How Integrated Contact Centres Improve Rent Collection

Written by Netcall

Jimmy Rogers at Netcall explores how housing providers can use integrated contact centres and predictive technology to improve rent collection, reduce voids and boost tenant engagement

With cost-of-living pressures rising, arrears are a top concern for housing providers. But the answer isn’t more chasing, it’s smarter tenant engagement – with proactive, joined-up services that support tenants while protecting income.

By combining proactive services with integrated technology, providers can support tenants earlier, protect rental income and minimise costly voids.

For many, the challenge lies in ensuring staff across multiple teams and channels have the right information at the right time. That’s where integration with the contact centre takes rent arrears management to the next level.

Real-Time Rent Arrears Management Across All Tenant Channels

Whether a tenant gets in touch by phone, chat, email or webform, they expect a smooth experience. Ordinarily, agents might handle only the immediate query – like booking a repair – without visibility of arrears.

With Rent-IQ integrated into the contact centre, rent arrears management becomes proactive. Staff see real-time alerts, with predictive payment behaviour monitoring. So, they can spot issues early and act proactively, allowing them to:

Act sooner: Connect tenants directly with the income team for early intervention
Support tenants positively: Conversations focus on solutions, not just debt
Boost rent income collection: Early action reduces the chance of arrears escalating, improving recovery rates.

From Siloed Teams to Joined-Up Services

Integration doesn’t just save time. It breaks down silos across the organisation. By sharing arrears insights across all contact centre channels, teams in maintenance, housing management and income have the same single tenant view.

Another major advantage is a complete communications history. The income team can instantly access every interaction with a tenant across all channels. This not only improves consistency but also provides clear evidence in court if cases progress to legal action.

It also helps providers demonstrate data-driven compliance with new regulations, such as Awaab’s Law, which requires timely action on property hazards. The result? A unified tenant experience where every interaction is informed, empathetic and consistent.

Smarter Decisions With Data-Led Arrears Management

With Rent-IQ integrated into the contact centre, staff don’t just see who is already in arrears – they also get early warning signs of who might fall behind. The system analyses payment behaviour and flags tenants at risk, so income teams can:

Spot trends earlier – like missed or partial payments before they escalate
Prioritise high-risk cases automatically focusing resources are focused where they’ll have the biggest impact
Tailor interventions – from supportive conversations to proactive reminders – based on each tenant’s profile.

This turns arrears management from reactive debt chasing into proactive engagement. It helps providers protect income while supporting tenants more effectively.

From Rent Arrears to Housing Voids: Tackling Income Loss-to-End

Protecting income isn’t only about arrears. Every empty home means lost rent – and in 2023–24 alone, voids cost the social housing sector an estimated £1.6 billion in lost rent, repairs and re-lettings.

With the contact centre as the hub, voids management becomes part of the same joined-up strategy. By giving repairs, lettings and income teams real-time visibility, providers can:

Turn properties around faster: Shared data speeds up void works and readiness
Improve tenant communication: Contact centre integration ensures incoming tenants get timely updates on sign-up, repairs and move-in dates
Build sustainable tenancies: Early engagement supports tenant settlement, reducing the risk of repeat voids or early arrears.

Just as with arrears, the contact centre provides the single view that protects income at every stage – from reducing arrears risk to minimising void loss.

Voids aren’t just empty homes, they cost the social housing sector £1.6 billion in 2023–24. Average re-let times remain as high as 74 days.

Building Resilience Through Smarter Tenant Engagement

Rent income collection doesn’t have to be reactive.

By embedding Rent-IQ’s predictive analytics, automated workflows and proactive communications into the contact centre, housing providers create a centralised hub for smarter tenant engagement. The contact centre becomes the intelligence hub, bringing together: