TENANT HANDBOOK Information about your tenancy and Link s services
Get in touch We are open Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm For genera enquiries, ca us on 03451 400 100 (oca rate from andine and mobie) Text us for a ca back on 07557 183553 For rent enquiries, ca us on 0330 3030 801 (oca rate from andine and mobie) Fax us on 01324 417184 Emai us at csc@inkhatd.co.uk Write to us at: Link Housing Association Ltd. Wating House Caendar Business Park FALKIRK FK1 1XR Out-of-hours gas boier and heating repairs Less than a year od ca Devine Energy on 0131 660 2299 Over a year od ca Gas Sure on 01294 468113 Other out-of-hours emergency repairs For the West and Centra regions ca 0800 783 7937 For the East region ca R3 on 03000 999247 Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/linkgroupltd Foow us on Twitter @Link_Group_Ltd www.inkhousing.org.uk 1
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1. Wecome 6. Repairs and Maintenance Wecome to Link...5 How to report a repair...29 About Link...6 Right to repair...32 Repair responsibiities...33 2. Service Standards Improvements to your home...34 Our commitment to you...7 Aterations to your home...35 Customer care...8 Medica adaptations...35 Compaints and feedback...10 Repair FAQs...36 Safety in the home...37 3. Your Tenancy Your rights and responsibiities...11 7. Get Invoved Moving in...13 Why get invoved...39 Being a good neighbour...14 Ways to get invoved...40 Anti-socia behaviour FAQs...16 Communa areas...17 8. Housing Options Pets and pests...18 Rent a property...41 Change in circumstances...19 Buy a property...42 Ending your tenancy and moving out...20 9. Compiments and Compaints 4. Rents and Services Compiments...43 Ways to pay...21 Compaints...43 Paying your rent...22 How do I compain...44 Hep with paying your rent...23 What happens when How your rent is set...23 I have compained...45 5. Rent FAQs...24 Money Matters Money and benefits advice...25 Energy saving advice...26 What if I am sti dissatisfied...45 Reporting significant performance faiures...46 10. Usefu Information Hep with getting onine...27 Loca councis...47 Usefu numbers...48 Moving checkist...49 Notes...50 www.inkhousing.org.uk 3
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Wecome Wecome Wecome to Link Our Tenant Handbook has been produced by tenants and staff to cover a the important information you need to know throughout your tenancy. The handbook sets out our customer care commitments to you and your responsibiities as a tenant. We hope you find it a usefu guide to ensuring your new home meets your expectations and that you can easiy access information about our wide range of services. We aso send out newsetters throughout the year to give you up-to-date information on what Link is doing. We recognise that iving in a safe, secure and warm home is important to the quaity of ife of you and your famiy. We wecome and vaue your interest and contributions to hep infuence and shape the services we provide. Maureen Middeton Director of Housing Services www.inkhousing.org.uk 5
About Link Link Housing Association Ltd. was formay estabished in 1962. Now, over 50 years ater, it is one of the argest organisations of its kind in Scotand. Link is governed by a vountary Board of Management which meets every month to discuss the business and performance of the organisation. Tenants and non-tenants make up the Board membership. Link Housing Association Ltd. is part of the Link group of housing, support and regeneration companies which offers a wide range of services to over 11,000 famiies and individuas in 26 counci areas across Scotand. WHAT WE DO As your andord, we are responsibe for the day-to-day management of your home. We provide: Housing management services to over 6,500 tenants in both genera needs and shetered housing Property management / factoring services to 5,000 owners Money and wefare advice services OUR VISION AND VALUES Our vision is to be a provider of choice and exceence in the deivery of a wide range of sociay incusive regeneration, housing and support services. Our phiosophy vauing peope providing homes buiding communities working together Our vaues Our vaues underpin a our activities, working practices and strategies Responsibiity - We a take responsibiity for our actions Empathy - We work hard to understand how peope fee as individuas and treat them with dignity Socia Impact - We strive to ensure there is a positive socia impact from our activities and work with others who share our aims Participate - We are proactive in providing opportunities for peope to engage with us and hep us improve our services Equaity - We are a equa and different and we aim to provide incusive environments for work and for iving Chaenge - We chaenge ourseves and others towards exceence and innovation in a we do Transparency - We wish to be open and honest about what we do and how we do it 6 03451 400 100
Service Standards Our commitment to you Service Standards We are committed to providing an efficient and customer-focused service and are responsibe for making sure that our services meet the standards and outcomes detaied in the Scottish Socia Housing Charter. (An outcome is the resut we shoud achieve for you as our tenant.) The Charter aims to improve the quaity and vaue of the services we provide and supports the Scottish Government s aim to create a better and safer Scotand. Our performance is monitored by the Scottish Housing Reguator and we wi report back each year to et you know how we are doing. The Charter sets out: what standards of service and resuts you shoud expect from Link that we shoud focus on services and resuts which matter to you The Charter covers: equaities communications participation quaity of housing repairs, maintenance and improvement estate management, anti-socia behaviour, neighbour nuisance and tenancy disputes housing options access to socia housing tenancy sustainment vaue for money rents and service charges For more information on the Charter visit www.housingcharter.gov.uk www.inkhousing.org.uk 7
