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About | How we are governed | Service standards | Latest news | Jobs | A-Z services | Tenant and estate | Anti-social behaviour | Home Ownership | Report your repair | Applying for housing | Getting involved | Pay your rent | Housing contacts | Hounslow Council | Access for all | Staff awards | Sheltered Housing | Rent a garage | |
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You can contact the Customer Service Centre on free phone 0800 085 65 75 for all housing and repair enquiries. The Customer Service Centre is open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12pm on Saturdays. You can also e-mail your enquiry to customerservicecentre@hounslowhomes.org.uk Rents Insurance
See Rent Matters back to top I’ve lost my rent card - what do I do? You can contact the Customer Service Centre on 0800 085 65 76. They will arrange for a new rent card to be sent to you. Your new card will take 2-3 working days to reach you. While you are waiting for your new card you should continue to make payments to your rent account to avoid accruing arrears. You can pay by cheque any local housing office. If you prefer to pay by cash then you can visit the Cash Office at the Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 4DN. back to top How do I apply for Housing Benefit? Housing benefit is a scheme to help people with their rent. If you have a low income and you have savings of less than £16,000 you may be eligible.You can apply online via the Hounslow Council website, visit the Civic Centre in Lampton Road Hounslow and pick up a form, or contact the Benefits department on 020 8583 4242 and request a form to be sent to you. Further details are available on the Hounslow Council website. back to top How do I apply for Council Tax/Benefit? The form for Council Tax Benefit is the same as the form for Housing Benefit. You can complete the form and hand it in to your local housing office or to Revenue Services at the Civic Centre. You will receive a receipt as proof that you have handed in the form. You must complete all relevant sections of the form and provide evidence of the following:
Please try to keep a copy for your own records as this makes it easier to track any problems. It is your responsibility to inform Revenue Services if your income or family circumstances change in any way. If your circumstances change, you should contact Revenue Services immediately. If you are overpaid you will be asked to pay the money back. back to top Does everyone who lives with me have to pay rent? It is your legal responsibility, if you are the tenant, to pay rent. However, if you are on Housing Benefit and those living with you are adults not in full time education, then a non-dependant deduction is taken from the Housing Benefit entitlement. The charges are calculated on the amount of earnings and your circumstances. For this, we will need proof of income. back to top Can I still get Housing Benefit if I start working? Yes. You can get Housing Benefit for up to four weeks after you have stopped receiving DSS benefits. You should apply at the Department of Work and Pensions, DWP as soon as you are offered employment. It is important not to delay this. You can contact the DWP Public Enquiry Office on: Or write to them at: Department for Work and Pensions back to top I am a pensioner. Do I still need to pay rent? You may still have to pay some rent. This will depend on your income. You may be entitled to a Pension Credit and should submit a claim at the DWP. The amount you will have to pay for rent will be calculated depending upon your income. For more information about Pension Credit, see the Hounslow Council Website, or call the Pension Service on 0845 60 60 265 (Monday to Friday from 8.00am to 8.00pm). You can also apply online by visiting The Pension Service website. back to top I have outstanding repairs to my home so do I still need to pay rent? Yes. Rent cannot be withheld because repairs have not been done. Hounslow Homes Repairs Service have an obligations to carry out certain repairs. If you have outstanding repairs then contact the Customer Service Centre on free phone 0800 085 65 75. See also Report your repairs back to top I have paid my rent, but a payment is missing from my account - what should I do? You need to provide proof of payment, that is, a receipt or a bank or building society statement that shows when you made the payment and how much. Contact the Customer Service Centre on 0800 085 65 75 with your payment receipt number. The Customer Service Centre will take the details of the payment you have made, and request a search for the payment. They will also add a note to your rent account. Once the payment has been located it will be added to your account. Important: Please make sure you check that you are making a payment using the corrrect rent account number. Your account number can be found on your statement or on any correspondance we send you regarding your rent account. back to top I am finding it very hard to pay my rent - what should I do? All the information is discussed in confidence. Depending on the amount of your arrears, the Customer Service Centre may be able to make an arrangement to clear your arrears in managable installments. You may be eligible for Housing Benefit and we can help you deal with your debt problems by referring you to the Money and Welfare Advice service. The Money and Welfare Advice service is an independent and confidential service that holds surgeries by