Tenants handbook

Link Customer Service Centre Watling House, Callendar Business Park, Falkirk, FK1 1XR

08451 400 100 The Customer Service Centre is open between 8am and 5pm on Monday, 9am and 5pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday & 9am and 6pm on Thursday When phoning you will be asked to choose from the following six options:

1 2 3 4 5 6

If you are a tenant with a gas heating or boiler repair including a leaky radiator please choose 1 If you have any other type of repair please choose 2 If you are interested in renting one of our properties please choose 3 If you have a query regarding your rent account please choose 4 For factoring or shared ownership queries please choose 5 For any other issues please choose 6

If you call to report repairs outside these hours, you will hear a recorded message giving emergency contact numbers. These emergency numbers can also be found on p53 of this handbook.

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Link will provide this document on request in Braille, Audio Tape, Large Print and Community languages. To find out more please contact the Customer Service Centre on 08451 400 100.

08451 400 100

08451 400 100

08451 400 100

08451 400 100

08451 400 100

08451 400 100

08451 400 100

W przypadku, ze tutejsza informacja bedzie potrzeba w innej wersji n.p. duzy druk, kaseta audio, lub w innym jezyku, prosze sie sontaktowac z nami pod numerem 08451 400 100.

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Introduction

On behalf of the board members and staff of Link, I would like to introduce you to the latest edition of our Tenants’ Handbook. If you are reading this as a new tenant, a particularly warm welcome to Link.

The handbook has been designed to provide you with an easy-toread guide to the main services provided by Link. We have taken on board comments and suggestions made by tenants on our Advisory Panels and I hope that the handbook helps you make the most of your tenancy. Of course, if there is something not covered by this handbook or an issue you would like to discuss in greater detail, please contact our Customer Service Centre where a member of our staff will be happy to assist you.

Link actively promotes equality and diversity and as part of this, we are happy to make this handbook available in other formats and languages.

Maureen Middleton Director of Housing

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Contents Introduction from the Director of Housing and Technical Services ■ Section 1 – Service Standards Customer Care Complaints Communication ■ Section 2 – Your Tenancy Responsibilities of Link and the Tenant Sheltered Housing Problems with Neighbours Smoking Ban ■ Section 3 – Tenant Participation Membership Surgeries Surveys Tenants’ Panels Registered Tenant Organisations and Residents’ Associations ■ Section 4 – Repairs and Maintenance Responsibilities Response Times Right to Repair Repairs Process Planned Maintenance Alterations Adaptations Pests and Vermin Insurance Safety in the Home

■ Section 5 – Money Matters

■ ■

■

■

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How Rents are Set How and when to Pay Help with your Rent Rent Arrears Welfare Rights Service Section 6 – Want To Move?

Transfers Mutual Exchanges Section 7 – How to Find Out More Link Policies Regulation and Inspection Home Ownership Options Section 8 – Useful Information Welcome Pack Link Housing Contact Numbers Emergency Contact Numbers Feedback form

Service Standards Customer Care Link is committed to providing an efficient and caring service and trains all of its staff to enable them to deliver a top quality service to tenants. We aim to meet tenants’ needs and wishes and we will consult you regularly to make sure that we know what these are.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM US When you phone the Customer Service Centre our staff will:

■ Answer calls received Monday – Friday between the hours ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

of 9am and 5pm within 20 seconds Provide an alternative contact or facility to leave a message for all calls outwith these times Respond to all out-of-hours telephone messages within 4 hours of opening on our next working day Acknowledge e-mail enquiries received during normal working hours within 24 hours and for those received out of hours within 24 hours of opening on our next working day Provide accurate information in response to all enquiries Provide access to make an appointment with a housing officer at a mutually agreed time

■ Make sure that someone will always take responsibility to follow up and deal with your enquiry if it cannot be answered first time ■ Keep you informed of the progress of your enquiry ■ Maintain all information systems in accordance with the Data Protection Act ■ Provide a polite, friendly and informative service When you write:

■ We will respond within 5 working days or, for more complex items, we will acknowledge receipt and advise you of the progress of your enquiry ■ We will reply in plain English ■ We will reply in your preferred language if that is not English and you have told us your preference When a member of Link staff visits you in your home:

■ You will be treated with courtesy and patience ■ All information you give will be considered confidential ■ Any follow-up action required will be arranged within a reasonable time and you will be told about progress

Complaints We try to get things right first time but if there are occasions when we do not, we want you to tell us about it. Complaints are an important source of information on how we are performing so we encourage you to comment if our service has fallen short of your expectations.

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WHAT CAN YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT?

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Failure to provide a service Delay in providing a service Poor quality of service Staff or contractor attitudes – e.g. being impolite or unhelpful Unfairness, prejudice or discrimination Breach of Link policy or procedures

How to Complain INFORMALLY Link encourages staff to find solutions to tenants’ problems. In the first instance, try speaking to your Housing Officer or CSC staff member. Let them know what the problem is and how you would like to see it resolved. The members of staff will keep you informed about what action is being taken and update you regularly.