Customer care We have deveoped customer service standards as part of our commitment to put you first and deiver services that are accessibe to everyone. We wi: treat you with respect and in a professiona manner ensure your needs are identified and understood and try to see things from your point of view respect your right to confidentiaity and keep your persona information secure in accordance with data protection egisation make copies of our poicies avaiabe on our website and in printed form on request ensure we use pain Engish in any correspondence and it is concise, accurate and jargon free provide information in arge print, Braie or audio tape or use transation services for customers whose first anguage is not Engish encourage and seek your feedback on services you have received ensure our offices offer equa access for a our customers inform and consut with you when there are changes to the services you receive keep you up-to-date with reevant information via newsetters, our website and socia media maintain your property to a high standard, making sure it is warm, secure and comfortabe ook after common areas so that you have a peasant environment in which to ive 8 03451 400 100
CONTACTING US We have improved our response times for genera enquiries to a maximum of 3 days for phone cas if you ask for a ca back. We wi respond within 3 days where possibe and no ater than 5 days to e-mai and written correspondence. If it s going to take onger we wi acknowedge your query or make a phone ca to advise you how ong it wi take us to respond. If you ca us, we wi: Answer the teephone within 20 seconds when the office is open Respond to teephone messages, eft on our voicemai faciity when the office is cosed, within four hours of opening the next working day Ca you back, if you have asked us to, within 24 hours where possibe and no ater than 3 days Service Standards If you write to us, we wi: respond within 3 days where possibe and no ater than 5 days to e-mai and written correspondence If it s going to take onger we need to issue an acknowedgement or make a phone ca to advise the correspondent Incude a contact name and teephone number, together with any other information needed (eg reference number) If you emai us, we wi: acknowedge receipt of your emai within 24 hours respond within 3 days where possibe and no ater than 5 days to e-mai and written correspondence VISITING YOU We wi: aways wear an identification badge and, where appropriate, wear Link branded cothing offer appointment options when we need to visit your property or you request a home visit eave a card if you are out when we visit to et you know how you can re-arrange your appointment work with reputabe contractors who work to our customer care standards www.inkhousing.org.uk 9
Compaints and feedback We aim to get our services right first time. We encourage you to et us know by phone, emai, surveys, etter or face-to-face what you thought of the service you received. We are especiay deighted to hear when we have got things right. If you fee that our service has et you down and you want to make a compaint then pease foow our compaints process which can be found on page 43. We have a number of ways for you to provide feedback as part of our tenant participation activities. See Get Invoved section on page 39. The feedback you provide heps us earn from mistakes and improve the services we provide. 10 03451 400 100
Your Tenancy Your rights and responsibiities Your tenancy agreement, usuay caed a Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreement, is a ega contract between you and Link. It contains the rights and responsibiities you have (as the tenant) and Link has as your andord. Your Tenancy YOUR RIGHTS You have the right to occupy your home as ong as you compy with your Tenancy Agreement. Faiure to do this may ead to you being evicted from your home. To ensure this doesn t happen you must: pay your rent keep your property in good order be a good neighbour not get invoved in crimina activity If you provide fase information to secure a tenancy you are at risk of eviction If you have a joint tenancy, both tenants have equa rights and are responsibe for the tenancy Members of your househod may have the right to take on your tenancy. This is caed succession or assignation. See page 19 for more information. If you started a tenancy before 1 January 1989 you may have the Right To Buy your property You have the right under Data Protection aw to obtain copies of any of our poicies or any information we hod on you You have the Right to Repair see page 32 for more information You may have the right to subet or exchange your property You have the right to be invoved in Link s decision-making processes If you have any questions about your rights, pease speak to your Housing Officer. www.inkhousing.org.uk 11
YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES Link expects you to: pay your rent on time treat staff and neighbours with respect occupy your property as your ony, or principa, home make sure that anyone iving with or visiting you respects the terms of your Tenancy Agreement report any repairs prompty keep your property in good order aow access to your property for any repairs, checks or panned maintenance work request permission for any aterations you want to make to the property keep your gardens and/or common areas, drying greens or back courts tidy request permission for and contro any pets by preventing them from fouing common areas put a waste in the bins provided, return bins to the proper pace after they have been emptied and keep communa bin areas tidy not to use communa areas or stairs to store bikes, pushchairs or furniture or dump rubbish avoid disturbing neighbours with oud and persistent noise, particuary ate at night and eary in the morning avoid smoking before and during any visits by Link staff and ventiate your home where possibe otherwise they may decide not to enter your home or may cut short a visit if they are concerned at the amount of smoke apparent at the time OUR RESPONSIBILITIES We aim to provide you with a high quaity home, which has been buit (and wi be ooked after) to the highest standard This incudes ensuring your home is in good decor, cean and secure and the gas, eectricity and heating is good working order. We wi issue you with a copy of the standards our properties shoud meet when you sign up for a new property. We wi inform and consut with you on the rent increase and on any changes to the service you receive We monitor and report how we perform on the outcomes set in the Scottish Socia Housing Charter, and consut with tenants to make sure this happens z If you are a Shetered Housing tenant you wi receive additiona information about your home and our services. If you have moved into a property which is in a new deveopment pease refer to the New Home Manua which you wi have received separatey. This gives you information on the key features of your new home. 12 03451 400 100
