AI in housing maintenance: prioritising outcomes over hype

Housing 2026 brought together thousands of people from across the social housing sector to share ideas, tackle challenges and learn from each other. As proud sponsors of Braindate – a dedicated programme designed around informal, peer-led discussions – we’re reflecting on some of the conversations that stood out across the event.

In this blog, we look at the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern housing maintenance. At a time when the use of AI is accelerating, we’re moving beyond the hype to explore how it can be implemented responsibly to deliver genuine value. That means understanding what solutions are available, identifying those that are right for your needs and creating solid foundations to get the most out of adoption.

To delve into the detail and explore the challenges and opportunities surrounding the adoption of AI across housing organisations, our AI Lead Aaliyah Pollock, was joined by: Paul Andrew, Director and Technology Strategist at Cloud Formations Ltd; Simon Benham, Consulting Director at Red Olive; and Kenny Mackenzie, Director at Immersive Vision 360 Ltd.

How can AI support delivery in housing?

Whatever field you’re in, AI is likely playing a role in creating a generational shift in how certain jobs are done. What that means in practice is that AI is no longer just a concept, but is something that organisations should look to adopt today. To do that successfully, identifying practical, outcome-focused use cases is essential.

During our Braindate session, participants shared how they’re already seeing how AI is being used to improve operational efficiency, support maintenance processes, streamline administrative tasks and improve access to knowledge. In practice, that could include analysing repairs data to identify recurring issues, reducing repeat visits and streamlining complaint handling processes.

By identifying business challenges first, then selecting the right technology for the job, businesses can use AI to enable their teams to spend more time on higher-value, resident-focused activities.

Even then, when it comes to taking the first steps into the world of artificial intelligence, there are several factors at play that will shape the results businesses experience, including:

     1. Choosing the right solution

When it comes to choosing the right AI solutions, businesses are faced with an ever-growing number of products, platforms and vendors – all promising transformational results. To realise the most value and potential, it is crucial to look beyond marketing claims and focus on solutions that integrate with existing processes, solve genuine business problems and deliver measurable value.

     2. Data quality and governance

What you get out of AI depends largely on what you put in, making the role of data quality a foundational requirement when adopting new technology. Issues with the quality of data can, for example, undermine confidence in the outputs of AI tools. This makes data governance a key consideration for businesses, creating the right environment for AI adoption to succeed.

     3. Adopting a proactive approach

It was noted during our Braindate session that many businesses are typically reactive when it comes to addressing data issues, often prompted by regulatory, operational or reputational pressures. While many housing providers continue to improve the quality, accessibility and consistency of their data – in line with Building Safety Act and Golden Thread principles – AI adoption elevates this requirement beyond compliance, making it a strategic enabler for better decision making, improved services and future innovation.

People and culture

AI should not be a replacement for people – especially in sectors such as housing where the human element of our work is paramount. Naturally, this sentiment means there is often a significant barrier to adoption when it comes to leveraging the potential of AI.

Cultural resistance, often driven by uncertainty, lack of understanding or concerns about how AI will affect day-to-day roles is one of the most significant factors here. Amongst our panel and participants during the Braindate session, there was broad agreement that AI should be viewed as a productivity tool that supports employees rather than replaces them. By reducing repetitive administrative tasks and providing easier access to information, AI has the potential to free up time for work that relies on judgement, collaboration, empathy and professional expertise.

With that in mind, managing expectations of AI adoption is also crucial for businesses. While AI offers huge potential when applied correctly, it is not a silver bullet capable of solving every organisational challenge. Successful adoption depends on understanding both its strengths and its limitations, focusing on practical use cases and building confidence through incremental success.

To manage AI adoption successfully, businesses need to lean into effective change management, education and leadership, striking a considered balance between technology and people to deliver the intended results.

Measuring the impact of AI

Building the business case for AI adoption isn’t only about application. It’s also about how its impact is measured – and having specific targets set out up front is the only way to accurately measure impact.

Those who attended our Braindate session mentioned that progress is sometimes still measured by the number of AI licences purchased, the number of users with access to AI tools or simply the fact that AI has been introduced into the business. While these metrics can indicate progress, there was broad agreement that they do not necessarily demonstrate successful adoption.

To move beyond this, businesses need to answer the question: what difference is AI making?

This could be anything from reducing administrative effort and shortening response times to improving productivity, reducing complaint escalation, minimising repeat visits and enabling employees to spend more time delivering value to residents. These are all outcomes that can be influenced by AI and, importantly, have their impact measured in line with broader ambitions.

Ultimately, focusing on tangible improvements to services, employee productivity and resident experience provides a far clearer understanding of return on investment than simply measuring access to AI tools.

Working together to maximise value

Even within individual businesses, the potential of AI can differ from department to department, with teams potentially looking to solve similar challenges, but tackling solutions in different ways.

To fully maximise AI and ensure it is delivering value, it is critical for businesses to prioritise collaboration. In the long-term, this may reduce duplication – both of efforts and investment. Bringing together operational, asset management, retrofit, compliance and customer service teams to identify common challenges and shared opportunities and create a more joined up approach.

By aligning objectives, sharing knowledge and collaborating across departments, organisations can maximise value while avoiding fragmented implementation.

The future of housing and AI

Looking ahead, it is clear that AI adoption across the housing sector will continue to accelerate. While there is often a perception that the housing sector is falling behind, Braindate participants reflected that organisations across almost every industry are facing many of the same challenges around data, governance, change management and responsible implementation.

While many businesses will be introducing AI in some form to their operations in the coming months and years, those who see the greatest successes will be those who:

• Focus on solving genuine business problems
• Invest in data quality and governance
• Choose technology that aligns with organisational needs
• Measure outcomes rather than activity
• Support employees through effective change management
• Encourage collaboration across teams and departments

While the technology continues to evolve at pace, its success ultimately depends on the foundations that organisations put in place around data, governance, culture and leadership. Housing providers already possess many of the ingredients needed to benefit from AI, and the challenge now is bringing those elements together in a way that delivers measurable outcomes for organisations, employees and residents alike.

With the right planning and implementation, AI won’t replace people, but help them to work smarter, make better decisions and deliver better services.