FORMALLY If the problem has not been resolved informally, you should make your complaint by letter to: Corporate Services Link House 2c New Mart Road Edinburgh EH14 1RL Or by email to feedback@linkhaltd.co.uk or via the online complaints form at www.linkhousing.org.uk

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If we are unable to resolve the problem immediately you will receive an acknowledgement within three working days. Within a further 10 working days, you will be advised of the outcome (or, in more complex situations, the progress that is being made in handling your complaint).

APPEALS If you are not happy with the outcome of your complaint, you may ask for it to be reconsidered by a Director. The Director will respond within 5 working days. If you are still not satisfied, your complaint may be referred to the Chairman of the relevant Board. The Board meets every month and your complaint will be discussed at the next available meeting. You will then be advised of the Board’s decision within five working days.

If you have completed the above procedure and are still not satisfied with Link’s response, you may refer the matter to an independent arbiter. Link will advise on the most appropriate body, but in most cases this will be the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

Contact details: SPSO Freepost EH641 Edinburgh EH3 0BR Tel 0800 377 7330 Text 0790 049 4372 Fax 0800 377 7331 Email ask@spso.org.uk Web www.spso.org.uk

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COMMUNICATION Link recognises the vital importance of communicating with tenants effectively. We want to provide you with useful information about our services and other issues that might affect your tenancy or the area in which you live. We will do this by:

■ Providing detailed “Welcome Packs” to all new tenants ■ Issuing regular newsletters ■ Regularly updating our website with information relevant to you

■ Making copies of policies available on our website and in printed form on request

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Your Tenancy

Your tenancy agreement is a legal contract between you and Link. It sets out each party’s rights and responsibilities. It is called the Scottish Secure Tenancy and more information on it is contained in the pink leaflet in the “Welcome Pack”.

Link’s Responsibilities Link will:

■ Maintain its properties to a high standard, making sure that they are warm, secure and comfortable ■ Look after common areas so that residents have a pleasant environment in which to live ■ Involve residents wherever possible in decisions which affect their area

Tenants’ Responsibilities Link expects tenants to:

■ ■ ■ ■

Report repairs promptly Keep their own gardens and/or common areas tidy Control pets, e.g., prevent them from fouling common areas Put all waste in the bins provided and return bins to the proper place after they have been emptied

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â– Avoid disturbing neighbours with loud and persistent noise, particularly late at night and early in the morning More detailed information about rights and responsibilities is contained in your Tenancy Agreement and in the Good Neighbour Agreement which you received in your Welcome Pack.

Sheltered Housing Tenants of sheltered housing have the same rights and responsibilities as tenants living in all Link’s rented properties. In addition they have the services of a Sheltered Housing Officer, one of whose duties is to report repairs on the tenant’s behalf if the tenant so wishes. Further information is available in the supplementary handbook which was provided at the start of your tenancy.

Problems with Neighbours How you get on with your neighbours can be one of the most important factors in determining whether you are going to be happy in your home.

Section 3 of the Scottish Secure Tenancy agreement places a number of obligations on tenants to ensure that they do not behave in a way that disrupts the peace and quiet of their neighbours.

Problems with neighbours can range from untended gardens and dog fouling to loud music, drug dealing and racial abuse. The common term for this is anti-social behaviour and if Link is satisfied that certain behaviour is causing alarm, distress or harassment to others, we will work with the people involved and other agencies to try to solve the problem.

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IF YOU ARE BEING DISTURBED BY A NEIGHBOUR If the disturbance is mild or a “one-off”, it is best to speak to your neighbour and let them know how they are disturbing you. They may not be aware that there is a problem or how their behaviour is affecting you.

If this doesn’t work, it is time to involve other agencies. Telephone the Customer Service Centre and ask for your Housing Officer to contact you to discuss what action you and Link can take.

Our first step is usually to speak to the other person concerned to hear their version of the event. To help us do this, we need details of the incident – e.g. date, time and an incident number if you had to call the police. Where there has clearly been a breach of their tenancy, we will remind the tenant of their obligations and what will happen if the disturbance continues. We may also involve other agencies such as environmental health, social services and the police.

Where there has been no breach of tenancy and the situation is a clash of lifestyles or personality, we can offer mediation either by a trained member of staff or an independent mediation service, where this is available.

WHAT IF THE PROBLEM CONTINUES? If the situation continues, Link will consider taking legal action to end the tenancy of the person causing the problem. This is a long process, however, and requires detailed diary entries from the person affected and corroboration from either the police or other witnesses. In some local authority areas we are able to use specialist housing investigation teams to act as professional witnesses in court. If this is not available, the tenants who are affected by the behaviour will need to stand up in court and give evidence. This is very important, as it is highly unlikely that a sheriff will award decree for eviction based on written evidence provided by Link.

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For further information and assistance, please contact the Customer Service Centre. A copy of Link’s Anti-Social Behaviour Policy is available on request.