Moving in We wi visit you within the first six weeks of your tenancy to see how you are getting on and to answer any questions you may have. Nevertheess, you can request a visit from your Housing Officer at any time. To hep you sette into your new home quicky and easiy, beow is a handy checkist of the things you need to do when you move in. Make arrangements to pay your rent. Put your spare set of keys in a safe pace as we do not keep dupicates. Choose and register with a gas and eectricity suppier. Make sure you give a meter reading. Gas and eectric cookers must be fitted by a suitaby quaified engineer. Contact your oca counci and register for Counci Tax. You are required to pay this from the date you move in. Contact your oca counci to make caim for Housing Benefit and Counci Tax Benefit (if appicabe). Organise home contents insurance see beow. Contact your preferred teephone provider who wi advise how to get connected. If appicabe te your doctor, dentist, chidren s schoo, empoyer, DVLA, TV icensing, and bank that you have moved. A handy checkist of other peope you may want to contact is on page 49. 4 Your Tenancy HOME CONTENTS INSURANCE Link is not responsibe for insuring the contents of your home you are. We are ony responsibe for insuring the buiding (and some fixtures and fittings). If your home is affected by fire or a burst pipe (or fooding from another property) it coud mean financia disaster and emotiona trauma if your carpets, curtains, cothing, furniture and persona beongings are damaged or destroyed and you do not have home contents insurance. Ca Link s Customer Service Centre for advice and specia deas with recommended providers. Insurance costs from as itte as 50p per week. www.inkhousing.org.uk 13
Being a good neighbour How you get on with your neighbours can be one of the most important factors in determining whether you are happy in your home. We must remind you that any nuisance in or around your home, caused by yoursef, famiy members or visitors, is a breach of your tenancy agreement. You can avoid probems by considering how your behaviour affects others just foow these do s and don ts. DO take your turn at ceaning stairs and common areas (you wi be informed if you have a stair ceaning contractor) cose gates and doors behind you (particuary when controed entry systems) take responsibiity for your chidren, pets and any visitors to your home put your rubbish and recycing in bins provided DON T pay music or your teevision oudy eave any rubbish or buky items in common areas use househod appiances (ike vacuum ceaners or washing machines) ate at night or eary in the morning 14 03451 400 100
Anti-socia behaviour and neighbour disputes We define anti-socia behaviour in two categories serious and ess serious. serious anti-socia behaviour, incudes crimina activity, drug deaing, vioence or threats of vioence, verba abuse, vandaism and graffiti ess serious anti socia behaviour incudes neighbour disputes over parking, noise, eaving buky items in communa areas We do not toerate harassment or anti-socia behaviour and take a reports very seriousy. STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR PROCESS If you have been disturbed by a neighbour and it is mid or a one-off occurrence pease first speak to your neighbour and et them know that they are disturbing you. They may not be aware that their behaviour is affecting you. It is important you report any crime to the poice. Your Tenancy If the behaviour persists, contact Link s Customer Service Centre and report the detais of the incident e.g. date, time and an incident number (if you had to ca the poice). This wi be passed to your Housing Officer, who wi then ca you to discuss the incident. Your Housing Officer wi then speak to the other person concerned about the disturbances and may issue a verba warning. If there has been a breach of tenancy, we wi remind them of their obigations. We may aso have to invove environmenta heath, socia services or the Poice. If there is no breach of tenancy and the situation is a cash of ifestyes or personaities, we can offer mediation to hep resove the situation. If the disturbance continues or gets worse, we wi work with you and others affected, to coect diary entries and proof from either the Poice or other witnesses. Once proof has been coected about the disturbances we wi progress through our anti-socia behaviour procedure by issuing written warnings and ook at ways to address the person s behaviour. Your Housing Officer wi keep you up-to-date with progress. If we have foowed our procedures and exhausted a measures avaiabe we may take ega action. We wi need detaied accounts from the peope affected and you may be required to appear in court and give evidence. The information is presented to the Sheriff who wi then determine whether the offending tenant shoud be evicted. Ony a Sheriff has the power to end a tenancy so the information you provide is very important. www.inkhousing.org.uk 15
Anti-socia behaviour frequenty asked questions? Q My neighbour is causing oads of hasse why can t you evict them? A Ony a Sherriff of the court can evict a tenant by aw. We need detaied evidence from witnesses to take a case to court. Q Why do I have to do a the work for you to evict someone? A We are not witness to the anti-socia behaviour so you have to provide first-hand accounts of what has happened. We wi coate a reports of anti-socia behaviour and submit them for any subsequent ega action. Q I m afraid to ca the poice or report anti-socia behaviour in case it backfires what shoud I do? A We cannot pursue any course of action uness there are corroborated reports. A compaints to the poice, Link or any other agency are treated in compete confidence and fu support wi be given during any investigations. A referra can aso be made to Victim Support Scotand. 16 03451 400 100
