Welcome to your new home - information about your home

Please take the time to sit down and read through it carefully. It should only take a few minutes but will ensure that your bills are up to date and that you have everything in place to enjoy your new home.

If you have any questions or are struggling to pay your rent or bills please contact our Welfare Advisors on 01296 732600.

Where to find us

Our address is: Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 2NJ.

Our offices are currently open: Monday to Thursday: 8.45 am to 5.15 pm Friday: 8.45 am to 4.45 pm.

Ways to get in touch

Customer Contact Centre: 01296 732600

If we are busy, we operate a call-back service. You simply leave a message and your contact details and we will call you back. You even retain your place in the queue.

Text: 07786 203 126 Email: contact@fairhive.co.uk Repairs hotline: 0800 542 8904

The Repairs Hotline is available 24 hours a day – this line will only deal with repairs.

Utilities –your water, gas and electric

Don’t forget to register your details with the supplier of your water, gas and electricity.

You are responsible for paying your utility bills (they are NOT included in your rent), so to avoid receiving large bills you should provide this information on the day your tenancy starts. This date can be found on your tenancy agreement.

What you need to do:

•Take meter readings on the day that you move in.

•Register with a utility company to pay your gas and electricity.

•Choose your own supplier and shop around for the best deal or switch to another utility company if you would prefer.

•Consider a monthly payment plan for budgeting.

Save money:

•If you choose a combined bill, this may provide a saving.

•If you choose paperless billing, this may provide a saving.

•If you choose to pay by direct debit, this may provide a saving.

•If you choose to pay as you go you must request a payment key from your supplier which can be used at any PayPoint.

•Consider a smart meter which tracks the amount of energy that you use on a daily basis. You should request one from your chosen supplier.

Check websites for price comparisons:

www.uswitch.com www.ukpower.co.uk www.comparethemarket.com/energy

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

fairhive.co.uk

Utilities –your water, gas and electric

Gas and Electricity Suppliers

These are the major six providers, there are more which can be found on the price comparison websites.

British Gas

New customer enquiries: 0800 980 6005

Existing account enquiries: 0800 048 0202

E.On

All enquiries: 0333 202 4610

Scottish Power All enquiries: 0800 027 0072

Npower

New customer enquiries: 0800 156 0056

Existing account enquiries: 0800 073 3000

Southern Electric

New customer enquiries: 0800 980 2475

Existing account enquiries: 0800 980 8476

EDF Energy All enquiries: 0800 056 7777

If you wish to know who your current energy supplier is, contact the meter number helpline on 0870 608 1524 (please note that this is a chargeable number).

Water

Depending on your new address, you need to register your account with Thames Water or Anglian Water.

This can be done online by visiting: www.thameswater.co.uk T: 0800 980 8800 or www.anglianwater.co.uk T: 0345 791 9155

If you are a single occupant, check that you have a water meter installed as this may save you money. If a water meter cannot be installed, check with your service provider for eligibility for low rate tariff schemes.

To help you budget you can pay by direct debit, or monthly instalments or request a payment card.

Remember

To run your taps for five minutes after moving in or after long periods of absence from your home to remove any stagnant water from the system.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600 Facebook.com/hellofairhive @hellofairhive@hellofairhivefairhive.co.uk

Legionella – What it is and how to stay safe in your new home

What are the risks with legionella?

Legionnaires’ disease is a form of pneumonia that is contracted by breathing in small droplets of water contaminated with legionella bacteria. It is not due to drinking contaminated water but is caused by stagnant water entering your lungs.

To reduce the risk of legionnaire’s bacteria build-up in your new home, follow these simple steps and checks:

• Keep hot water temperatures stored at a minimum of 60C on the boiler or hot water tank. If the hot water is not heating properly or if there are any other problems with the system please inform us. Call us on 01296 732600 or email contact@fairhive.co.uk

• Regularly descale the shower head and shower hose, as well as any others taps and faucets within the property.

• Little used outlet needs to be flushed through every 7 days for several minutes and especially when returning from a holiday of more than 7 days. This ensures water cannot stagnate. If an outlet has not been used for a long time then you may need to run the water for longer to flush the outlet. Please take care when flushing these outlets to avoid splashing or creating a spray that could be breathed in.