Smoking Ban In 2006 legislation came into force in Scotland making it a criminal offence for employers to allow smoking in workplaces that are under their control. This legislation is designed to protect workers from the known effects on health of passive smoking. Link has a duty of care both to our own staff and to contractors working on our behalf.

It is an essential part of daily work for many Link staff and contractors to make home visits to tenants. If you or any member of your household or visitors are smokers, Link requests your cooperation to protect our staff and contractors from the effects of passive smoking. We therefore ask smokers to take the following steps when you are expecting a visit from Link staff or from our contractors, whenever possible: For one hour before and during the visit:

â– Please try to avoid smoking â– Where possible please open windows to ventilate the house before and during the visit Please try to follow this guidance when you have been given a specific date and time for a visit. If there is no definite appointment time arranged it will still be helpful if you do not smoke during the visit.

Link staff may decide not to enter your home or may cut short a visit if they are concerned about the amount of smoke apparent at the time.

If this happens we shall offer to arrange to meet in a suitable smoke-

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free location or make a new appointment at a time when you feel it would be possible to provide less smoky surroundings at your home.

We appreciate that some people remain strongly dependent on smoking, so we will try to provide as complete a service to smoking households as to non-smokers. We do however ask that smokers, for their part, recognise our legal duties to our staff and contractors to ensure that they are free to decide in each individual case whether it is appropriate for them to visit houses affected by smoke.

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Tenant Participation

Link encourages tenants to participate in the decision-making process which governs the way their homes are managed. This is a two-way process which involves the sharing of information, ideas and power with the aim of improving the standard of service Link provides.

The consultation process is set out in the Tenant Participation Strategy which you will find in your Welcome Pack.

There are several ways that you can become involved.

INFORMALLY Your opinion as an individual tenant is very important to us. Please ask your housing officer to visit you in your home if you wish to discuss any aspect of our service.

MEMBERSHIP OF LINK You can become a member of Link by paying ÂŁ1. This entitles you to receive a copy of the Annual Review and Annual Accounts. You also get an invitation to the Annual General Meeting where you can raise issues with the Link Group Board. You can also apply to become a member of the Board of Link Housing Association.

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SURGERIES You can attend a local surgery where Link staff members are on hand to answer any queries you may have about activities in your area. Check with your Housing Officer to see if there is a surgery in your area.

SURVEYS You can take part in a survey. Surveys are carried out to find out what you think about all aspects of Link’s service. They are done in a variety of ways:

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Door to door Telephone Letter E-mail Newsletters

NATIONAL AND LOCAL TENANTS’ ADVISORY PANELS You can join the national and/or local tenants’ advisory panel. The national panel meets in a central location at least once a year to discuss major issues. Local panels meet when necessary to discuss local and national issues.

RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATIONS AND REGISTERED TENANT ORGANISATIONS You can join a local residents’ association. Link is keen for residents’ associations to be set up in as many areas as possible.

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They provide an opportunity for residents to tackle local issues together. They can also act as an ideal platform for tenants to consult collectively with Link and feed back information to other tenants in the area. We will provide information and assistance to set up a residents’ association in your area if one does not already exist. If you and your neighbours wish more information about setting up a residents’ organisation, please contact your Housing Officer or the Tenant Liaison Officer.

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND TENANT PARTICIPATION TEAM You can apply to join this team which consists of Link staff and tenants. Its objectives are to find innovative ways of involving and consulting with tenants, to improve communication methods and to oversee the production of newsletters.

For more information about how to become involved in the management of your home, please contact the Customer Service Centre or the Tenant Liaison Officer.

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Repairs and Maintenance Who is Responsible for What?

While the majority of repairs are Link’s responsibility, there are some that are yours as a tenant. This table gives some examples to illustrate where the responsibility lies.

REPAIR Replacing glass in windows

LINK

YOU

✓

MORE DETAILS Except where breakage has been caused by the tenant, their family or visitors

✓

Replacing lost keys and cost of re-entry if tenant locked out Maintaining heating appliances

✓

Maintaining sanitary ware

✓

Maintaining flues

✓

Decoration and repair of common areas including closes

✓

But not sweeping chimneys

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REPAIR

LINK

YOU

All internal decoration

✓

Replacing light bulbs

✓

Clearing blocked waste pipes

✓

Damage caused through neglect or misuse of the property by the tenant, family or visitors

✓

Cleaning common areas like closes and staircases where Link does not provide a cleaning service

✓

MORE DETAILS

Caused by carelessness, e.g., fat, tea leaves, or faulty plumbing of washing machines, etc.

Please note that this is not a full list. If you are not sure about a particular repair, contact the Customer Service Centre.

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Response Times Response times for repairs are split into 3 main categories – emergency repairs, urgent repairs and routine repairs.

EMERGENCY: Timescale – contractor will attend within 3 hours.

Definition – repairs that require immediate attendance to ensure the safety of tenants and the security of the property.

