TENANT'S SERVICES

RECENT CHANGES

Paying your rent and any charges should be your top priority, and regardless of how you pay, you are responsible for ensuring that these are paid in full, and on time. Non-payment of rent, service charges or any other charge could lead to you losing your home.

TENANTS ARE REMINDED THAT RENT IS PAYABLE WEEKLY IN ADVANCE, OR MONTHLY IN ADVANCE.

Housing staff will provide advice and guidance for tenants who have difficulty in paying rent.

RENT ARREARS

We recognise that there are many reasons why a tenant may have rent arrears. If you have rent arrears and we have written to you, you must contact us. We will arrange a mutual appointment for you to see the Housing Officer or the Manager in confidence. We will help you to get advice and support so that you can pay your rent. And arrange a repayment plan to reduce and clear the arrears.

‘RECOVERY OF POSSESSION’ (EVICTION)

Whilst ‘Recovery of Possession’ (Eviction) of property is a last resort, the Foundation needs to protect its income and will take action against tenants who fail to pay their rent.

HOUSING BENEFIT

If you are on a low income or unemployed you may be entitled to claim Housing Benefit Rebate. We can help you to do this.

If you have an emergency repair outside of working hours please call 07507 629624. 

You will be given a reference number when a repair has been raised for you. 

You can also contact us to ask about an issue previously reported, quoting that reference. 

When you report a repair you will need to tell us:  

• your name, address and phone number;
• a full description of the problem;
• whether you have any special needs; 
• and whether you would like an appointment. 

For repairs that we have to come into your home to do (except emergency repairs), we will offer you a convenient appointment between 8am and 5pm.  

We are committed to the provision of a high quality housing service. As part of our commitment we recognise that all residents have a right to peace, quiet and security in their homes. 

Noise 

Consideration should be given to your neighbours at all times. If you are suffering from noise nuisance we can help you.  Noise can be particularly disturbing to others.   Noise nuisance could be; 

• loud music/noisy parties 
• dogs barking
• household noise. Vacuum cleaners, washing machines and noisy DIY tools should not be used late at night or early in the morning.

If noise nuisance is reported to us we will investigate in a confidential manner.

Anti-Social Behaviour 

We believe that residents have the right to live peacefully in their homes, without the fear of anti-social behaviour. We recognise that tackling anti-social behaviour is a high priority for our residents. We are committed to to taking action against those who engage in anti-social behaviour.  To take action in an ASB case we must gather evidence. The best type of evidence is eyewitness reports from the person experiencing or witnessing anti-social behaviour. To gather this evidence we ask residents to fill in a diary record of all incidents.  

What is anti-social behaviour? We believe anti-social behaviour is any behaviour that unreasonably interferes with other peoples' rights to the use and enjoyment of their home and community. This includes:  noise nuisance verbal abuse intimidating gatherings of young people in public places damage to property (including graffiti and vandalism) harassment (including racist and homophobic incidents alcohol and solvent abuse nuisance from vehicles (including parking and abandoned cars) rubbish dumping and misuse of communal areas intimidation.

If it is not an emergency, contact the Police on 101. Contacting your local Police Station. 

If you witness a criminal act or if you are in danger you should ring 999. We will work with the Police to bring criminals to justice through the courts.

All tenants of working age will be included within the Universal Credit system if you make a new claim or have a change of circumstances affecting an existing payment.

Universal Credit is a single monthly payment which combines a number of welfare payments, including any Housing Benefit you may receive.  

What welfare payments are included in Universal Credit? Universal Credit is a monthly payment which will replace any of the following you currently receive:  

• Housing Benefit 
• Income Support 
• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit 
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) 
• Income-related Employment and 
• Support Allowance (ESA) Y

What do I need to do?

If you need to make a claim for Universal Credit, you will need to:  

• Have a bank account into which payment can be made. 
• Manage your claim online - the Job Centre may provide assistance with this. 
• If you are a couple, think about who will be receiving the payment. 
• Make plans to continue to pay your rent and other bills. There is likely to be a delay of around 6-8 weeks before you receive your first payment. 

In most cases, the element of Universal Credit which replaces your Housing Benefit will now be paid directly to you. You should think about how you will be making your rent payments

Fire Safety

Although fortunately rare, fire is a major threat to your home and it is important that both you and the Foundation take every action to minimise the risk of fires occurring.  

We carry out regular assessments of all our blocks to check on fire safety and prevention measures. This will include requesting our residents to alter their behaviour if they actions are contributing to the risk of a fire breaking out, such as leaving large or flammable items in communal areas. We take such actions in the interest of the safety of all our residents.  

You should ensure that all of your household understand what to do in the case of a fire breaking out in your home or your block.

Gas Safety 

Badly fitted and poorly serviced gas appliances can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year thousands of people across the UK are diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning. It is a highly poisonous gas. You can’t see it, taste it or smell it, but it can kill quickly with no warning.

For all our tenants, we must keep gas appliances  in good condition. We arrange a gas safety check every 12 months and give you a record of the check. It is essential that you allow access to your home by our contractor when an appointment is made for this servicing to be completed. 

Follow these top tips to help keep you and your family gas safe: 

• make sure only a Gas Safe registered engineer works on your gas appliances. Illegal gas fitters can put your life at risk always check the engineer's Gas Safe Register ID card
• make sure gas appliances have a regular service and a gas safety check every 12 months
• look out for warning signs that your gas appliances aren’t working correctly e.g. lazy yellow or orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance and too much condensation in the room
• know the signs and symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning – headaches, dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, collapse and loss of consciousness 

if you smell gas call the gas emergency number on 0800 111 999 

For gas safety advice or to find and check an engineer visit the Gas Safe Register website at www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk. Alternatively call the free helpline on 0800 408 5500.  

Electrical Safety

We will carry out regular checks to make sure that the electrical service to your home is in safe condition. Please make sure that you work with our staff and contractors to provide access for these checks which help to keep you safe. 

Do you know if the electrical products in your home are safe? Faulty appliances are a major cause of household fires in the UK.   Appliances should not be left on overnight or when you leave the house (unless they are specifically designed to do so, such as fridge-freezers).   

You can also check if there are any product safety warnings or recall notices against your electrical appliances by registering your appliances with the AMDEA (Association of Manufacturers of Domestic Appliances), who will inform you of any updates you need to know about. 

Make sure that you are not overloading your sockets when using a 'gang' socket or extension lead.