• Remove garden hoses from outside taps after use and ensure the hose is empty of water.

• Ensure shower heads are not left inside the bath or reach the plughole of the bath. They should be fixed back to the wall bracket.

• If you have a water tank in the loft, ensure the lid is secured tightly and is the right size for the tank. This avoids debris entering the water supply.

• Remove the flexible filling loop hoses that are used to fill up your central heating system pressure (if you have one). These should be left disconnected when not in use and can be kept near the valves that are used to connect it.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600 Facebook.com/hellofairhive @hellofairhive@hellofairhivefairhive.co.uk

Council Tax

You will need to register for Council Tax with your local authority.

•Are you living alone at the property?

•Are you the only person over the age of 18 living at the property?

If yes, you can claim single person discount which is a 25% reduction off your bill.

If you are claiming Welfare benefits, you may also be entitled to a Council Tax Reduction.

Depending on your address, you can apply with your Local Authority online at:

www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/section/council-tax T: 01296 585858

www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/council-tax T: 01442 228000

www.southnorthants.gov.uk/info/12/council-tax T: 01327 322322

www.southoxon.gov.uk/services-and-advice/ council-tax-and-benefits/council-tax T: 01235 422422

Let’s talk Rubbish

Don’t forget to order your bins through your local council if your property does not have them when you move in. Councils will normally charge for these. Please contact our Welfare Advisors on 01296 732600 if you are struggling to cover these costs as you may be eligible for financial assistance.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600 Facebook.com/hellofairhive

@hellofairhivefairhive.co.uk

Rent

Paying your rent should be one of your main priorities when it comes to dealing with bills and other debts and non-payment can lead to you being evicted from your home. This is always a last resort for us and we will work with you as much as possible to prevent this from happening, however we can only offer help if we have your full co-operation.

How you can pay your rent

Direct Debits are quick to set up and easy to manage. Please complete the Direct Debit Mandate in this pack and return it to us.

If you are unable to set up a direct debit, alternative payment options include:

•Standing Order

•allpay cards – once registered can be used at Paypoint (cash only), via text, & the allpay app for smart phones

•Telephone lines open 24/7, call us on 0844 557 8321

•Post office - cash, debit card and cheques

If you have any problems paying your rent, contact your Rent Advisor as soon as possible on 01296 732600.

Switch and Stick

It pays to switch to Direct Debit or Standing Order. Pay your rent using one of these payment options for three consecutive months without falling into arrears and you could win shopping vouchers worth £250 in our quarterly prize draw.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

@hellofairhivefairhive.co.uk

Facebook.com/hellofairhive

Housing Benefit / Universal Credit

Do you need to claim for help with your housing costs?

You can apply for housing benefit online by claiming through your local authority:

www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/section/benefits T: 01296 585858

www.dacorum.gov.uk/home/benefits/housingcouncil-tax-benefits/apply-for-housing-benefit T: 01442 228000

www.southnorthants.gov.uk/info/16/housingbenefits/119/make-a-housing-benefit-claim T: 01327 322 322

www.southoxon.gov.uk/services-and-advice/ council-tax-and-benefits/benefits/apply-benefit T: 0345 302 2313

If you are claiming Universal Credit, please contact our Welfare Advisors on 01296 732600 who can advise on how to claim the Housing Element or contact your local Job Centre Plus office.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600 Facebook.com/hellofairhive

@hellofairhivefairhive.co.uk

Changes to Housing Benefit and Universal Credit

As you are signing a new tenancy with us, we would like to make you aware that there will be some changes to the way Housing Benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit is calculated from April 2019.

These changes may not affect you, however this information, may be useful if your situation changes in future.

What is changing?

From April 2019, if you live in Social Housing, the amount of help you get towards your rent, either through Housing benefit or Universal Credit, may be capped at the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate that applies to you. This could mean a drop in the amount of help you get.

This is because changes mean that if the amount you are entitled to under the LHA rules is less than the amount you would get under the ‘Bedroom Tax’ rules, the help you get will be based on the lower amount.

