Tenant moving in

It is important that empty properties are re-let as soon as possible. When a vacancy occurs, we will contact the relevant service commissioner or care provider to nominate a suitable applicant.

During this period the housing officer will contact you on a regular basis for updates on any suitable applicants that may be interested in the property.
Housing application forms must be completed for the nominated person. We want to make sure the home is the right match for the right person. We will work with you to assess how suitable the property and person is and ensure all parties understand the reason for any refusals which is always the last option for us.

When arranging for the tenant to sign their new tenancy agreement, a date will be set for as soon as possible after the last person leaves. However, this will depend on the interest for the property.

We ask for two weeks’ notice that a new tenant may be moving in to make sure we have the time needed to work through any assessments and prepare the incoming tenant for the move. You will be sent an application form to complete and return as soon as possible. It is important that you tell us at this point if the tenant has the capacity to understand the tenancy agreement and the implications of signing this legal document.

A housing officer will arrange a convenient date with you to meet with the tenant to explain the agreement and for them to sign it if they are happy to do so. It is important that the tenant does not move into the property before signing the agreement as they do not have a legal right to live there until this process has been completed.

Also:

• Our building insurance cover may be negated should anything happen to the building whilst an unauthorised person is living there.
• The tenant would be unable to claim either their full entitlement for Universal Credit or any Housing Benefit without a tenancy agreement
• A Fire Risk Assessment may be needed and moving the tenant in without it could put them at potential risk
• The property may still require essential repairs, again putting the tenant at risk
• The person’s legal rights in respect of the accommodation would be severely restricted.
For these reasons we do not allow emergency placements in our supported living properties.

At the sign up, the housing officer will explain simply the terms of the tenancy agreement.

The tenant will sign the agreement unless they do not have the capacity to do so. If the tenant does not have capacity, the housing officer will explain what they need to ensure that the move is in the best interests of the tenant.

The housing officer will ensure that the correct paperwork has been completed to apply for Housing Benefit or Universal Credit so that rent can be managed correctly from day one.

The tenant can ask any questions or seek any help they may need to support them in their new home.

Rent is due weekly in advance every Monday. Tenants may pay monthly, but this must still be in advance. We will also accept calendar monthly payments and will calculate the amount to be paid, if required.

Rent payment methods
It is the tenant’s responsibility to ensure that the rent is paid in full using one or more of the following methods:

• Housing Benefit direct payments
• Universal Credit – usually paid directly to the tenant, but an application can be made to have payments made direct to the landlord if the tenant is having difficulty making payments
• Direct Debit
• Telephone payments using a debit or credit card.