Homes NSW Tenant Portal

After years of reliable service with minimal changes, the eRepair online service was working well but had fallen behind tenant expectations in terms of good user experience and functionality. For staff, the lack of integration with the repairs system led to manual workarounds. As a result, significant call volumes to the MyHousing Contact Centre continued as tenants sought updates on the progress of repairs. The challenge was to co-design a service that could scale to 100,000 households, connect with legacy systems, and rebuild trust with tenants. And do it in a way that made people feel seen, heard and supported.

Folk partnered with Homes NSW to co-design the new digital repairs service that puts tenants at the centre. Starting with in-person interviews and workshops, the team heard firsthand how unresolved repairs impacted tenants’ health, safety, and trust. Working closely with these tenants, the team prioritised features like real-time tracking, photo uploads, and clearer responsibilities. A key aspect of the new service was shifting the focus from a transactional process to one that felt more human. Despite legacy system limitations, the focus was on designing for simplicity and scale. The result: a trauma-informed, user-friendly service launched within months.

The new digital repairs service is helping restore trust in the public housing system by giving tenants more visibility, control, and confidence. In just the first week, over 1,500 repair requests were submitted — showing immediate demand and uptake. For Homes NSW, the service has reduced pressure on the call centre and improved efficiency by streamlining requests and reducing repeat call from frustrated tenants. Designed to scale across more than 100,000 homes, the platform lays the foundation for a more responsive, transparent service. Most importantly, it’s improving lives — making homes safer, reducing stress, and ensuring tenants feel heard and supported.

The new digital repairs service was designed around what matters most to tenants: clarity, control, and confidence. The key features of the service were shaped through co-design sessions with tenants, focusing on reducing stress and improving usability. A major enhancement is real-time tracking of repair requests — tenants can see exactly where their request is up to, reducing uncertainty and follow-up calls. Photo uploads let tenants show the repair clearly, helping trades arrive prepared and cutting down on repeat visits. Single sign-on and pre-populated tenant information make it quick and easy to submit a request, especially for those with limited digital access or confidence. The team also introduced shared visibility of building-wide requests, so tenants can see if a neighbour has already reported an issue. And by clearly outlining tenant responsibilities, the platform supports self-resolution of minor issues — a feature tenants asked for directly. Behind the scenes, the team worked within significant technical and policy constraints, designing a solution that integrates with legacy systems and is ready to scale across 100,000+ homes. Every design choice aimed to balance simplicity, empathy, and efficiency — turning a once transactional process into a human-centred experience.