Submit your 2026 cost data before the August deadline. Get clear, useful benchmarking insights and see how your organisation really compares.

 

The deadline’s coming up – Cost Benchmarking (Employee & Non‑Pay) – 31 August 

August might feel like it’s still a way off. In reality, it creeps up fast.

Your annual data submission is now open, and your cost data plays a big part in what you get back. If you want meaningful benchmarking this year, it’s worth getting this done properly and on time.

Timely submission ensures:

  • Inclusion in national benchmarking outputs
  • Access to peer comparisons across 3.9 million homes
  • Early insight reports and priority analysis

Why bother with cost data?

When you submit, you’re getting a clear view of what things actually cost across your organisation, and how that compares to others dealing with similar challenges.

You start to see patterns. Where money is tied up. Where things run lean. Where something feels off but you haven’t quite been able to prove it yet.

That’s the bit most people find useful.

From your indicators suite, members benefit from:

  • Full cost breakdowns across housing functions (management, maintenance, customer experience)
  • Employee and non-pay cost insights to understand resourcing and efficiency
  • Cost per unit benchmarking across all major service areas
  • Workforce metrics (WTE + pay) to evidence productivity and structure decisions

What you’re feeding into

Your submission links into a pretty detailed benchmarking model. It’s not just high-level numbers.

Headline financial benchmarking

  • Cost per unit (CPU)
  • Operating costs and expenditure
  • Capitalised spend

Detailed cost drivers

  • Management and overhead costs
  • Responsive, planned, and major repairs
  • Service delivery and housing management
  • Customer experience and contact centre

Workforce and structure insights

  • Staffing levels per 1,000 units
  • Pay benchmarking across functions
  • Resource allocation and productivity

All data is structured to identify performance gaps, cost pressures and improvement opportunities across your organisation.

And what you get back

This is where it starts to pay off.

Once your data is in, you get access to:

  • Peer comparisons that actually mean something
    Not vague averages. Real comparisons against similar organisations.
  • Something concrete for boards and execs
    It’s a lot easier to talk about performance when you’ve got numbers behind it.
  • Early insight and emerging trends
    You’ll see shifts in the sector before the wider reports land.
  • Support when you need it
    You’re not expected to figure it all out alone. There are people who can help you make sense of it, or just get the submission over the line.

Quick sense check before you submit

Most teams find it helpful to double-check:

  • Financial data lines up with what’s been reported elsewhere
  • Costs are allocated in a way that reflects how services actually run
  • Staffing numbers are complete and up to date

A bit of care here saves a lot of head-scratching later.

Support section

We’re here to help

Every member has access to:

  • A dedicated account manager
  • A data expert for technical queries
  • Access to full definitions and guidance

📩 data@housemark.co.uk
📞 Helpline support available Monday–Friday