about Accent, and when people are normally available for appointments.
What did customers tell us?
The strongest message was that customers want their neighbourhoods to feel safe, clean and well looked after.
Almost 1 in 5 responses highlighted anti-social behaviour, safety and resident behaviour. Around 1 in 6 mentioned grounds, gardens and trees, while cleanliness, rubbish and the appearance of neighbourhoods were raised in over 1 in 10 responses.
Customers also talked about investment in homes and communal buildings, and the importance of activities and stronger community connections.
But the picture wasn’t identical everywhere.
Grounds maintenance was by far the strongest priority in the North West, while anti-social behaviour and safety came through most strongly in the East, Yorkshire, North East and South. Cleanliness was particularly prominent in Yorkshire and the North East, while parking and access stood out more in the East.
That variation is important. It shows why listening locally matters rather than assuming there is one national answer.
There was positive feedback too. Nearly 1 in 4 customers did not identify a change they wanted to see when asked what would make the biggest difference in their community.
What do customers value about Accent?
When we asked customers what they value most about Accent, our people came out on top.
More than 1 in 4 positive responses – 26% – highlighted our colleagues, Housing Partners, Scheme Managers and the personal support they provide.
A further 25% talked about the importance of having a secure and stable home, while 22% highlighted responsive repairs.
Customers also told us they value being able to trust their landlord and being able to contact us easily and feel listened to. In fact, the analysis found that customers who expressed trust in Accent were almost twice as likely to also talk positively about communication.
So, what happens now?
This is where the Big Local Conversation really matters.
We’re now taking the themes customers raised and building them into Community Action Plans for the areas we visited.
That means looking at the priorities in individual communities, agreeing actions with the teams responsible and monitoring whether those actions are actually making a difference.
As work progresses, we’ll share updates, explaining what customers told us, what action has been taken and what difference it has made.
The Big Local Conversation was never meant to be a two-day exercise.
The conversations happened in September. Turning them into visible local action is what comes next.