Communa areas ESTATE MANAGEMENT We reguary inspect the common areas in our deveopments. This is to ensure safety and security and that appearances are maintained to appropriate standards. We often carry out these inspections accompanied by tenants who ive in the area. If you woud ike to take part in an estate management inspection pease speak to your Housing Officer. BINS AND RECYCLING We wi te you when and how often your bin coections wi be. You must dispose of any buky items either to a oca community recycing centre or ask your oca counci to coect them. You must not dump items as this is caed fytipping and is iega. Your Tenancy STAIR CLEANING We provide stair ceaning service in some deveopments, which is paid for through your rent. If you have to pay for this service, detais wi be incuded in your service charge. If we do not provide this service, you and your neighbours need to agree a ceaning rota and shoud be prepared to cean the stairs at east once a week. STAIRWELL It is vitay important that you keep the communa are tidy, not just for you but your neighbours too. Fires within common areas are a reguar occurrence and can happen at anytime. To prevent this, we ask you to dispose of any unwanted items in the appropriate manner. If you have any buky or arge items pease contact your oca counci who wi be abe to pick these up for you, usuay at no cost to you. These shoud be taken outside your fat or house on the day of coection and not before. GARDENS We provide a grass cutting service in some common gardens, drying greens and back courts, which you pay for through your rent. If you have to pay for this, detais wi be incuded in your service charge. If we do not provide this service, you and your neighbours are responsibe for keeping the grass cut to a reasonabe height. If you have a private garden you are responsibe for maintaining the garden and keeping it tidy. If you do not do this you wi be asked in writing to make improvements. If you do not do this we wi carry out any necessary work and charge you. FENCING A requests to erect fencing must be made in writing and permission must be granted before purchasing or erecting a fence. A requests in writing shoud be sent to the Senior Technica Service Officer at our Fakirk office. VANDALISM Incidents of vandaism are rare but they do happen. If you witness someone vandaising a property pease ca the poice. If we find out that a Link tenant (or a visitor to their property) caused the vandaism we may take action against them. If you find damage caused by vandaism, pease report it to Link s Customer Service Centre. www.inkhousing.org.uk 17
Pets You must ask Link for permission if you want to keep a pet in your home. If you are aowed a pet, you are responsibe for it at a times ensuring that it does not cause a nuisance to neighbours or damage your property. z If Pests you are a Shetered Housing tenant, and want to keep a pet, pease speak to your Shetered Housing Officer. You are responsibe for keeping your home cean and tidy to reduce the ikeihood of pests such as mice, feas, ants and bedbugs. It is your responsibiity to dea with pest probems in your home. You shoud contact your oca counci s Pest Contro Department to remove any pests some councis may charge for this service. It is our responsibiity to dea with any pest probems in common areas. If pests are getting into your home via damaged windows or doors, pease contact the Repairs Team at the Customer Service Centre. See page 29 for more information. 18 03451 400 100
Your Tenancy Change in circumstances It s important to et us know if someone moves out of your property, if you want someone to move in or you want to transfer your tenancy. TRANSFERRING THE TENANCY You can do this by assignation or succession. Assignation is when you transfer a tenancy to another member of your househod. Succession is when a tenancy is inherited when a tenant dies. Pease check with your Housing Officer to see if you are eigibe for assignation or succession. JOINT TENANCY A joint tenancy gives equa rights to both peope and makes them both responsibe for the tenancy. If you have soe tenancy and you wish to change this to a joint tenancy pease contact your Housing Officer. RELATIONSHIP BREAKDOWN If your reationship with a partner breaks down and you can no onger ive together (and you are joint tenants), you wi have to decide who wi remain iving in the property. If one person is the soe tenant they have the right to remain in the property whist the other does not. Pease contact Link s Customer Service Centre for more information before either person moves out. See Housing Options on page 41 for information if you need to move. www.inkhousing.org.uk 19
Ending your tenancy and moving out HOW TO END YOUR TENANCY If you want to move out you must give us 28 days notice in writing. We cannot accept a termination notice by phone or emai. We wi write to you to confirm the date your tenancy ends and make an appointment to visit you in your home before you move out to check if it is in good condition and to et you know if you need to carry out any repairs or redecorate. If you do not carry out these repairs or redecorate before you move out, we wi do the work needed and charge you. MOVING OUT Ensure your rent is paid unti the date your tenancy ends Ensure your property is eft cean, tidy and in good decorative order Do not eave any persona beongings in the property Return a sets of keys to Link no ater than your tenancy end-date Advise Housing Benefit and Counci Tax offices to et them know you are moving out Take fina meter readings for gas and eectricity and advise your suppier of these Ensure your garden is eft in a neat and tidy condition Ensure any outstanding repairs have been carried out Ensure any gas cooker remova is done by a quaified gas engineer Ensure your property is secure and that a windows and doors are ocked 4 Don t forget to te those isted on page 49 you are moving. ABANDONMENT If we beieve that you are not iving in the property (or have eft without teing us), we can take ega action to end your tenancy. We wi deiver a Notice of Abandonment to the property and give you 28 days notice to inform us you are sti iving in the property. If you do not contact us, we wi serve a second notice which formay ends your tenancy. You have to pay your rent up unti the date your tenancy ends and we wi take action to retrieve any money owed. 20 03451 400 100
