Rent to Buy Handbook
Welcome to your new home This handbook is intended to help you settle into your new home and to provide you with general information about your property. However, this is not a legal document and should be used in conjunction with your Tenancy Agreement. If you have any questions, please speak to a member of Stonewater Homes.
About Stonewater Stonewater is one of the UK’s most significant social housing providers, with 31,500 homes in England for over 65,000 customers, including affordable properties for general rent, shared ownership and sale alongside specialist accommodation such as retirement and supported living schemes for older and vulnerable people, young people’s foyers and women’s refuges. We offer good quality, affordable housing to people whose needs are not met on the open market. Our 700+ employees embody our values – being ethical, ambitious, passionate, agile and commercial and our vision is simple: for everyone to have the opportunity to have a place they can call home.
About Stonewater Homes Stonewater Homes is a dedicated team within Stonewater looking after our leasehold properties including shared ownership, rent to buy, voluntary right to buy, right to buy, right to acquire, commercial properties and some older person’s schemes. Our schemes are regularly inspected by our staff to monitor the general appearance of communal areas, to ensure the standard of service delivered are being maintained at acceptable levels and deal with any day to day management matters as they arise. Our Customer Contact Team will be able to deal with most of your day to day queries, but will also involve other colleagues when appropriate.
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Customer Contact Team We know from feedback; at times it may be difficult to find time to contact us. As a result, we have extended our opening hours, Monday – Friday: 8am - 8pm as well as opening on Saturdays: 9am – 1pm. The team deal with a range of enquiries including: repairs, defects, paying your rent and management issues. Busy periods are between 9am – 2pm. If your call isn’t urgent please consider using email or by calling during quieter, off-peak times
T: 01202 319119 E: customers@stonewater.org
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SECTION ONE
Repairs and maintenance in your home Defects If you have moved into a new home with Stonewater, under the terms of our contract, the builders have to put right any defects in workmanship which may appear within twelve (12) months of the property being built* and any defects to the services such as heating, plumbing and electrics. Newly built homes may have teething problems and we will do whatever we can to resolve any issues. When you need to report a repair we will aim to identify what the problem is and whose responsibility it is to fix it. Details of repair responsibilities and our repair service standards can be found on www.stonewater.org. Sometimes you may be asked to report repairs direct to our contractors. We aim to carry out repairs as quickly as possible. Repairs are prioritised depending upon: ·· The seriousness of the defect; ·· The impact it will have on the household, and; ·· The potential damage to the property. Repairs are categorised as High Priority or By Appointment. High Priority Repairs – for repairs that could pose an immediate danger or cause serious damage, we will make sure that your home is safe and secure within four hours of reporting it. For other high priority repairs we will make a temporary or permanent repair within 24 hours. If a follow on repair is required then our contractors will arrange a mutually convenient appointment with you. By Appointment Repairs – these are repairs which do not pose an immediate risk to health or safety. To report a defect or repair, please call our Customer Contact Team on 01202 319 119. We will then contact the builder to arrange for them to rectify any problems. Please note, no alteration or decoration should be carried out to your home without first obtaining Stonewater Homes consent. *The defects liability period is generally for 12 months from the date the property was completed.
What can I do to prevent burst pipes? In periods of very cold weather, there are certain precautions you can take to avoid your pipes freezing You should: ·· Turn off all taps at night ·· Repair any dripping taps or running overflows straight away ·· Keep your home warm ·· Make sure you know where the stopcock is for turning off the main water supply in an emergency ·· Leave your central heating on very low even when you are out or away on holiday ·· Turn off the main water supply and hot water and leave taps open if you go away in the winter If one of your taps does burst, you should: ·· Turn off the water at the main stopcock ·· Turn off the immersion heater and the central heating ·· Drain off as much water as possible by turning on all the taps ·· Try to find out where the water is coming from and make temporary repairs ·· If the water is near any electric switch or socket, do not use the socket or switch ·· Call the Customer Contact Team on 01202 319 119 to report the leak
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Please contact us to discuss any matter relating to Rent to Buy.
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Heating/hot water system breakdown prevention Annual servicing of hot water and heating systems is essential in the prevention of breakdowns. You must permit access by Stonewater or our appointed workmen, to enter your home during working hours (except in emergency) or at other reasonable times including weekends to inspect, service, test or repair in order to fulfil any obligations under the Tenancy Agreement or relevant legislation.
Gas Servicing We have a legal duty to carry out a safety check each year to make sure that the gas supply and appliances in your home are in a safe condition. We comply with our responsibilities by undertaking an annual service and safety inspections that includes gas pipework, gas cookers, gas boilers, gas fires and gas water heaters. Our contractor will contact you to arrange a convenient appointment. If you cannot keep this, please contact the gas contractor straight away to arrange another appointment. If you do not allow us access we may have to cap the gas supply for safety reasons and to remove any risks to you or your family. It could also result in us taking legal action against you. Any costs we incur in taking this action will be passed on to you.
Gas Leaks If you smell gas in your home: ·· Turn off your mains gas supply ·· Turn off all gas appliances and extinguish naked flames ·· Open doors and windows and leave your home ·· O nce outside – call 0800 111 999 (do not use your phone inside your home) ·· Do not use electrical switches such as lights
Rent and other bills in your new home Your monthly costs will include: ·· Rent & service charge ·· Council Tax ·· Home contents insurance (which you are responsible for arranging) ·· Gas, electricity & water ·· Telephone bills ·· Other household costs such as TV licence, Broadband and so on Your rent and service charge are due each month on the date your tenancy commenced, in advance by direct debit.
How will my rent increase? Your rent will increase each year in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) plus 1%.
