Tenancy and estate management policy

Tenancy and estate management policy

1 Purpose of this policy The tenancy and estate management policy explains how we (Solihull Community Housing) will do the following on behalf of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC). Manage secure tenancies and assured tenancies in accordance with their tenancy agreements which are supported by the housing acts 1985 and 1988. Ensure that all tenants (where appropriate) are advised of their responsibilities as our tenant or as a tenant of SMBC in accordance with their tenancy agreement. Manage SMBC s housing stock and be responsible for protecting the integrity of its tenancies and supporting the creation of stable and sustainable communities through efficient and effective tenancy and estate management services. Maintain the physical condition, appearance and general repair of the land and property we manage on behalf of SMBC to an acceptable standard (including communal areas). 2 Policy statement We aim to achieve excellence in tenancy and estate management by providing a service to our tenants and residents of Solihull that ensures their living environment is clear of litter, free of graffiti and vandalism and that contractors deliver their services in line with our service standards. We aim to ensure tenants and residents of Solihull are included in service development and contract monitoring, thus improving services and increasing value for money. We aim to manage breaches of tenancy and protect the integrity of our tenancies and SMBC s housing stock and waiting lists. The aims of the Tenancy and Estate Management team are shared and supported through the Antisocial Behaviour (ASB) and Environmental Policy Development Panel which is made up of residents (tenants and leaseholders) and staff. 3 Scope The scope of the policy will cover all aspects of tenancy and estate management that affect the tenancies, land and property we manage. 2

To deliver this we will: liaise with contractors and service providers to ensure continuous maintenance of the land and property we manage. Specifically this will include: cleaning contractors SMBC s Community Services Department in relation to street cleansing and waste and recycling services and their contractor Enterprise regarding landscape maintenance accept that services to tenants cannot be delivered in isolation from the wider community and recognise that the Solihull borough is a multitenure estate. As such, issues affecting the wider community will be raised with partner agencies and where appropriate directly with the individual or household concerned ensure that legislative changes will be reflected in current and future procedures so that tenants responsibilities are defined and that clear service standards remain up to date and in line with best practice enforce procedures for ensuring that tenancy obligations are fulfilled and that any tenancy management related breaches that are identified or reported to us are dealt with appropriately ensure that all procedures continue to reflect the work required and that financial and budgetary controls are adhered to, and that effective monitoring takes place deliver environmental improvements identified from estate inspections and via tenant wish list requests arising from an annual bidding process communicated through the tenants newsletter. These improvements will be delivered in partnership with Groundwork UK and other partner agencies effectively manage the CCTV Monitoring Centre to identify perpetrators of fly tipping, graffiti and other nuisance behaviour and support our partners in identifying criminal activity and underperformance of our contractors staff. We will also look to develop the CCTV system further to take in wider community safety issues and to support our partnership role as identified at Community Tasking. 4 Definition of common areas The responsibilities for common areas are set out in the tenancy agreement between us and our tenants. The responsibility of leaseholders is set out in their lease. 3

Common areas include: specific areas linked with blocks of flats or grouped dwellings, both internally and externally open space that we manage internal areas like the communal entrance doors, stairs, corridors, lifts, sheds, drying areas and facilities for refuse disposal external areas like bin areas, sheds, drying areas, the footways we manage, grassed or landscaped areas, garage sites and forecourts, parking areas, fencing and walls. 5 Tenancy and Estate Management team The Tenancy and Estate Management team (predominantly Tenancy and Estate Management Officers, Area Caretakers and Anti-Graffiti Operatives but with support from the ASB Team specifically in relation to ASB) will provide services in communal areas to tenants and leaseholders that will support day to day living. Their functions include: regular estate inspections: reporting and referring issues that affect the upkeep of the environment and sustenance of tenancies holding consultation events when and where necessary in high-rise blocks at least every six months identifying hotspots and ongoing monitoring reporting repairs, abandoned cars and animal fouling responsibility for the fire integrity of high- and low-rise blocks playing a pivotal role in the monitoring of the communal cleaning contract removing bulk refuse reporting and removing fly tipping and actioning accordingly reporting and removing graffiti reporting noxious substances undertaking minor communal repairs, for example latches, gates, fencing and groundwork inspecting, monitoring and reporting on contractor performance liaising with appropriate colleagues, partners and agencies within and outside of Solihull Community Housing (SCH). Following the introduction of CCTV to all high-rise blocks of flats (the installation of CCTV was finished on 31 March 2007) the CCTV Monitoring Centre is effectively a pivotal part of the Tenancy and Estate Management team, despite being staffed by a contractor. Operationally, the Tenancy and Estate Management team will also work collaboratively with Pinnacle PSG Ltd, SMBC s Streetcare, Neighbourhood Management and Waste and Recycling teams, Enterprise, Groundwork Birmingham and Solihull and Solihull Police. The Tenancy and Estate Management team operate in accordance with their procedures and our health and safety policies. 4