Rents and Services Ways to pay There are a number of ways to pay. You can choose the one that suits you best: Pay Pay by Teephone Ca apay on 0844 557 8321, Link s Customer Service Centre on 03451 400 100 or the Rent Enquiry team on 0330 3030 801, to pay by credit or debit card. Make sure you have a note of your apay reference number. by Direct Debit This is simiar to a standing order but you don t need to contact your bank every time there is a change to your rent we do it for you. If you want to set up a Direct Debit or switch your Standing Order then ca Link s Customer Service Centre or the Rent Enquiry team. Rents and Services Pay Pay over the internet over the internet using either a debit or credit card at www.apayments.net. Make sure you have a note of your apay reference number. Pay by Cheque or Posta Order Cheques or posta orders shoud be made payabe to Link Housing Association Ltd. If a cheque is dishonoured, we reserve the right to make a charge against your account to cover bank charges pus handing costs. Pay using the apay app You can downoad the apay app onto your mobie phone make payments this way. You Pay by Cash can pay your rent for no charge in any Post Office, shop or garage which dispays the Paypoint, E-pay, Payzone or apay ogo using an apay card. Any payments you make are appied to your rent account within 24 hours and you wi be given a receipt to confirm payment. www.inkhousing.org.uk 21
Paying your rent Paying your rent is not a matter of choice and it is the most important obigation of your tenancy. If you do not pay your rent, you wi go into rent arrears. If you do not contact Link about missed payments or if you do not keep to an agreement to repay any rent arrears, we wi take ega action to recover the money owed. As a ast resort, we wi evict you from your home and wi ask the court to charge the ega costs to you. If you receive Housing Benefit, it is your responsibiity to make sure prompt payment is made. Contact your oca counci to ensure this arrangement has been made. At present you can ask the counci to pay this directy to Link. If this changes in the future, you must ensure that a payment method is set up to Link. WHAT YOUR RENT COVERS Rent is the main source of income for Link and pays for: Repairs and improvements to your home Managing your home and neighbourhood Paying back oans borrowed to buid and improve our properties. SERVICE CHARGES A service charge is added to the basic rent when you receive services such as: Grounds maintenance of common areas e.g. grass cutting, shrub pruning and itter picking Common stair and window ceaning Lighting of common areas Other services in Shetered Housing. 22 03451 400 100
Hep with paying your rent If you can t pay your rent or you have difficuties paying, pease ca us straight away. The earier you te us about your situation, the easier it is to hep you sort the probem out. Not paying your rent puts your home at risk. We take rent arrears very seriousy and, whist we are keen to hep and understand difficut situations, we have strict procedures to dea with them. We wi try to work with you by teephone or visiting you at home. If you do not work with us to hep resove your rent arrears we wi take prompt ega action, which coud ead to eviction. We can refer you to our Advice Service who can provide independent support and information on budgeting and benefit entitement. Refer to Money Matters on page 25 for more information. Do not ignore the probem Do not ignore our etters or teephone cas regarding rent arrears as this wi resut in ega action if you do not contact us Do not borrow money from door-to-door or payday enders as this wi make your debt probems worse due to the high interest-rates you have to pay back on any oans Rents and Services How your rent is set Our aim is to charge rents which peope on a ow income can afford whist maintaining high standards of services and properties. Each year we set our rents in accordance with our rent poicy. We consut with tenants about any proposed changes and these are then approved by Link s Board. We write to a tenants giving 28 days notice if there are to be any changes (these usuay take effect as of 1 Apri each year). If your tenancy started before 1989, your rent is set by an Independent Rent Pane. This is known as Fair Rent. If you want further information on how your rent is set, pease contact Link s Customer Service Centre. www.inkhousing.org.uk 23
Rent frequenty asked questions? Q I am having money probems who can I go to? A Link offers a dedicated advice service to a its tenants. If you are having troube paying your rent and woud ike hep, pease go to page 15 for more information. Q I think I am entited to Housing Benefit what do I do? A You shoud appy to your oca counci for a Housing Benefit assessment. This wi ook at your income and advise if you are entited to any benefit. For a ist of oca councis, pease refer to page 47. Q I have received a Notice of Proceedings what does it mean and what shoud I do? A A Notice of Proceedings is the first stage in the ega process that coud resut in your eviction. This is because you have rent arrears and have not contacted us to arrange a repayment. Pease contact Link s Customer Service Centre or the Rent Enquiry team. Q I ve received an arrears etter but I am waiting for Housing Benefit why are you sending me arrears etters? A It is your responsibiity as a tenant to pay your rent. If you are entited to Housing Benefit, you shoud speak to your counci to organise it and make sure it has a the information it requires from you to process your caim. Q Why have I received a reminder etter when I paid my rent ast week? A There may have been an overap between the etter being sent and your rent payment being received. Pease contact Link s Customer Service Centre or the Rent Enquiry team to et us know. 24 03451 400 100
Money Matters Money and benefits advice Our advice service offers free and confidentia wefare rights, money advice and tenancy sustainment services by phone, emai or by visiting you in your home. The service is impartia and focuses on your needs and options. To aow us to make enquiries on your behaf, you may need to compete and sign a mandate agreement. We can hep you with a aspects of wefare reform, benefits and debt incuding: advice and information on benefits and benefit caims, tax credits and charitabe grants competion and progression of benefit caims iaising, mediating and negotiating with the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenues and Customs and oca councis Money Matters Benefit Appeas compaints and disputes negotiating manageabe repayments towards rent arrears or other debts Budgeting advice Debt soutions such as payment pans, Debt Arrangement scheme, Trust Deeds and Bankruptcy Supporting you to access financia education and financia products www.inkhousing.org.uk 25
