Home maintenance and investment standards

Here are details of how we will look after your home and your neighbourhood.

We’ll make sure:

we conduct an annual gas safety check by appointment in rented homes with a gas supply
all our homes meet the government’s Decent Homes Standard
aids and adaptation work worth under £1,000 is completed within 31 days of request or report (by an occupational therapist). Work over £1,000 will be passed to the relevant authority
you’re consulted on all major work schemes where you live
we advertise our major works programme, giving details and timescales for all planned repairs
you’re given at least two weeks’ notice before any major work starts in your home.

Empty properties

We will re-let our empty properties within 25 days on average and commit to:

accompanying you when you view the property to see if it is suitable for you
changing the locks and giving you three sets of keys
providing a decoration allowance if the property needs decorating
giving you a list of any work that has been done and any non-essential work that may be need to be done once you have moved into the property
ensuring your new home is safe, clean, fit for living in and in a good state of repair.

Caretaking and the cleanliness of estates

We promise to:

inspect the services provided on our large estates every month and have full advertised estate inspections every three months
ensure a high standard of cleanliness in the services provided on estates
make sure all properties with grounds maintenance or a cleaning service are maintained to a good standard
provide services that are good value for money by maintaining and occasionally re-advertising contracts and involving residents in this
have neighbourhood managers that support tenants and promote their concerns on the estates
make sure caretaking staff are well trained
remove all offensive graffiti is removed from estates within 24 hours of receiving a report and that other graffiti is removed within seven working days, or as soon as possible if specialist treatment is needed
regularly inspect play equipment we provide

Moving home

We will:

run our lettings and allocations schemes fairly, explaining all stages of the process
give transfer applicants a guide to the transfer scheme
give you information about all your housing options
give you a copy of our re-let standards when you sign up
give you appropriate support and help through the re-housing process
approach other housing organisations to help with your re-housing if we don’t have property in the area you need to move to
help you if you need to complete a Housing Benefit claim form
give you a welcome pack about your new home and your rights and responsibilities as a resident
provide useful information about services available in your local area
visit you at home within 10 working days of your request for a transfer, if this is necessary to properly assess your circumstances
pass the information you provide on a medical assessment form to our independent medical expert to assess the number of points you will be awarded and the type of accommodation that is suitable for you
process your transfer application within ten working days of receiving all the information we need to register it, and let you know the number of points you’ve been awarded
give you a written decision within six weeks when you apply to swap your home with another resident
inform you of your position on the transfer list, on request
review the details of tenants on the transfer list at least every two years

Rent and service charges

We promise to:

send you rent statements every three months
give you accurate and timely information
give advice and help from the start of your tenancy to prevent you getting into arrears
publish a wide variety of payment methods so that you can pay in a way that suits you
provide advice and help to keep your payments up to date
offer settlement terms to help you bring your account up to date in a reasonable time, if you’re in arrears
help you stay up to date with your rent and service charge payments by referring you to debt advisory services, benefits advisory services and other sources of helpful information
tell you in advance if we plan to take legal action to recover the debt, if you don’t pay your rent or service charges
try to make an agreement with you to pay the money you owe before taking court action
seek possession of your home for rent arrears only as a last resort.

Homeownership services

We’ll make sure you receive final accounts by the end of September. And we’ll send you your rent and service charge estimates at least a month before making any changes to your rent and service charge.

We promise to:

consult you before we do any major work or repair or improvement to your building, as the law specifies
give you, on request, details of services or repairs to your block
ensure our staff are fully trained on housing and home-ownership issues
develop opportunities for you to be involved and consulted