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You will pay service charges to cover the cost of providing services and repairs to communal areas and facilities
Your service charge explained You will pay service charges to cover the cost of providing services and repairs to any communal areas and facilities. The total amount spent on services and repairs for all properties is divided by the number of homes sharing those services. The service charge may be paid to Stonewater Homes or to a Management Company. These services and repairs may include: ·· Cleaning communal areas ·· Grounds maintenance ·· Maintenance contracts for door entry systems ·· Lighting of communal areas ·· Buildings insurance ·· M ajor improvements or repair works such as roof replacement. In some cases, this can be collected by a reserve fund. ·· Management charge and administration charge Your service charge is usually estimated based on the average cost of each element over the last year and any over or underspends are then adjusted accordingly.
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Please contact us to discuss any matter relating to Rent to Buy.
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Arranging and paying for utility supplies and Council Tax We will tell the gas, electric and water suppliers the meter readings on the day you sign your tenancy and pay the bills up to this point. After this, you are responsible for any services relating to the property. Should you wish to change supplier you must provide Stonewater with details of your new supplier and provide us with a copy of your latest statement prior to ending your tenancy. You should contact your Local Authority when you move in as you are also responsible for setting up your Council Tax payments.
Insurance It’s important to have home contents insurance to protect your furniture, belongings or decorations against loss or damage. This could be caused by theft, fire, explosion, lightning or earthquakes as well as water leakage, storm or flood damage. We don’t insure your contents for you, so you will need to take out your own policy in case they are damaged for any of the above reasons. Your insurance will also protect you from claims against you from other people, for example, if your washing machine overflows into another flat or damages Stonewater’s fixtures and fittings. It may also cover you if you lose your keys. We can help you obtain home contents insurance easily and at a price that is affordable. While many people often hope that nothing will happen to their belongings, sometimes things can go wrong unexpectedly.
What can I do about anti-social behaviour? Anti-social behaviour means different things to different people. Anti-social behaviour is a broad term used to describe the day-to-day incidents of crime, nuisance and disorder that make many people’s lives a misery – from litter and vandalism, to public drunkenness or aggressive dogs, to noisy or abusive neighbours. Such a wide range of behaviours means that responsibility for dealing with anti-social behaviour is shared between residents and a number of agencies, particularly the police, councils and social landlords and We will take a reasonable and balanced approach when dealing with incidents of nuisance and antisocial behaviour complying with statutory and regulatory requirements. Effective case management will underpin all activity in how we deal with anti-social behaviour, and the welfare, safety and well-being of victims whose complaints form the basis of any action will be the main consideration at every stage of the process. In the first instance all cases of nuisance and anti-social behaviour should be reported to Customer Contact Team.
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SECTION T WO
Rent to Buy Information What Rent to Buy means for you
How to buy your home?
You are able to rent a home at 80% of the market rent, providing a great opportunity to save towards a deposit to then go on and buy the home you are currently living in.
We will contact you as you are approaching the 4.5 years’ anniversary of your tenancy to establish what your intentions are. If at this time you want to buy, but are unable to do so until year 6, we may give you an extension to save for the remaining funds you need. In these circumstances we will carry out another affordability assessment prior to the extension being granted.
Rents are affordable and set at 80% of the current market rent (inclusive of service charge). This allows you to save towards a deposit to buy your home in the future. Your initial tenancy will be for a period of 18 months through an assured shorthold tenancy agreement. Upon review of the initial fixed term, if you are still enjoying your home and wish to stay you will be granted an extension of up to the total 5 year period.
You are able to rent a home at 80% of the market rent, providing a great opportunity to save towards a deposit to then go on and buy the home you are currently living in.
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If at this time you decide not to purchase, we will give 6 months’ notice to end the tenancy.
Can I sell or rent my home in the future? Once you have purchased their home after the 5 year initial period you may sell or rent out whenever you like without any penalty.
SECTION THREE
Lease agreement information Tenancy information
Key Contacts Stonewater Limited Suite C Lancaster House, Grange Business Park, Enderby Road, Whetstone, Leicester LE8 6EP T: 023 8065 8858 (option 2) E:renttobuy@stonewater.org
An assured shorthold tenancy is one of the most common forms of tenancy and sets out the roles and responsibilities of you and Stonewater as your landlord. The AST will include: ·· the names of all people involved ·· the rent and how it is paid ·· information on how and when the rent will be reviewed ·· the deposit amount and how it will be protected ·· d etails of when the deposit can be fully or partly withheld (for example to repair damage you’ve caused) ·· the property address ·· the start and end date of the tenancy ·· any tenant or landlord obligations ·· an outline of bills you’re responsible for The terms of the tenancy are fair and comply with the law.
Pets Pet will be considered subject to review and consent and should have been declared as part of your application. Any additional pets will need Stonewater’s consent and you must not keep any animal which has been classed as dangerous under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Ending your tenancy
What about my Deposit? Our agents will have registered your deposit with one of the 3 deposit protection schemes approved by the Government. If you complete the purchase of your home at the end of the 5 year period your deposit will be returned to you in full. If you decide to leave the property earlier than the 5 year term or do not choose to proceed with the purchase we may make a claim on the deposit if you fail to return the property to us in the condition is was let to you, minus allowance for fair wear and tear.
Purchase Reward At the end of your 5 year tenancy Stonewater will contribute £100 for every year you have been a Gold Reward customer towards the purchase of your Rent to Buy home. In order to achieve Gold Reward status you will need to have paid your rent on time and conducted your Tenancy in a satisfactory manner. This amount will be discounted from the purchase price and formal offer made to you.
Your initial tenancy is for a fixed 18 month term with no option for either party to break without agreement of the other. If your circumstances change or you are no longer able to remain in the property, you should contact us immediately and we’ll review your request.
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stonewaterhomes.co.uk 023 8065 8858 (option 2)