PurposeThe UK Housing Corporation announced that it expected a minimum of 25 per cent of registered social landlord (RSL) new build housing to use modern methods of construction (MMC). This resulted in higher numbers of MMC dwellings becoming the responsibility of asset management departments who then have the task of planning and executing maintenance plans for the stock. This paper seeks to determine asset managers' views on the incorporation of MMC into RSL housing portfolios and its implications for long‐term maintenance.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was developed from both the literature and a previous qualitatively based study. The questionnaire sought to solicit the opinions of asset managers on the use of MMC and long‐term maintenanceFindingsFrom 130 distributed survey forms a response rate of 66 per cent was achieved (n=86). The responses to the questionnaire indicate a generally negative view towards MMC and its future maintenance viability.Practical implicationsThe research should be of interest to a broad range of people, including asset managers and surveyors, housing developers, and all those involved in the MMC supply chain.Originality/valueLittle work has been located on the subject of MMC and its specific impacts on RSL asset management operations. This paper fills some of the gaps.

Deals with surveyor variability, in terms of identifying defects, when undertaking surveys of residential properties. It is based on a sample of 38 surveyors who took part in a large‐scale house condition survey (LSHCS). Seeks to quantify the extent of the variability of surveyors in LSHCS, and proposes methods to try to reduce the incidence of variability. Discusses not only the variability of surveyors in identifying defects to building elements, but also their perceptions of lifetimes for building elements. Concludes that the accuracy of data collection (i.e. the process of surveying a dwelling) is paramount if the information derived from the data is to be of value to the parties described. Also concludes that a mechanism for assessing individual surveyor’s variable tendencies needs to be developed to try to reduce the impact of variability at the survey data analysis stage.

Purpose -Construction, demolition, refurbishment and material supply processes are responsible for a significant amount of waste; whilst estimates vary, the UK Government uses the figure of 70 million tonnes. The construction industry accounts for some 17 per cent of the total waste produced in the UK. How much of this is produced by refurbishment activities in the registered social landlord (RSL) sector is unknown, but there is little doubt that refurbishing housing offers opportunities for significant waste generation. RSL housing is maintained and refurbished by a number of triggers when a dwelling is left vacant after a tenant departs. Such a property is known as a "Void". The purpose of this paper is to investigate the type of maintenance works undertaken to properties in the RSL sector and consider the potential for the application of lean thinking to those maintenance processes. Design/methodology/approach -A literature review and interviews with RSL maintenance personnel are used to inform the discussion contained in this paper. Findings -The main conclusion from this paper is that properties located in estates and built post-1980 are those most likely to benefit from lean principles. Originality/value -The RSL sector is changing from pseudo local government concerns to "social businesses"; therefore, the opportunity to apply lessons learned in other business sectors to the maintenance of RSLs' main assets (i.e. their properties) should be of interest to the sector as a whole.

The importance of survey data accuracy is paramount if school maintenance programs are to be a true reflection of the maintenance needs of that school. Previous research has identified the issue of surveyor variability, i.e. the situation where two or more surveyors, surveying the same building, arrive at very different survey decisions. The research presented in this paper reports on social judgement theory ± a model of a surveyor's judgements where the varying values of surveyors, in terms of the``importance'' they give to building elements, can be elicited by using the regression formula. The results of the research can be used to normalise survey data in an attempt to make them more truly reflect the actual condition of a school. The results can also be used to assess training requirements for individual surveyors.

The UK government has introduced condition standards for housing known as the "Decent Homes Standard" (DHS). The DHS prescribes several key indicators -termed "criteria" -for showing that a dwelling is up to a minimum standard of repair and that it meets a minimum energy efficiency level. The DHS requires that all English social housing meet these criteria by 2010. The social housing sector is currently trying to implement maintenance programmes to ensure that the DHS is met. A range of strategic problems have arisen, particularly in terms of the finance available to undertake necessary works to dwellings, and human resources -both in terms of contractor availability and in-house resources such as contract administrators and surveyors. However, the main starting point for implementing a strategy to meet the DHS is stock condition data. This paper describes issues with the accuracy and consistency of surveyors' survey judgements and their potential impact on planning for the DHS.