So, if the LHA rate applicable to you in your area is lower than the amount of help you are entitled to at the moment, and you have no change in your circumstances, you may see a reduction in the help you can get from April 2019.

The LHA rates vary year to year, you can check the LHA rates for your area online at: https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/search.aspx

What do I need to do?

If your situation changes before 01 April 2019 and you think you may be affected, we advise to check your budget and see if you will be able to afford any shortfall in your rent.

If you think you may have some financial difficulty, do not delay and contact our Welfare Advisors on 01296 732600 to book an appointment for an affordability check.

What can our Welfare Advice service offer you?

•Affordability checks •Financial budgeting •Welfare Benefit advice. •Debt advice

•Job club - CV writing / Interview techniques/ Job Search.

Call us today on 01296 732600 for further information or to make an appointment for assistance.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

Facebook.com/hellofairhive @hellofairhive@hellofairhivefairhive.co.uk

Application to pay housing or garage rent by Direct Debit

Name(s): Address of property/garage that this mandate is for:

Please arrange for rent due on the above tenancy to be paid by Direct Debit in accordance with the Instructions on the form below. I/We would like monthly payments to be taken on (✓)

Preferred day of month

Please tick if you are in receipt of Housing Benefit

Daytime Phone Number: (in case of any queries)

We offer monthly direct debit payments on the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th. When the chosen date falls on a weekend or public holiday we’ll take payment the next working day. We also offer weekly direct debits to those who aren’t on housing benefit and will be collected on Mondays.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO PAY YOUR RENT BY YOUR USUAL METHOD UNTIL YOU HEAR FROM US.

Please fill in the form and return to Fairhive Homes Ltd, Finance Section: Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury, HP20 2NJ (reply paid envelope enclosed).

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society:

To the Manager: Bank/Building Society:

Postcode: Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Branch Sort Code

Society account Number

Originator’s Identification Number

Reference: (Rent)

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to Pay by Direct Debit

Please pay Fairhive Homes Ltd Direct Debits from the account detailed in this instruction subject to safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee.

I understand that the instruction may remain with Fairhive Homes Ltd and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Signature (s): Date:

The Direct Debit Guarantee

• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.

• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, Fairhive will notify you 5 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you ask us to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit either by us or your bank or

building society you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid.

• If you receive a refund from Fairhive Homes Ltd you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when asked to.

• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also contact us on 01296 732600 to confirm that your Direct Debit has been cancelled.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

@hellofairhivefairhive.co.uk

Facebook.com/hellofairhive

Budget Sheet

Outgoings (weekly/monthly)

Budget Sheet

Priority debts

Fairhive

Starter tenancies

What is a starter tenancy?

We give all new tenants an assured shorthold tenancy, known as a ‘starter tenancy’. Starter tenancies last a year, during which time you must show that you can keep to your tenancy conditions.

If you breach the terms of your tenancy during the first year, the starter tenancy may be extended or terminated. We will serve you a legal notice to give you 2 months notice to leave the property.

Why do we have starter tenancies?

We use starter tenancies to help us deal effectively with antisocial behaviour and tenants who repeatedly break other conditions of their tenancy agreement.

Starter tenancies are an opportunity for you, your family and your visitors to show that you understand what it means to be a responsible tenant.

Who gets a starter tenancy?

Any new applicants seeking general needs accommodation with Fairhive, who do not hold a full assured or secure tenancy will be issued a starter tenancy. Therefore, if you are living with family or friends, lodging, are homeless, privately renting or you have not held a tenancy elsewhere you will be granted a starter tenancy.

Monitoring the tenancy

As a new starter tenant you will have at least two home visits in the first year of your tenancy. If you have particular need for support you may see your Neighbourhood Manager more frequently.

If there are problems with your tenancy we will make it clear what you need to do to put things right, and will help you to access any additional support you need. However, if things do not improve, we will take action which could lead to you losing your home.

Fairhive Homes Ltd

House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

What is a lettable standard?

This is the minimum standard of repair you can expect to find when you move into your new home.

It is also the minimum standard that we expect the property to be in when your tenancy with us ends.

It is important that you follow this guidance as you may be re-charged for the costs of repairing any damage or maintenance work that is your responsibility.