Energy-saving advice We try to make sure your properties are buit and maintained to ensure they are warm and secure. But there are a number of ways you can keep your energy bis down as we. Turn your thermostat down By turning your thermostat down by ony 1 C you can save up to 65 a year. Beeding radiators and using draught excuders can aso hep to save money. Insta ow-energy ight bubs A 100W ight bub costs up to 3 a day to run. By fitting energy-efficient ight bubs you can save up to 50 a year on your bis and that incudes the cost of the bubs! Remember to switch ights off when not needed. Turn off appiances at the pug, don t eave them on standby. By switching off your TV at the wa you can save up to 40 a year. Doing the same for computers can save up to 27 per year. Set your washing machine to wash at 30 C and aways do a fu oad. Use a bow to wash up rather than eaving the hot tap running. Boi ony the amount of water you need every time you use your kette. Consider using pressure cookers, steamers or microwaves as these use ess energy. Keeping your fridge and freezer fu means they don t have to work as hard and therefore use ess energy. DON T OVER-PAY FOR THE ENERGY YOU ARE USING You shoud be aware that how you pay affects what you pay. For exampe, if you pay via monthy direct debit then you wi be charged ess than if you pay via a quartery bi. You can aso make savings by requesting onine paperess biing, which means you don t have the added cost for administration of paperwork. Pre-payment meters may be the most expensive way to pay for energy. A number of saving options are avaiabe if you shop around for the best tariff or aternative payment methods to suit your needs. For more information contact Link s Advice team. You may be eigibe for the Priority Service Register. This register provides a higher eve of service for those on a pension or for those who require extra assistance with mobiity or have visua or hearing impairment. SWITCHING SUPPLIER Compare gas and eectricity prices to make sure you re on the cheapest tariff for you. To compare energy prices, you wi need to work out how much you are currenty paying for your fue over a set period of time (for exampe, over a month or a year). You can do this by contacting your current suppier and asking it for the information, or by ooking at your previous bis. Once you have estabished what you are currenty paying, you shoud contact aternative energy suppiers to compare their prices. You can do this by phone or by visiting a comparison website such as USwitch. Suppiers can make specia payment schedues for customers experiencing financia difficuties. Pease contact your suppier direct to discuss your options. 26 03451 400 100
Hep with getting onine You may aready access the internet at home through your smart phone or computer and we offer access to services such as paying your rent, reporting a repair or contacting us through our website. We encourage a tenants to consider the benefits of earning to use computers and can provide advice about accessing free WiFi and internet access in oca ibraries and other community faciities. Money Matters Some Shetered Housing compexes offer access to computers and the internet in communa areas. We provide computer equipment and training if you get invoved in Board membership or tenants groups. We aim to make sure everyone has access to and the skis to use information and technoogies such as computers and the internet. We can hep you: Access products and services Look for empoyment opportunities Compete benefit caim forms onine Manage you finances and pay your bis onine Access ways to improve you IT skis such as being abe to send emais and use the internet www.inkhousing.org.uk 27
CONTACT US Ca us from a andine on 01324 417 174 Emai us at AdviceServiceTeam@inkhatd.co.uk Write to us at Advice Service Wating House Caendar Business Park FALKIRK FK1 1XR 28 03451 400 100
Repairs and Maintenance How to report a repair You can report a repair in a number of ways: We are open Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm Ca us on 03451 400 100 (oca rate from andine and mobie) Text us for a ca back on 07557 183553 Emai us at LHARepairsteam@inkhatd.co.uk Compete the repairs form on our website www.inkhousing.org.uk/repairs/about-you/ (non-emergencies ony) Out-of-hours gas boier and heating repairs Less than a year od ca Devine Energy on 0131 660 2299 Over a year od ca Gas Sure on 01294 468113 Other out-of-hours emergency repairs For the West and Centra regions ca 0800 783 7937 For the East region ca R3 on 03000 999247 Pease note if you ca out an emergency contractor for a routine repair you may be charged for the cost of the ca-out. Repairs and Maintenance z If you are a Shetered Housing tenant, your Shetered Housing Officer can report and monitor repairs and maintenance on your behaf. TENANTS OF NEW HOMES If your property is ess than 12 months od, or it has had major work during the past 12 months it is in a defects iabiity period. This means the buider is responsibe for competing any repairs for 12 months after the property is competed / refurbished. If you report a repair we wi advise the buider / contractor to compete it. They have the same timescaes to attend to these repairs as we do. However, if the repair is minor (and wi not cause further damage) the buider wi probaby carry this out at the end of the defects period. For more information, pease refer to your New Home Manua. www.inkhousing.org.uk 29
WHAT YOU NEED TO TELL US We want to get things right first time so the more information you can give us about the probem, the better our chances of getting the repair done quicky and effectivey. The detais we need are: Your name, address and contact teephone number The nature of the probem Does it affect your home ony or common parts of a cose or bock? When can you provide access for an inspection and/or the repair to be carried out? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A REPAIR IS REPORTED Once you have reported a repair we wi te you if it is an emergency, urgent or routine repair. The type of repair wi determine how ong we have to respond and compete the repair (where possibe). Response Category Response Time Definition Exampes Emergency Within four hours Repairs that require immediate attendance to ensure the safety of tenants and the security of the property Tota oss of water or eectricity, tota oss of heating (in cod weather), serious roof eaks, breaches of security to outside doors and windows Urgent Within three days Repairs that require attention to prevent further deterioration to the property or undue risk or inconvenience to the tenant Pumbing eaks, centra heating fauts, bocked drains, minor eectrica fauts Routine Within 10 days Any other day-to-day repairs Genera joiner repairs kitchen fittings, interna doors etc, minor pumbing repairs 30 03451 400 100