appointment at your local housing office. It is important that you contact the Customer Service Centre as soon as you start finding it difficult to pay your rent in order to avoid losing your home. If you do not pay your rent, you may be served with a Notice of Seeking Possession. If you do not make contact or ignore any arrangements to pay, it will be taken seriously and you could be taken to court and evicted. back to top What will happen if I do not pay rent? You will be served with a Notice of Seeking Possession, this means that you owe money on your rent account and that we intend to take you to court for a possession order. If a possession order is granted against you, you may be at risk of losing your home. back to top I have rent arrears - what should I do? Contact the Customer Service Centre or visit your local housing office immediately. They may be able to help you manage your debts. You may be offered an appointment to talk in confidence with the Welfare and Money Advice Agency. Surgeries are held at each local Housing Office. There are a number of reasons why people get into debt:
Remember the sooner you make contact with us, the quicker you can start to reduce your outstanding debts. back to top Why am I going to be taken to Court with rent arrears? If you do not make and keep an arrangement to repay rent arrears, Hounslow Homes will ask the court for a Possession Order. This may not lead to you losing your home straight away. Your could be allowed to pay rent and an additional amount ordered by the court every week. You will also be charged court costs which could add about £250 to your arrears. If you do not keep paying the amount the court ordered you may be evicted. back to top When will my rent account be closed? As soon as the keys have been handed back to the local Housing Office at the end of your notice period and rent paid up to date. back to top When will I get my overpaid rent refunded? You will only be entitled to a refund if your rent account is in credit. You can request a refund by calling the Customer Service Centre on 0800 085 65 75. Please have your rent account number ready. They will check your rent account and will take into account the current rent payment due. If the account is still in credit they will request a refund for you. Any overpayments by Housing Benefits will be paid from your account and the difference will be refunded to you by cheque. back to top Eviction Hounslow Homes will apply to the court to evict you if you have not complied with the terms of your tenancy agreement. We will contact you about the problem before we apply to the court. Evictions are a last resort for tenants who do not repay rent arrears or commit race crime or anti-social behaviour. back to top I have been evicted, but am unable to clear my possessions. What will happen to them? Your possessions will be held in storage for a period of 3 to 6 months, during which time you will be charged for storage costs. After this time, your possessions will be disposed of. To make arrangements for the collection your possessions you should contact your local Housing Office immediately. back to top I have been served an Eviction Notice. What should I do if I want to stay in my home? Contact the Customer Service Centre immediately. They will put you in contact with your Estate Manager. If you are being evicted due to rent arrears, then you must clear your arrears in FULL so that your eviction notice can be cancelled. Alternatively, you may want to seek independent legal advice. See Housing contacts section back to top I have been evicted and am unable to get back into my property. What should I do? You should contact the Homeless Persons Unit at the Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow, TW3 4DN and advise them that you have been evicted. They will provide you with immediate advice and assistance but are unlikely to be able to offer you another tenancy. You can call the Homeless persons unit on: 020 8583 3842 between 8.45am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, except on Wednesdays when the office is open from 1pm to 4pm. If you are made homeless after 4pm or on a Saturday or Sunday, and you have nowhere to stay that night, please call our emergency number: 020 8583 2222. See Housing contacts section back to top Insurance How do I make an insurance claim against the London Borough of Hounslow for damage to my property? The Council insures its Council dwellings and, thus, in the case of a fire that destroyed a property the Council would claim on its insurance for the cost of repairing the property. However , the Council does not insure any of the contents that belong to the tenant. We strongly urge that every tenant should have contents insurance (see below). Council tenants may make insurance claims against the Council for any damage that the Council causes to the tenants' possessions, or injury to the tenant or members of their family. As an example, if a Council tradesman were to hammer a nail into the wall and inadvertently burst a pipe which resulted in the floor being flooded and ruining the tenant's carpet, the Council would be responsible for the cost of replacing the carpet as clearly the action has been negligent. However, there are a variety of other issues for which the Council may not be negligent. For example, if there is a particularly bad storm which lifts a tile off of a roof and as a result water comes through the roof, through the ceiling and damages a bedroom carpet, the Council would claim