6 Monitoring Environmental crime issues are monitored by the Tenancy and Estate Management Officers. This policy will join up the work delivered by Tenancy and Estate Management Officers, Area Caretakers, the ASB Team, CCTV Monitoring Centre staff and the Anti-Graffiti Team (AGT) by working with partner agencies who sit on the Community Tasking Group, Solihull s ASB Steering Group and other parties who support us to deliver a good neighbourhood standard. Tenancy and Estate Management Officers are responsible for enforcing the conditions of tenancy and monitoring contractor performance, and will monitor activity and outcomes of actions across the borough through regular estate inspections to all roads depending on their environmental need. Areas of enforcement include: unlawful subletting lodgers left in occupation abandoned properties condition of property (internal) abandoned vehicles criminal damage graffiti untidy gardens abandoned animals, animal fouling and animal nuisance fly tipping fire hazards, for example storage of flammable or toxic materials including storage of mini-motos in flats. Day to day monitoring of estates through cyclical inspections, adhoc visits and the use of the CCTV Monitoring Centre will ensure continuous improvement in tenancy and estate management. Performance reporting on all aspects of the tenancy and estate management service to the ASB and Environmental Policy Development Panel will ensure our tenants are at the forefront of our drive to improve standards within the Tenancy and Estate Management team. Service standards are in place for the work of the Tenancy and Estate Management team, Area Caretakers and the AGT. Service level agreements are monitored regarding the delivery of environmental maintenance and graffiti and fly poster removal for SMBC. These are reviewed and monitored by officers and by the ASB and Environmental Policy Development Panel. Procedures and exchange of information protocols have been established between us and external partner agencies (for example the Police) in relation to information captured by CCTV. Monitoring Centre staff also inspect the internal and external communal areas of high-rise flats twice daily to help with the effective deployment of Area Caretakers to keep areas tidy. Breaches of tenancy conditions are reported by CCTV Monitoring Centre staff via a formal reporting mechanism. 5

Environmental improvements delivered in partnership with Groundwork UK will be considered, approved and overseen by residents who sit on the ASB and Environmental Policy Development Panel. 7 Access to services We seek to ensure that all residents have access to our services with policies in place that do not discriminate between tenants, leaseholders and service users that would disadvantage their access to estate management services on any grounds such as race, sex, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religious belief or age. 8 Service improvement The tenancy and estate management service improvement plan drives forward improvements stated in the tenancy and estate management strategy, and cross cuts with other improvement plans and strategies such as the ASB and prevention strategy, the environmental improvement plan and the Leaseholder Management Group. The service improvement plan will enable us to track improvements and monitor value for money from improvements implemented. 9 Resident involvement Tenants, residents and leaseholders are key drivers for the delivery of this policy and associated documents. The ASB and Environmental Policy Development Panel, High-Rise Working Group and local residents groups will determine how the service improves and will be pivotal to supporting our policy development and future actions in order to meet and develop the aims of the tenancy and estate management strategy. Progress reporting will take place through the ASB and Environmental Policy Development Panel and to the wider residents via the tenants newsletter and our web site. 6

10 References and supporting information Tenancy and estate management strategy ASB strategy and policy Tenancy management procedures handbook Tenancy and estate management procedure guidelines Tenancy and estate management service improvement plan and team plan Environmental improvement strategy Monthly legal surgeries Tenancy agreement Service level agreements Protocols Housing Quality Network (HQN) guidance Audit Commission KLOE 6 tenancy and estate management Audit Commission inspection 2005 Audit Commission inspection 2008 SMBC Legal Services Housing Act 1985 Housing Act 1988 March 2011 7