APPOINTMENTS We wi ask you when you woud you ike an appointment. Where possibe we wi offer an appointment to suit you. If you are unabe to be at home for the appointment pease try to arrange for a famiy member, friend or neighbour to be there so that a tradesperson can get in to carry out the repair. Sometimes a repair wi need additiona materias to aow competion. If this happens we wi carry out a temporary repair whist we wait for the materias to be deivered. We wi te you if there wi be any deay to competing the fina repair and wi make another appointment to compete it. If a tradesperson fais to attend an appointment as arranged, pease et us know right away. WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A REPAIR IS COMPLETED? Repairs and Maintenance Once a repair has been carried out we wi ask for your feedback on the repair and the service you received. We woud appreciate your co-operation to answer a few questions, either by teephone or during a visit to your property, about the way your repair was handed to hep us improve our service. www.inkhousing.org.uk 31
Right to repair Some emergency and urgent repairs are covered by Right to Repair reguations set out by the Scottish Government. When you te us about a repair, we wi te you whether it fas under this scheme. Right to Repair means: If quaifying repairs are not attended to within the timescaes, you have the right to appoint another contractor to carry out the work agreed. We can give you contact detais of our approved aternative contractor. We wi pay for quaifying repairs up to a maximum vaue of 350. You are eigibe for compensation if the repair is not carried out within given timescaes (assuming that reasonabe access has been provided). We wi pay 15 compensation for the initia inconvenience pus 3 for every additiona day unti the repair is competed (up to a maximum payment of 100). Description of Quaifying Repair Response Time in Days Bocked chimney fue to open fire or boier 1 Bocked or eaking fou drains or toiet pans (where there is no other toiet in the house) Bocked sink, bath or drain 1 Loss of eectricity 1 Partia oss of eectricity 3 Insecure externa window, door or ock 1 Unsafe access path or step 1 Significant eaks or fooding from water or heating pipes, tanks, cisterns 1 Loss or partia oss of gas suppy 1 Loss or partia oss of space or water heating (where no aternative heating is avaiabe) Toiet not fushing where there is no other toiet in the house 1 Unsafe power or ighting socket, or eectrica fitting 1 Loss of water suppy 1 Partia oss of water suppy 3 Loose or detached banister or hand rai 3 Unsafe timber fooring or stair treads 3 Mechanica extractor fan in interna kitchen or bathroom not working 7 1 1 Pease refer to the, Right to to Repair eafet in in your wecome pack or or contact the the Repairs Repairs Team for Tfurther eam for information. further information. 32 03451 400 100
Repair responsibiities Whie the majority of repairs are Link s responsibiity, there are some that are yours. Pease note that this is not a fu ist. If you are not sure about a particuar repair, contact the Repairs Team at Link s Customer Service Centre. REPAIR LINK YOU MORE DETAILS Repacing gass in windows 4 Uness the breakage was caused by you, your famiy or a visitor Repacing ost keys and cost of re-entry if tenant ocked out 4 Maintaining heating appiances 4 Maintaining sanitary ware 4 Maintaining chimney fues 4 It is your responsibiity to sweep your chimney if you have one Decoration and repair of common areas incuding coses 4 A interna decoration 4 Repacing ight bubs 4 Cearing bocked waste pipes 4 Uness it is caused by careessness Damage caused through negect or misuse of the property by the tenant famiy or visitors Ceaning common areas ike coses and staircases where Link does not provide a ceaning service 4 4 Repairs and Maintenance Smoke Aarm battery 4 Athough Link wi assist if the aarm is inaccessibe Pest and vermin contro 4 Link wi repair the buiding to prevent pest ingress, if required www.inkhousing.org.uk 33
Improvements to your home PLANNED MAINTENANCE Each year, items such as externa doors and windows, centra heating systems, kitchen units and bathroom suites are renewed when they reach the end of their usefu ife. This is caed panned maintenance. If your property is due to have any panned maintenance we wi write to you in advance to et you know a the detais. Once the work has been competed we wi carry out a post-work inspection to make sure it is up to standard and ask the contractor to attend to any fauts (if required). If your decoration and / or foor coverings, except for aminate paced by a tenant, are disrupted by the work in your home we wi pay you a standard aowance. Here are detais of what we woud repace or upgrade: Kitchen kitchen units and worktops incuding the stainess stee sink, taps, water pipes, washing machine vaves and waste pipes eectric extractor fan eectrica power sockets wa tiing between worktop and the bottom of kitchen wa units. Bathroom bath (or shower cubice), provide or renew eectric shower unit, wash hand basin a together with WC, water and waste pipes. wash hand basin and toiet if you have a second toiet. eectric extractor fan in main bathroom (and second toiet, if you have one). Provide decorative, waterproof boarding in pace of tiing around bath, shower and wash hand basin. Eectric Storage Heating Systems eectric storage heating system and, if possibe, repace it with a more energy efficient system. Boier or Fu Gas Heating Systems gas boier programmer/time-cock water pump thermostatic radiator vaves. Doors and Windows externa doors windows within your home. Other Maintenance externa and interna common area painting gas servicing fire aarm maintenance estate management repairs such as fencing and guttering. 34 03451 400 100