Examples – total loss of water or electricity, total loss of heating (in cold weather), serious roof leak, breaches of security to outside doors and windows.

URGENT: Timescale – contractor will attend within 2 days.

Definition – repairs that require attention to prevent further deterioration to the property or undue risk or inconvenience to the tenant.

Examples – plumbing leaks, central heating faults, blocked drains, minor electrical faults.

ROUTINE: Timescale – contractor will attend within 5 working days.

Definition – any other day-to-day repairs.

Examples – general joiner repairs – kitchen fittings, internal doors, etc., minor plumbing repairs.

Please note that some problems may take longer to fix if they prove more complicated than first thought. Nevertheless, we will always respond within the timescales and keep you informed if there is to be a delay in completing the job.

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RIGHT TO REPAIR Some emergency and urgent repairs are covered by the Right to Repair regulations for Scottish Secure Tenants. When you advise us of a problem, we will tell you whether the repair falls under this scheme.

Please refer to the purple leaflet, “Right to Repair”, contained in your Welcome Pack.

“Right to Repair” means that:

■ If urgent repairs are not attended to within the agreed timescale you have the right to appoint another contractor, from Link’s approved list, to carry out the work ■ You are eligible for compensation for the inconvenience if the repair is not carried out

How to Report a Repair ■ Telephone the Customer Service Centre (between 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday)

■ Write a letter or e-mail the Customer Service Centre ■ Use the online form on our website (www.linkhousing.org.uk).

Just click on the “Report a Repair” link on the home page.

The more information you can give us about the problem, the better our chances of getting the repair done quickly and effectively. The main details we will need are:

■ Your name, address and contact telephone number ■ The nature of the problem ■ Does it affect your home only or common parts of a close or block?

■ When can you provide access for an inspection and/or the repair to be carried out?

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Access arrangements are very important – please try to stick to them. If it is difficult for you to be at home during normal working hours (9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday), please try to arrange for a family member, friend or neighbour to be there so that contractors can get in to carry out the repair. Alternatively, you could leave a key with a neighbour.

If a contractor fails to call as arranged, please report this to Link right away.

What Happens after a Repair is Reported?

When we receive your report, we will decide whether to arrange for one of our staff to inspect the problem or to instruct a contractor to attend. We will also advise you what category the repair falls in to (emergency, urgent or routine) and how long it should take to complete.

In the case of emergency and urgent repairs, we instruct contractors by telephone and follow it up with a printed works order.

Routine repairs are normally instructed by works order.

What Happens after a Repair is Done?

Once repairs have been carried out, it is important for Link to check that they have been done to the correct standard and represent value for money. We do this in a variety of ways:

â– One of our staff may arrange to come and inspect the completed repair

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■ One of our staff may visit you to ask a few questions about how satisfied you were with the way your repair was handled ■ One of our staff may telephone you to ask a few questions about how satisfied you were with the way your repair was handled This part of the process is very important – it lets Link know if its repairs service is effective or not. If you are asked to give us feedback, we would appreciate your co-operation.

Out of Hours Emergency Repairs Service Link employs contractors to provide an emergency repairs service when our offices are closed.

The contact numbers are in Section 8 of this handbook.

Contractors have instructions to accept real emergencies only – if you call out an emergency contractor for a routine repair that could have waited until Link’s Customer Service Centre had re-opened, then you will be charged for the full cost of the call-out.

Repairs Procedure for Tenants of New Houses If you move into a house within 12 months of it being built (or improved), there is a different repairs procedure because the property is still in the “defects liability” period. This means that the builder is responsible for doing any repairs needed during these 12 months.

You should still report repairs to the Customer Service Centre. We will then pass them on to the builder to carry them out. If the problem is a minor one that isn’t likely to cause further damage or inconvenience, 28

it is placed on a list of works that are done at the end of the “defects liability� period. This lets the builder arrange for all the minor repairs in the scheme to be done at the same time.

We would also ask that you do not decorate your new home within the first 12 months. It is common for timber and plaster to shrink during this period and, as a result, cracks may appear on walls.

Planned Maintenance Planned maintenance involves the renewal of items like external doors and windows, central heating systems, kitchen units and bathroom suites when they reach the end of their useful life.

Link will notify you in advance of any works that we plan to carry out in your home. Normally, you will be asked to participate in deciding how the job will be done. If new kitchen units are to be fitted, for example, we will discuss with you how best to accommodate your white goods and you will have the chance to select your choice of worktop and door-front colours from a range provided by Link. We will make every effort to satisfy individual tenants’ requirements.

Some planned maintenance contracts can result in disruption to decoration and floor-coverings so we have a policy of paying standard allowances to tenants on completion of the works. These allowances are intended to assist you with any re-instatement work you feel is necessary.

Tenant Alterations If you want to make any alterations to your home, you must first write to the Customer Service Centre to request permission. We will normally give you permission, unless the alteration is likely to make your home unsafe or could cause structural damage.