What we don’t do

There are some things you might inherit from the previous resident and also some things you will need to take care of because we cannot do it for you.

We don’t:

•Connect your washing machine

•Connect your cooker – this must be done by a competent person

•Register you with utility suppliers – you must arrange gas, electricity and water

•Decorate your property – it is your responsibility to keep your property in good decorative order

•Remove floor coverings left by the previous resident if they are in a reasonable condition e.g carpet, laminated or wooden flooring. It will be your responsibility to maintain these in future

•Remove or demolish garden buildings if in reasonable condition. You will be responsible for maintaining them

•Remove outside concrete bases if in reasonable condition

What we expect from you

It is your responsibility to report any necessary repairs to us promptly – as well as to keep the property clean and in good decorative order. You are also responsible for maintaining your garden area as well as hedges and trees.

Please note that it may be necessary to carry out some repairs after you have moved in. These will normally be garden clearances, replacements where materials are on order, and external repairs. We will agree with you what these repairs are and when they are to be carried out.

Furnished tenancies

If you have a furnished tenancy the standard offered may be different. This will be explained to you by your Allocations and Lettings Advisor.

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

@hellofairhive

Facebook.com/hellofairhive

What is a moving out standard?

This is the standard that we expect you to leave your property in. This would be either before you move to another of our properties, or leave Fairhive altogether.

Before you leave

You must allow access before you leave your home for your property to be inspected. You will be notified of any repairs or improvements you must make.

After you leave

Once you have left your property it will be inspected again to ensure that any repairs that you were requested to undertake have been carried out.

We want to provide homes that are safe, secure and clean. Our moving out standard has been agreed by customers and staff. It is a list of all the things we need you to do to help us get the property ready for the next tenant as quickly as possible.

If you move out of your home and have not met the moving out standard, any works we have to do to rectify the property will be charged to you.

You must book a termination inspection once you have decided to move out. If you are unsure about what needs to be done to your property in order to avoid a recharge, your Allocations and Lettings Advisor will be able to advise you during your termination inspection.

Fairhive Homes Ltd

House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

If your property does not meet the standards outlined and there is evidence of damage, neglect, or misuse, we will charge you the costs of getting the property up to the required standard.

Utilities & Services

✓ Ensure gas cards and key/fobs (communal) are left in property

✓ ✓ ✓

✓ ✓

Leave meters debt free

Notify utility providers when your tenancy is ending and provide a meter reading

Re-direct your post and Council Tax

Notify Housing Benefit of your move

Contact phone company

Door & windows

✓ Ensure property is left secure with all doors and windows shut

✓ Decoration

Return front door keys and/or communal keys to Fairhive and leave all other keys in kitchen drawer ( back door, window/ patio)

✓ Repair any damage, for example holes or cracks in walls

✓ Floors

Ensure property is in good decorative order (neutral colour and no torn/soiled wallpaper)

✓ Remove floor coverings, except vinyl, unless you have been given permission to leave it

Bins

✓ Leave your recycling bins at the property, as they belong to AVDC

Garden – outside/space

✓ Ensure any grass is cut and outside areas are left clean and tidy

?

Cleaning

✓ Remove all belongings

✓ ✓ ✓

Wash down kitchen cupboards and worktops

Clean toilet, bathroom fittings and tiles

Wipe clean fixtures and fittings, window sills and ledges, radiators and pipes, doorframes and handles, picture rails, skirting boards and fire surrounds

Fairhive Homes Ltd Fairfax House, 69 Buckingham St, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ | Tel 01296 732600

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Miscellaneous

Clean inside windows

Sweep and clean floors

Clear loft areas

Empty and clean garage

✓ Please note you will not be able to gain access once your keys have been returned

✓ Alterations

Furnished tenancies - leave all furnishings

✓ Non standard electrical fittings must be returned to original, for example any light fittings or switches you have had installed (if you are unsure, please speak to us first)

✓ ✓

Non standard or glass doors must be returned to full wooden doors (missing doors replaced, including handles)

Any fixture and fittings you have removed or damaged must be replaced

✓

Any alterations made without our written approval must be returned to their original state

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