Aterations to your home If you want to make any aterations to your home, you must write to Link to ask for permission. We wi not give permission if the ateration is ikey to make your home unsafe or coud cause structura damage. You must aso write to Link if you want to insta aminate fooring. We wi ony give permission for cick fooring (not gued aminate) and ony if you insta additiona soundproofing (if you have downstairs neighbours you must insta additiona sound proofing). This fooring is aid at your own risk. If a repair is required which invoves ifting the fooring Link wi accept no responsibiity for any damage incurred during the process. If the necessary repair is extensive, you wi be asked to organise the ifting and reaying of your fooring. If the aminate fooring is in exceent condition the incoming tenant wi be asked if they woud ike the fooring eft. If they agree, it wi be their responsibiity to maintain. If they do not want it, it is your responsibiity to ift and dispose of it and repair any damage made to the foor before you move out. If you terminate your tenancy, it is your responsibiity to reinstate the property to its origina condition. If you have made improvements to your home you may have a right to receive compensation at the end of your tenancy. Pease read, Right to Compensation for Improvements eafet in your Wecome Pack the right to compensation ony appies to improvements carried out after 30 September 2002. Repairs and Maintenance Medica adaptations We are committed to heping you stay in your own home for as ong as possibe. If you require your home to be adapted (such as a handrai at the entrance to your property or a shower unit instead of bath), you shoud first have an assessment carried out by one of your oca counci s Occupationa Therapists. They woud then make an appication for an adaption to us on your behaf. Loca counci contact information can be found on page 47. Each year we receive funding for medica adaptations from the Scottish Government and aso set aside some of our own money to add to these funds. Nevertheess, due to imited funds some appications for adaptations may take priority over others. For further advice, pease contact Link s Customer Service Centre. www.inkhousing.org.uk 35
Repairs frequenty asked questions? Q Can I make an appointment for a repair? A Yes, we can arrange an appointment at a suitabe time for you. Q When am I getting my kitchen/heating/bathroom upgrade? A We produce a five-year pan to et you know when upgrades are happening and wi write to you in advance of the work starting. Q How ong does a repair take to be competed? A When you report a repair you wi be given a cear timescae in which the repair shoud be carried out. If the repair has not been done in the timescae you shoud contact our Repairs Team. Q I m not happy with the repair, who do I te? A If you are unhappy about the standard of work carried out you shoud contact the Repairs Team. The repair may be inspected by one of our buiding inspectors. Q My property is ess than a year od shoud I report defects/repairs to the contractor? A You shoud sti contact the Repairs Team at LInk s Customer Service Centre. This appies to out-of-hours emergencies as we. 36 03451 400 100
Safety in the home GAS SERVICING Gas servicing is essentia to ensure the boiers and fires in your home are safe to use and are operating efficienty. Fauty appiances can produce dangerous eves of carbon monoxide which can prove fata. We have a gas servicing programme which ensures every appiance and gas instaation is checked and serviced at east once a year. It is vita that you aow access to our gas servicing contractors when your appointment is schedued. If the appointment you have been given is not suitabe, pease contact the gas servicing contractor or Link s Customer Service Centre to make another arrangement. Faiure to do so may resut in forced access to the property where you wi then be iabe for the additiona costs to gain entry. Pease do not paint gas fire casings or surrounds as this can be a fire hazard and may give off poisonous gases. If you woud ike further information, pease contact the Gas Servicing Team. ASBESTOS We hod a register which records the presence of any asbestos-containing materias in your home. In order to maintain the register we reguary survey and update the information we hod. We wi make you aware if any asbestos exists and any actions that may be necessary to ensure it remains in a safe condition. We want to reassure you that if you receive a etter to say that asbestos-containing materias have been found in your home, we wi manage and monitor them on your behaf. Repairs and Maintenance Materias containing asbestos are perfecty safe as ong as they are not disturbed, for instance, by driing, cutting or rubbing where dust has been created. We ask that if you pan to carry out any DIY in your home, and you think you have asbestos present, you shoud contact us for advice. If you are due to have work carried out in your home by a Link tradesperson they wi make additiona protection and preparation before work commences and wi advise if this extra work wi affect you. www.inkhousing.org.uk 37
BURST PIPES Most properties can be affected by burst pipes when unoccupied during cod weather. Athough pipes are insuated, they can sti freeze in exceptionay cod weather. To prevent this happening keep your heating on at a very ow setting or turn off the mains water suppy at the stop-cock. If a pipe bursts you shoud: 1. Turn off the mains water suppy at the stopcock 2. Turn off any centra heating boiers or eectric immersion heaters (uness you are certain that the burst is ony on the mains suppy pipe) 3. Turn on a taps to drain your storage tank 4. If water comes into contact with any eectrica fittings, switch off the eectricity suppy 5. Teephone our Repairs Team 6. Warn any neighbours who might be affected 7. Try to store some water in the bath or another arge container so that you have water for fushing the toiet, washing, etc., unti the burst is repaired CONDENSATION MOULD Condensation occurs when warm moist air contacts a cod surface and can aso occur through any activity that creates steam. The main sources of condensation are bathing, showering and cooking; drying cothes indoors; and using unvented tumbe driers. Condensation causes dampness that can ead to the growth of moud. If moud occurs then this can be ceaned using an appropriate househod ceaner and damp coth (do not to use beach as this may damage cooured paint). To hep reduce the risk of condensation in your home: Keep a window open when drying cothes indoors Don t dry cothes over warm radiators If you use a tumbe dryer, pace the exhaust hose out of a window Keep kitchen and bathrooms we ventiated and cose the doors when cooking or bathing Keep ids on pots and pans If you have an extractor fan use it; if it is not working contact Link s Repairs Team Make sure air can circuate behind furniture and inside wardrobes Keep your home warm and aow air and sunight in. 38 03451 400 100