Please note that Link may insist that the property is reinstated to its original condition when your tenancy ends.

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The installation of laminate flooring requires our written permission.

Permission will only be given for “click” flooring (not glued laminate). If you live on an upper floor (i.e. have neighbours below you), we will also make it a condition that you fit additional soundproofing.

This flooring is laid at your own risk. If a repair is required which involves lifting the flooring Link will accept no responsibility for any damage incurred during the process. If the necessary repair is extensive, you will be asked to organise the lifting and relaying of the flooring.

On termination of your tenancy you will be required to remove the laminate floor covering and repair any damage to the floor or skirting.

Compensation for Improvements If you have made certain types of improvements to your home (having first obtained Link’s permission!), you have a right to receive compensation at the end of your tenancy. Please read the blue leaflet, “Right to Compensation for Improvements”, which is contained in your Welcome Pack.

Please note that the right to compensation only applies to improvements carried out after 30 September 2002.

Medical Adaptations Link is committed to the principle of enabling tenants to stay in their own home as long as possible. One of the main ways of doing this is to carry out adaptations to help people whose medical and mobility needs have changed since they moved in.

If you require your home to be adapted in some way (e.g. a handrail at the entrance or a shower unit instead of bath), you should first have an assessment carried out by one of your local council’s Occupational Therapists. They would then make an application to us on your behalf.

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Every year Link receives funding for medical adaptations from Communities Scotland and we also set aside some of our own money to top up these funds. Such is the demand, however, that funding often runs out and some applications have to be put on hold for a time.

For further advice, please contact the Customer Service Centre.

Pests and Vermin Pests and vermin, such as mice, rats, wasps and beetles and fleas are the most common household pests and it is important you know what to do if this affects your home.

IN YOUR HOME If you experience pests in your home, please contact your local environmental health department; some councils will offer their services free of charge. If you choose to contact Link, we will carry out an investigation and take the appropriate action. However, if we discover that the problem is caused by you i.e. leaving food out to attract mice or a flea infestation due to pets, we will recharge you.

IN COMMUNAL AREAS If you notice pests in common areas, such as bin stores, contact the Customer Service Centre. We will instruct an investigation and carry out the work recommended by the council.

Insurance Link insures all of its properties but this only covers the buildings themselves, Link’s fixtures and fittings, glass (in windows and external doors) and fixed sanitary ware e.g. bath, WC, wash-hand basin.

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Link’s insurance does not cover:

■ ■ ■ ■

Furniture Floor coverings Internal decoration Personal belongings

We strongly suggest you take out your own contents insurance which would cover these items in case of fire, flooding or theft.

Even if an incident is not your fault – for example, water penetration from a flat above – you will normally need to claim on your own insurance to have the damage to decoration, carpets, etc., put right.

Better safe than sorry – get contents insurance now! See the leaflet and application form in the Welcome Pack.

Safety in the Home GAS SERVICING Gas servicing is necessary to ensure that boilers and fires in tenants’ homes are safe to use. Faulty appliances produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide which can prove fatal. The danger is greater because you cannot see or smell carbon monoxide so you may not know there is a problem until it is too late.

Link has a gas servicing programme which ensures that every appliance is checked at least once a year. It is vital that you allow access to our gas servicing contractors when they request it. If the appointment you have been given is not suitable, please contact the contractor or the Customer Service Centre to make another arrangement.

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Also for your own safety, please do not paint gas fire casings or surrounds. Once heated, the paint gives off poisonous gases.

If you would like further information, please contact the Gas Servicing Team on 08451 400 100.

IMPROVING HOME SECURITY Here are some tips for minimising the risk of break-ins and theft:

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Fit a door chain or peephole Fit security bolts to ground floor windows Don’t let strangers into common stairs Don’t leave stair doors on the latch Check the ID of contractors or other business visitors Report any suspicious people to the police When you go out at night, leave a light on and close your curtains

BURST PIPES Tips to avoid burst pipes:

■ Keep your heating on in cold weather. This is especially important if you are going away from home for any length of time ■ If you are away for a while and don’t want to leave the heating on – turn off the mains water supply at the stopcock*. Switch off any water heaters and turn on all your taps until the water stops running * If you don’t know where the stopcock is, contact the Customer Service Centre

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WHAT IF THE WORST HAPPENS? Although your pipes are well insulated, they can still freeze and burst in exceptionally cold weather. Here’s what to do:

■ Turn off the mains water supply at the stopcock ■ Turn off any central heating boilers or electric immersion ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

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heaters (unless you are certain that the burst is only on the mains supply pipe) Turn on all taps to drain down your storage tank If water comes into contact with any electrical fittings, switch off the electricity supply Telephone Link (or the emergency contractor if it happens outside office hours) Warn any neighbours who might be affected Try to store some water in the bath or another large container so that you have water for flushing the toilet, washing etc. until the burst is repaired

Money Matters About your Rent If you became a tenant of the Association after January 1989, you pay a rent which is set by Link in accordance with our rent policy.