that it has not been negligent as it could not have prevented that from happening. Under such circumstances the Council would seek to reject any such claim. Can I get contents insurance from you? Yes. You can get an insurance application form by contacting the Customer Service Centre on 0800 085 65 75 or from any local housing office. See also the Contents Insurance page for more information about the scheme, back to top Garages Yes. You will need to complete a Garage Application Form available from the Customer Service Centre or any local housing office. If a garage is not immediately available in your area of choice, you will be placed on our garage waiting list and will be contacted as soon as one becomes available. Garages must be used solely for storage of a motor vehicle and accessories and for no other purposes. Costs for renting garages are between £9 and £11 per week. Garages can be rented by council tenants, leaseholders and private tenants. Council tenants have priority. Concessionary rates apply to elderly or disabled people. We regret you may only apply for a garage if your rent account is clear. If upon renting a garage, your rent goes into arrears, then the garage will be repossessed immediately. If you are a Private tenant you will be asked to pay one month in advance and must make rental payments by Direct Debit. back to top Applying for Housing How do I apply for Housing if I am not already a Council tenant? You will need to complete a housing application form available the Rehousing Unit at Housing Services based at the Civic Centre. Once completed, you should return it to the Rehousing Unit . See also: Applying for Housing Section back to top Anyone aged 16 and over living in or outside the Hounslow Borough can apply for housing accommodation. back to top Transfer You will need to fill in a transfer form which can be obtained from the Customer Service Centre or at any local housing office. Once completed it should be returned to the Customer Service Centre who will consider your application and advise you of your rehousing priority (banding). There is a whole section on how to transfer in Applying for Housing. back to top When can I apply for a transfer? At any time. However, the opportunities for transfers are very limited due to the short supply of council housing. There are other options available such as Mutual Exchange. An exchange matching service is available called Homeswapper. Registration is currently free, and all applicants must register online. Go to Homeswapper.co.uk for more information or to register online back to top See Applying for Housing Section The central lettings agency called Locata has been set up to offer people more choice on where they would permanently like to be rehoused. This mean that you the choice of where you want to move instead of us deciding where to rehouse you. Hounslow, Harrow, Hillingdon, Ealing, Brent and three Housing Associations (Paddington Churches Housing Association, Ealing Family Housing Association and Paradigm Housing Group) have joined together to offer people more choice. Locata will advertise properties and match people to homes. A free Locata Homesheet is published every two weeks. You can bid for up to three properties and will need to make your bid before the deadline stated in the fact sheet by marking the number of the property on your coupon. You can also bid by text or online See Housing contacts section To find out more about the Locata scheme you can log onto www.locata.org back to top All applications are placed in four priority bandings: Bands A, B, C or D and appropriate bedroom categories. Priorities are registered according to the date the applicant was placed into that Band. The Locata free sheet advertises properties on a regular basis every two weeks. You are expected to bid for properties from the free sheet. These are available from all local Housing Offices and libraries and on the internet. back to top I have medical problems and I need to move urgently. What should I do? You will need to complete a medical assessment form and return it to the Customer Service Centre. This will be sent to the District Medical Officer who will assess your case and you may be awarded a greater priority due to your condition. You will be notified of the outcome in writing. back to top Vacating Property I want to give up my property. How much notice do I need to give? You are required to give a full four weeks notice period. back to top Will I be charged for 4 weeks if I can only give one week's notice? Yes, unless there are exceptional circumstances such as transfer or the death of a tenant, when we may be able to accept one week’s notice. In all other cases the full four weeks notice period is required. You should notify the Customer Service Centre immediately if there are exceptional circumstances. back to top I want to give my up property - what do I need to do? Contact the Customer Service Centre immediately and complete a Termination of Tenancy Form providing your forwarding address and any other relevant details. You must ensure that rent is paid up-to-date when the tenancy ends and that the property is left clear of any rubbish or damages as these may be recharged to you and you will be invoiced for them. The Customer Service Centre will give you a date that the keys to the property must be handed in by. This date is always a Monday At the end of the notice period you must hand in your keys at your local Housing Office, before 12 noon on a Monday. If the keys are