The Future Homes Hub and Good Homes Alliance launched the Renter customer journey for low energy homes: hints & tips for landlords guide on 13 July 2026, aimed at landlords, Build-to-Rent operators and lettings and managing agents1. The guide is described as a practical guide to help organisations strengthen every stage of the renter journey, from the first enquiry through to future tenancies, and is available to download free from the Future Homes Hub Knowledge Centre1.
The organisations state that the success of low energy, all-electric rental homes depends on more than how they are built, and that as more renters move into homes with heat pumps, mechanical ventilation, solar PV and smart time-of-use electricity tariffs, the customer journey is becoming an increasingly important part of helping residents get the best from their home1. The guide notes that renters often have less opportunity than homebuyers to learn about their home before moving in, and rely on landlords, lettings teams and managing agents to explain unfamiliar technologies and build confidence in living comfortably and efficiently1. Because rental homes welcome multiple tenants over their lifetime, the organisations say a consistent approach is needed so that every resident receives the same quality of information and support, not just the first occupant1.
The guide is structured around six stages of the renter customer journey1:
| Stage |
|---|
| Lettings and allocation |
| Pre-handover |
| Handover |
| Aftercare and future tenants |
| Repairs and maintenance |
| Continuous improvement |
Practical ideas set out in the guide include preparing residents before move-in through short videos and QR codes, building confidence in technologies such as heat pumps and mechanical ventilation over time rather than overwhelming residents at handover, using maintenance visits to reinforce key messages, and ensuring every future tenant receives the same onboarding and support throughout the lifetime of the home1. The organisations say the guide does not introduce an entirely new process but offers ideas that can be embedded within existing customer journeys1.
Ross Holleron, Head of Homes and Construction at the Future Homes Hub, said:
"The industry has made huge progress in improving the performance of new homes. The next step is ensuring residents have the knowledge and confidence to get the full benefit from them."
He added that renters often have fewer opportunities than homebuyers to understand how their home works before moving in, and that every conversation, from marketing and lettings through to repairs and future tenancies, can help residents feel more confident and support better-performing homes1.
Why it matters for households
For a renter, the equipment in a low energy home is often unfamiliar. A heat pump, mechanical ventilation and a time-of-use electricity tariff behave differently from a gas boiler and a standard tariff, and how they are run affects both comfort and running costs. The guide's premise is that this knowledge is usually passed on by the landlord or letting team rather than learned before signing a tenancy1. That matters for a household's energy independence because the ability to run a home's systems well, and to use cheap off-peak electricity effectively, sits with the occupant, not the building. The guidance also covers repairs and maintenance and future tenancies, so the information is intended to reach each new resident rather than only the first1. Details of how the guide's advice is taken up by individual landlords or operators have not been reported.
What happens next
The Future Homes Hub is hosting a webinar, Owning the customer journey, on Friday 17 July1. It will cover the wider customer journey for both buyers and renters, from marketing, sales and lettings through to handover, aftercare and maintenance, and will introduce the new renter guidance1.
Sources1 cited
- Success of low energy rental homes depends on more than construction, futurehomes.org.uk