If you became a Link tenant before January 1989 you pay a Fair Rent, which has been registered by the Rent Officer. The Rent Officer is a public employee completely independent of Link. If you choose to transfer to another of Link’s properties, you will lose the right to a Fair Rent. If, however, you are forced to move because your home is in an area due for regeneration, then you will have a Fair Rent set for the house to which you move.

FAIR RENT Fair Rents are reviewed every three years. Shortly before the threeyear cycle comes to an end, the Rent Officer considers proposals from Link for new basic rent levels (this does not include services). You will be informed of the proposed new rent and given the opportunity to make your comments to the Rent Officer. The Rent Officer then registers a rent, which he considers to be the Fair Rent, taking account of the age, character and location of the property.

If you feel the rent set by the Rent Officer is unreasonable, you can submit an objection to the Rent Assessment Committee. After hearing the views of everyone involved, it may agree with the Rent Officer’s figure or it may decide that the rent should be higher or lower.

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RENTS SET BY LINK Link sets rents in accordance with our rent policy. We must make sure we cover the costs of:

■ Managing and maintaining our houses on a day-to-day basis ■ Improving properties – e.g. replacing kitchens and bathroom fittings, installing new windows, central heating systems, etc.

■ Paying back loans taken out to build new homes ■ Rent lost through empty properties and rent arrears To work out the rent, each property attracts a number of points depending on its size, type and locality. The value of a point is set annually by Link’s Board and this is multiplied by the number of points to give a basic rent for each property.

SERVICE CHARGES A service charge is added to the basic rent where tenants receive services such as:

■ ■ ■ ■

Garden maintenance of common areas Close stair and window cleaning Lighting of common areas Other services in Sheltered Housing

The amount you pay for services is what it costs us to provide them – Link does not make any profit from the payment of service charges.

The charges are reviewed once a year and adjusted up or down depending on contract costs, etc.

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RENT REVIEW We review our rent and service charges each year. We look at all our costs over the last year and work out what costs need to be covered for the following year. Any changes are approved by our Board during the preparation of our annual budgets.

If your rent and service charges have to change, we will write to you one month before the new amount is due. For most tenants changes take effect on 1st April.

COUNCIL TAX Tenants are separately liable for the payment of Council Tax, or any other burden imposed by the local authority.

If you require information about Council Tax, you should ring the number of your local authority given in your Welcome Pack.

HOW TO PAY YOUR RENT There are a number of ways to pay your rent. You can choose the one that suits you best:

■ Direct Debit or Standing Order through your bank – forms are available on request from the Customer Service Centre ■ AllPay – all tenants are provided with a swipe-card. You can use these at any Post Office, AllPay, E-pay or Payzone terminal located in shops and supermarkets. If you are unsure of your nearest outlet please contact the Customer Service Centre for assistance ■ By telephone – use your AllPay reference to pay over the telephone using a credit or debit card on 08445 578 321 ■ Online – with your AllPay reference at www.allpayments.net

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■ By post – cheques or postal orders may be posted to the Customer Service Centre. Please make sure that you attach a note to each payment, giving your name, address and rent reference number. If you cannot avoid sending cash by post, make sure you send it by registered mail WHEN SHOULD I PAY MY RENT? Your full monthly rent is due on the first working day of each month.

Unless:

■ You want to pay it weekly or fortnightly and have agreed this in writing with your Housing Officer ■ You get full Housing Benefit and have told the Council to pay your Benefit direct to Link. (If you are on part Housing Benefit the part you pay is payable on the first working day of each month) HOW TO GET HELP WITH YOUR RENT Tenants on a low income may be entitled to Housing Benefit to help pay their rent. If you receive Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance, you are likely to be entitled to maximum Housing Benefit. If you are on any other benefits, including pensions, or are on a low wage you may get a contribution paid towards your rent. For more information and an application form, contact your local council office or the Customer Service Centre. Any delay in applying for Housing Benefit may mean a loss of benefit and result in rent arrears.

Housing Benefit can be paid to the claimant or directly to Link. Even if your rent is being paid direct to Link, it is still your responsibility to ensure it is being paid. It is important that you reply to all

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correspondence from the council about Housing Benefit and inform them of any changes in your circumstances – otherwise you risk losing your benefit and ending up in rent arrears.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I CANNOT PAY MY RENT? First, contact the Customer Service Centre immediately. We understand that you may at some point have difficulty in paying your rent. The earlier you tell us about it, the easier it is to sort the problem out.

We can give you help and advice and make an arrangement with you to pay your arrears in instalments.

You can also ask to speak to our Welfare Rights staff (see contact details below) if you need information about benefits.

WHAT IS LINK’S POLICY ON RENT ARREARS? Paying rent is not a matter of choice. If you do not contact Link about missed payments or if you do not keep to an agreement to repay arrears, Link will take legal action to recover the money owed.

