Is your tenant newsletter working?

To be blunt, newsletters in a digital format may create communication “illusion”. While digital newsletters are more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, and are an easier, faster approach to reaching a wide tenant audience, research suggests that digital newsletters exclude certain groups of tenants, potentially resulting in reduced satisfaction levels.

Putting to one side inequality issues around digital poverty, exclusion and digital inaccessibility, it was found that even where home internet access and digital technology was plentiful and usage-high, there is often a preference for the tenant newsletter to be in paper format. This preference is most pronounced for older age groups, women and those with cognitive or sight issues.

“While digital newsletters are more environmentally friendly and cost-effective, and are an easier, faster approach to reaching a wide tenant audience, research suggests that digital newsletters exclude certain groups of tenants”

Those tenants whose preference is for paper formats (or who are just not opening their digital newsletters) are, therefore, not obtaining key information from their landlord – information tenants need, but also on which the landlord is judged through tenants’ response to satisfaction surveys.

Digital text may well be preferred by many younger people, but academic studies show there is better comprehension and recall with print. Therefore, the reading experience of digital newsletters may not be conducive for absorption and recall of the landlord’s information for varied groups of tenants.

Tenants with visual impairments, including due to aging, may find it harder to read digital text due to screen glare or small font sizes. High-contrast text and backlit displays can sometimes help, but print materials are often easier to navigate for those with visual challenges. In addition, some physical disabilities may limit the ability to hold, use or interact with digital devices, making print materials more accessible.

Also, neurodivergent individuals may find digital reading to be overwhelming due to the need to scroll and navigate. Autistic (ASD) people, for instance, may experience slower processing speeds, executive function challenges and working memory difficulties, which can impact their ability to focus and retain information while reading. This slower processing can make it harder to absorb and recall information, especially when reading digital text. Paper copies would best support these groups of tenants.

“While landlords cannot force tenants to read newsletters, it is obviously beneficial that barriers are not in place which actively prevent them from doing so”

Diagnosed or undiagnosed ASD and ADHD, visual and physical impairments, and other cognitive challenges can make digital reading more difficult, with print materials often being a more accessible and effective option for reading comprehension and recall.

With advancing technology, along with rising environmental and cost concerns, the digital newsletter may increasingly be the main communications link between landlord and tenants. However, the impact on certain groups of tenants should be considered. While landlords cannot force tenants to read newsletters, it is obviously beneficial that barriers are not in place which actively prevent them from doing so.

Tenant newsletters are a vital communication tool for social landlords, serving to inform, engage and empower tenants while fostering community and meeting regulatory requirements. Not being able to access the newsletter can lead to tenants feeling uninformed and disconnected, which negatively impacts satisfaction with their landlord. This highlights the importance of ensuring newsletters are accessible and engaging, and that cognitive and health-related barriers are considered when deciding on communication formats.

The balance between the faster, cheaper digital and the more traditional paper format requires ongoing consultation with tenants to ensure communication is more than just an illusion, with the bonus that it could also improve the results of those important satisfaction surveys.

Tracey Glover, housing studies researcher and customer board member, Scottish Borders Housing Association