The verdict in three sentences
A custom tenant portal for a 12,000-home housing association costs GBP 52,000 to 120,000, plus GBP 13,000 to 30,000 for the housing management system connector and application support of GBP 1,700 to 3,400 a month. Return on investment hinges on one indicator: fewer calls to the contact centre, with a target of -30% within 18 months. These projects rarely fail on technology: they fail on adoption by older tenants and on the quality of asset data.
Detailed budget by component
Repairs requests (plumbing, heating, lifts, pests) account for 55 to 65% of a social landlord's calls. Rent statements, service charge queries and letters follow.
| Component (2026 estimate) | Low range | High range |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery, UX and testing with 20 tenants | GBP 7,000 | GBP 13,000 |
| Tenant account, authentication, profile | GBP 8,500 | GBP 17,000 |
| Repairs requests with photos and tracking | GBP 13,000 | GBP 30,000 |
| Online rent payment and Direct Debit | GBP 7,000 | GBP 15,500 |
| Documents (statements, receipts, letters) | GBP 5,000 | GBP 12,000 |
| Complaints and tracked messaging | GBP 6,000 | GBP 15,500 |
| Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA), security, testing | GBP 5,500 | GBP 17,000 |
| Portal total | GBP 52,000 | GBP 120,000 |
The connector to the housing management system (NEC Housing, MRI, Civica or equivalent) is priced separately: GBP 13,000 to 30,000 depending on the vendor's API availability. Without an API, scheduled file exchanges are cheaper to build but less reliable for real-time tracking.
Custom, vendor module or SaaS portal?
| Criterion | HMS vendor module | Specialised SaaS portal | Custom portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | GBP 17,000 - 43,000 | GBP 8,500 - 26,000 | GBP 52,000 - 120,000 |
| Annual cost | GBP 13,000 - 26,000 | GBP 21,000 - 52,000 (GBP 1 to 3.50 per home per year) | GBP 20,000 - 41,000 of support |
| Journey customisation | Low | Medium | Full |
| Timeline | 3 - 6 months | 2 - 4 months | 5 - 8 months |
| Accessibility | Variable | Variable | Contractual |
| Data reversibility | Tied to the HMS | Clause to negotiate | Full |
Custom makes sense when the vendor module does not cover your journeys (booking contractor appointments, photos, rating the repair) or when you run several systems after a merger.
Data protection and regulation: what is required
No health-grade hosting is required, but UK GDPR applies strictly: record of processing, a DPIA for data on vulnerability and household circumstances, retention periods and UK or EU hosting. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 and the Housing Ombudsman complaint handling code also make complaint tracking a compliance topic, which a portal can evidence. Budget GBP 2,500 to 7,000 of DPO support if you lack that skill in-house.
Mini case study
Rachel, CIO of a 12,000-home housing association in London, receives 40,000 calls a year. A handled call costs about GBP 4.20 on average (5 minutes of an adviser at GBP 50 an hour fully loaded). The portal costs GBP 82,000, the HMS connector GBP 21,500, support GBP 2,600 a month. With -30% calls she saves 12,000 calls, or GBP 50,400 a year, plus GBP 7,800 of printing and postage for paperless statements. The annual gain of GBP 58,200 covers support (GBP 31,200) and frees GBP 27,000 to repay the GBP 103,500 investment. Break-even comes in 3.8 years, down to about 2.6 years if adoption exceeds 45% of households.
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FAQ
What budget for a social housing tenant portal?
Between GBP 52,000 and 120,000 for the portal, plus GBP 13,000 to 30,000 for the HMS connector. Application support runs GBP 1,700 to 3,400 a month.
How much can calls drop?
A 30% target within 18 months is realistic if 40 to 50% of households register. Landlords that do not promote the portal plateau at 10 to 15%.
Do we need specialised hosting?
No, a tenant portal does not process regulated health data. Encrypted UK or EU hosting compliant with UK GDPR is enough, for GBP 250 to 1,000 a month.
How long does the project take?
Plan 5 to 8 months, including 6 to 10 weeks for the HMS connector. A first release with repairs and documents can ship in 4 months.
How do we include tenants who are less confident online?
Journeys tested with tenants over 65, WCAG compliance, simplified login and support in local offices. Set aside 5 to 10% of the budget for this testing and content.
Let's scope your project. Send us your call volume, housing management system and priority journeys: we will price the portal, connector and support with a release plan. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