returned after this time you will be charged a further weeks rent. back to top How do I receive £100 for giving four week's notice? You may be eligible for a £100 bonus if you give four week’s notice of giving up your tenancy. Certain terms and conditions apply, please contact the Customer Service Centre to find out more. back to top My partner has left the property. What will happen to our joint tenancy? Notify the Customer Service Centre immediately. If you are joint tenants and one of you terminates the tenancy, the whole tenancy comes to an end. You will be allowed to stay and enter a new tenancy agreement. If the accommodation size is not appropriate the remaining occupant(s) will be required to transfer. You will need to complete a Transfer of Tenancy form. Both tenants will need to arrange to visit their local housing office to meet with their Estate Manager, who will check the form and explain the procedure. The tenant leaving the property must agree to give up all rights to the tenancy, (unless there is a court order in place) back to top My wife has died and we were joint tenants. Can I still live in the property? Yes. We will need a copy of the death certificate and you will have to fill in a Transfer of Tenancy form to bring our records up-to-date. Contact the Customer Service Centre to request a form. back to top How do you deal with properties when the tenant has just died? The Estate Manager will check to see if anyone is entitled to succeed to the tenancy as defined in the Housing Act 1985: “A person is qualified to succeed the tenant under a secure tenancy if they occupy the dwelling house as their only or principal home at the time of the tenants death and either - a)they are the tenant’s spouse, or b)they are another member of the tenant’s family and have resided with the tenant throughout the period of twelve months ending with the tenant’s death; Unless in either case the tenant was a successor” Please contact the Customer Service Centre for more information If there is no succession and the next of kin has not come forward, a Notice to Quit will be served on the Executors/Administrators of the deceased estate. Once an agreement is reached with the Executor, the tenancy can be terminated. See Housing contacts section back to top I have noticed a property has been empty for a considerable length of time. What can be done? Hounslow Homes will try to establish if the property has been abandoned. A Notice to Quit will be served on the property and legal proceedings will be taken to recover possession. A small number of properties are empty for repair before the next tenant moves in. If you think a property has been abandoned, please inform the Customer Service Centre. back to top My parents, who were both joint tenants, have died. Can I get the tenancy in my name? Normally, there is only one succession allowed per household. For example, your mother succeeded to the tenancy upon your father’s death and consequently she died. You will not then be entitled to succeed to the tenancy as one succession has already taken place. However, there are very limited exceptional circumstances. In all cases, you must contact the Customer Service Centre, who will be able to advise you. back to top My mother has died and was the sole tenant. Can I get the tenancy in my name? Providing you meet the criteria for succession as defined in the Housing Act 1985: “A person is qualified to succeed the tenant under a secure tenancy if they occupy the dwelling house as their only or principal home at the time of the tenants death and either - c). they are the tenant’s spouse, or d). they are another member of the tenant’s family and have resided with the tenant throughout the period of twelve months ending with the tenant’s death; Unless in either case the tenant was a successor” Please contact the Customer Service Centre for more information You may be entitled to succeed to the tenancy. However, if the property is too large for your needs, you will be required to transfer to a smaller accommodation. Please contact the Customer Service Centre and request a succession form. We must serve you with a Notice of Seeking Possession between 6 and 12 months after the death of your mother on the grounds that the property is too big for your needs. An alternative suitable offer will be made to you. If you refuse to move then Court proceedings can commence against the property you occupy. back to top Abandoned Cars How do I report an Abandoned Car? Contact the Customer Service Centre to report an abandoned car. They will need to know:
The details will be passed to an Estate Monitoring Officer who will investigate and either contact the owner or arrange for its removal. back to top Estate Cleanliness See Caretaking section back to top The staircase to my block has not been cleaned for weeks. Who do I report this to? The general cleanliness of estates and blocks is very important to us. Caretakers operate in most blocks and try to ensure that estates are kept clean and tidy. If you recognise your caretaker, then you can report this directly to them. If not, please contact the Customer Service Centre who will refer your enquiry onto the Caretaking Team as soon as possible. Your report of any problem will enable us to deal with it promptly See Caretaking section back to top Decoration Allowance I have a new tenancy and I am getting a decoration allowance. How long will I need wait for this? You will get your decoration allowance approximately 6 weeks after your tenancy has