As a last resort, Link will evict you from your home and will ask the court to award legal costs against you. We will also charge interest on the total debt until the arrears are completely repaid.

It is vital, therefore, that you contact us immediately if you have any difficulties paying your rent. The problem will not go away on its own!

WELFARE RIGHTS SERVICE The services offered by the Advice Team are free and completely confidential. The Advice Team aims to ensure that every tenant receives their full entitlement to social security benefits, and is

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able to manage their money. The Advice Team can also provide assistance to Link tenants on all aspects of welfare. To achieve this, they will:

■ Provide general advice and information on a wide range ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

of benefits Provide more detailed advice and information on specific benefits and on your claims Carry out confidential benefit checks to identify the benefits you should be receiving Help to fill out claim forms Monitor claims and ensure their progression through the benefits system Liaise, mediate and negotiate with, amongst others, the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenues and Customs and local authorities on your behalf Represent you at Benefit Appeals Tribunals and assist you with complaints Mediate and negotiate on your behalf regarding repayment arrangements towards rent arrears or any other debts Provide assistance and advice on dealing with court procedures Assist with financial education and budgeting your money Provide assistance and advice on all fuel issues including appropriate signposting to other organisations

HOW THEY DO IT The Advice Team offers its services by telephone, letter, e-mail, interviews, surgeries or home visits.

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SPECIAL NEEDS The Advice Team can offer its service using type-talk or through an interpreter. It can also provide information in Braille, audiotape, large print and community languages.

DATA PROTECTION Any information provided by you remains confidential and will only be used to assist Welfare Rights staff to deal with your case. It will not be passed on to any other organisation without your prior knowledge and agreement. Further details of their data protection notice are on their mandate.

MANDATES – WHAT THEY ARE AND WHY THE ADVICE TEAM NEEDS THEM The Advice Team will ask you to complete and sign a mandate, which provides your written authority for their Welfare Rights staff to deal effectively with your case.

CONTACT DETAILS The Advice Team can be contacted at: Advice Team Watling House Callendar Business Park Falkirk FK1 1XR Tel 01324 417174 Email welfarerights@linkhaltd.co.uk

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Want To Move?

Transfers Link Housing Association allocates its properties using a type of choice-based lettings called “homehunt”®. Tenants who want to move to another Link property must complete a short and simple registration form. (NB: This does not apply to tenants who want to live in the City of Edinburgh, for whom different arrangements apply. Please contact the Customer Service Centre for more information.)

Once you have registered for “homehunt”®, you can apply for any of our vacant properties that are advertised on the website www.homehunt.info or in national and local newspapers and which are suitable for your needs. You can also give us your e-mail address and we will send you the weekly schedule of available properties.

The “homehunt”® scheme allows applicants who have a particular housing need to apply for a priority pass. Priority passes come in the following categories.

Priority Pass

Homelessness and harassment

Bronze

Silver

✓

✓ ✓

Medical

Gold

Gold plus

✓ ✓ ✓

Relocation Need to be in a community

✓

✓

Overcrowding

✓

✓

Unsatisfactory housing

✓

✓ 43

Current tenants of Link who qualify for a “Priority Pass” will automatically be awarded a “Plus Pass” which gives higher priority within the banding, e.g. if as a tenant you are eligible for a silver medical pass this will be made into a silver plus and you will be considered before any other silver pass holders.

The “Relocation” category is for current Link tenants only. Its main purpose is to give priority to tenants who wish to move permanently from a property that has been earmarked for major renovations or demolition, or where you are currently under-occupying a property.

There are other situations when this pass can be used by tenants wishing to transfer – individual cases will be assessed on their own merits.

How are the Properties Allocated?

The properties that are advertised have a closing date and at that point, Link checks the list of everyone who has applied for each property.

The property is then allocated to the person who makes “best use” of it. For example, someone who uses all of the bedrooms or requires any special adaptations that have been made to the house. Where more than one person makes “best use” of the property, it is allocated to whoever has the highest level of priority pass. If no-one has a priority pass, the person who has been registered for the longest time gets the allocation.

For more detailed information on applying for a transfer and “homehunt”® generally, please contact the Customer Service Centre.

Mutual Exchanges Tenants of Link can apply to exchange their property with another tenant – this is called a Mutual Exchange. The other person that you wish to exchange with can be a tenant of: 44

1.

2.

3.

4.

Link A Local Authority Another Housing Association or Registered Social Landlord A Housing Co-operative

provided they have a Scottish Secure Tenancy, if it is within Scotland.

As Link’s tenant, you must contact the Customer Service Centre and you will be sent forms for you and the person you wish to exchange with to complete. The other tenant should also contact their own landlord.

An exchange of tenancy references between Link and the other landlord then takes place. These will state how both tenants have conducted their tenancies and whether or not their rent accounts are clear.

Would Link say no to a Mutual Exchange?

Link would not allow a mutual exchange to proceed in the following circumstances: 1.

2.

3.