started. This will be by cheque. However, if you are in rent arrears this payment will be off-set against your arrears and you may get a less than you expected. back to top I am have just received my decoration allowance payment but I don't have a bank account. What can I do? You may do the following: Provide two forms of ID. One of these must be your Tenancy Agreement. Bring them to St Catherine’s House and a letter of authority will be given to you to take to the HSBC Bank, Bedfont or Hounslow branches. You will then be able to cash the cheque. back to top Keys - Security/Fob Keys to Estates How can I get a fob or security key for my block? Contact your local Housing Office, they will give you a fob or security key for your block. Fobs or security keys cost between £8 - £10. You will have to pay this before a key is issued to you. You will also be asked to bring some form of I.D. before we hand over your keys. Will staff from Hounslow Homes ever need access to my home? From time to time we may need to gain access to your home to undertake surveys. This could be for a number of reasons: -
Should we need to gain access to your property to undertake survey work the surveyor will carry identification or should have a pre-arranged appointment. Do not allow any person into your home if they do not carry the relevant identification. If you are in any doubt please contact your local housing office immediately. Can I get help maintaining my garden? We are able to offer garden maintenance for those elderly tenants who are not capable of doing the work themselves. It is not possible to offer this service to all our elderly tenants so to qualify tenants must meet the following criteria:-
The garden maintenance covers the cutting of grass and any hedges but does not include the maintenance of bushes, shrub beds and trees. In addition, extra work is often required to a garden before it is added to the list. If necessary, this work will also be carried out as a 'one off' only, prior to the maintenance outlined above. Communal gardens are automatically tended as part of the garden maintenance programme. The garden maintenance is carried out by a contractor appointed by the us who will have appropriate identification. It is important that you ask to see this before allowing any workmen into your property. Works are carried out 3 times a year, usually in the spring, summer and Autumn. We have a fixed budget every year in order to carry out this work and it may not always be possible to include everyone who applies on the current list. A Waiting List is therefore held in date order of registration. If you feel that you meet the criteria for garden maintenance, then please contact the Customer Service Centre and request an application form. What happens if a property I am living in is acquired by the London Borough of Hounslow? If a property is acquired by the London Borough of Hounslow, in some cases arrangements may be made for demolition. As part of this action we intend to support residents in a number of ways, including re-housing you. Residents wishing to be re-housed into public sector rented accommodation will be given priority on the Housing list. You can choose to rent Council Housing or a property owned by any of the Registered Landlords. If you are moving because the Council has plans to redevelop your home, you are able to claim certain expenses to help you such as disturbance allowance. See below for details. Removals
Disconnecting appliances Don't forget to arrange for final readings to be taken of gas and electricity meters. You will probably need to give at least 48 hours notice to the gas and electricity companies. Housing benefit and council tax You must inform the Benefits Service of any change of address. If you already receive housing benefit or council tax benefit, you must tell the Benefits Service your new address as soon as possible, to make sure you continue to receive all that is due to you. Remember, housing benefit is payable on your principal address, so you must move into your new property as soon as possible. Handing in keys You will need to agree with your local Area Office the date to hand in keys to your old property. It is important that you hand your keys in as soon as possible after you leave so that we can arrange to have certain services like your water supply, disconnected. Home loss and disturbance payment You can claim a cash advance once you know you are moving. This is to help with payments you might need to make to removal firms, or to have your telephone disconnected and reconnected at your new home. You must save all your receipts so that you can claim back the cost of moving home. A cheque will be sent to your new address. When you hand in your keys to your old home you need to complete the home loss form so that the Housing Office can arrange to have your compensation processed. A cheque for this will be sent out to your new address. How will major works being carried out on my on my home effect me? When we carry out major works to your home we try to arrange them so you can remain in your home whilst the works are being carried out. In the unlikely event that you have to leave your home temporarily, we will charge you the same rent you would have paid if you remained in your home. We would arrange temporary accommodation having regard for your needs. You might be entitled to disturbance allowance. Contact your local Area Office for more information. back to top |
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