If either tenant has an arrear of more than one month’s rent and an arrangement is not in place to clear it or has not been in place for at least 13 weeks If the exchange would result in overcrowding or underoccupancy of Link’s property If either party has been involved in anti-social behaviour and a Notice of Proceedings for Possession has been issued on conduct grounds.

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4.

5.

6.

If Link receives an unsatisfactory reference about the other tenant If there is an order for recovery of possession of the property If the house has been designed or adapted for a person with special needs and this is not required by the other party

In order to maintain confidentiality, we may not be able to give you full reasons for refusing an exchange.

The Exchange Process Following consideration of a mutual exchange by both landlords, each tenant would be notified if the exchange has been agreed and on what date it will take place.

You must not move from your property until the agreed date. Prior to the exchange, we will carry out an inspection of the property and point out any repairs resulting from damage or neglect which are your responsibility to put right. These repairs will have to be done before the exchange goes ahead.

You must also give access to Link on the day of the move so that gas and electrical safety checks can be carried out. In addition, if the annual gas service is due within the next 28 days, this will be carried out then too.

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How To Find Out More Policies Our policies set out the principles from which we work in managing your tenancy, maintaining properties and setting and collecting rents.

Each policy is approved by our Board and is reviewed by the Board on a regular basis.

Our housing management policies are available on our website www.linkhousing.org.uk and from the Customer Service Centre. The main ones include:

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Repairs Lettings Rent Setting Rent Arrears (Income collection) Estate Management Anti-Social Behaviour Tenant Participation Customer Care Complaints Equality and Diversity

Regulation and Inspection Link Group is a social landlord (RSL) registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator, an agency of the Scottish Executive. Part of the

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Scottish Housing Regulator’s function is to set out the rules under which RSLs operate and to carry out a detailed inspection of each RSL every few years. The outcomes of each inspection are published and provide further assurance that our policies are appropriate and that we are adopting good practice in all our work.

For further information about the Scottish Housing Regulator go to www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk Or contact: The Scottish Housing Regulator Scottish Government Highlander House 58 Waterloo Street Glasgow G2 7DA Tel 0141 271 3810 Email shr@scottishhousingregulator.gsi.gov.uk

Home Ownership Options Further information is available from the Customer Service Centre and on our website, www.linkhousing.org.uk. Options include: SHARED OWNERSHIP Open to people over the age of 16, with an income of more than ÂŁ14,500 per annum this option is for people on lower incomes who would like the chance to get on the first rung of the home ownership ladder.

General information is available from the Customer Service Centre.

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WHAT IS THE LIFT OMSEP SCHEME? This open market shared equity pilot scheme is supported by Scottish Government funding which allows would-be homeowners to pay between 60% and 80% of a property’s value. The remaining 20% to 40% is made up by the scheme’s funding. This scheme is part of the LOW-COST INITIATIVE FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS. We cover the East and West areas of Scotland, and if you are interested in finding out more about this scheme please call our LIFT team on 0845 155 0019 or email lift@linkhaltd.co.uk or visit our website www.linkhousing.org.uk

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Useful Information Welcome Pack As part of our commitment to providing tenants with high quality information to help them make the most of their Link tenancy, we have produced a Welcome Pack.

This pack contains:

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Your Tenancy Agreement Good Neighbour Agreement Gas safety certificate Advice on paying your rent and what to do if you miss a payment How to get help from Link’s Welfare Rights Service Information leaflets on the Scottish Secure Tenancy; the Right to Repair; the Right to Compensation; the Right to Information/Consultation; contents insurance Tenant Participation Strategy Data Protection Notice Useful local contact numbers Feedback Form Complaints Procedure & Form Application for membership of Link Tenant Service Charter Tackling Anti-social Behaviour

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Office Contact Numbers Link Housing Association Limited Watling House Callendar Business Park Falkirk FK1 1XR Tel 08451 400 100 Fax 01324 417184 Email csc@linkhaltd.co.uk Web www.linkhousing.org.uk

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Emergency Contact Numbers For any gas central heating repairs call Saltire on 08451 400 100 pressing option 1.

For other emergency repairs in the East call MITIE on 0845 600 8624.

For other emergency repairs in the West call Morrisons on 01698 403 146.

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TENANTS’ HANDBOOK – Section Heading Style YOUR VIEWS

Please take a few minutes to complete this short questionnaire.

It is important for us to know what tenants think about the information we send out – particularly something as central to our service as the handbook.

1. What do you think of the format? (design, lay-out, colours etc) 2. What do you think of the size?

3. What do you think of the amount of information?

4. What do you think of the quality of information?

5. How would you assess how easy the information is to read and understand?

Good

Satisfactory

Poor

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

❏

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❏

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Is there anything that you would have liked to have been included that we’ve missed?

Any other comments?

Thank you for taking the time to give us your opinions. Please return this form to the Customer Service Centre, Link Housing Association Ltd, Watling House, Callendar Business Park, Falkirk FK1 1XR.

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Notes

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Notes

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