WHAT IS A TENANCY
This booklet has been designed to give some background information on tenancies and what they mean for people.
We have tried to answer some common questions but you may have others which we would be happy to talk to you about.
· Some useful words and what they mean
· What is a tenancy?
· Paying for your home
· Rent
· Looking after your home
· Other things
SOME USEFUL WORDS AND WHAT THEY MEAN
TENANT A tenant is a person who pays rent to live in their home
RENT This is the money you pay to live in your home
LANDLORD This is the person or organisation who
owns your home.
TENANCY This is a written agreement between AGREEMENT you and your landlord. It explains what you have to do and what your Landlord has to do.
SUPPORTED LIVING
This is when:
o you live in your own home which you own or pay rent
o you have support so you can make choices and be independent
o you choose who you live with, where you live, who supports you and how you are supported
WHAT IS A TENANCY?
A Tenancy is an agreement made between you and your Landlord so that you can live in your home. There are some rules in your agreement. They say what you and your landlord must do. You can usually live in your home as long as you want, as long as you pay the rent and keep the rules in your agreement
PAYING FOR YOUR HOME
There are lots of things you have to pay for in your home like:
o Rent
o Gas
o Electricity
o Water
o Council Tax
o Telephone
o Insurance
o TV Licence
o Sky or Cable TV
There are other things you will need money for:
o Food
o Clothes
o Going out with friends for example to the cinema or pub
o Other activities
o Holidays
RENT
You must pay the rent for your home. If you don’t pay you could lose your home.
Some people can get help from the government to pay their rent. This is called HOUSING BENEFIT. You have to complete a claim form to get Housing Benefit so you must do this as soon as you decide to move in. Housing Benefit can be paid directly to your Landlord if you wish.
How much will the rent be?
This depends on the type of house you live in and how many people live there. Your Landlord will tell you how much rent you have to pay and how they worked this out.
Does the rent change?
Your landlord will change the amount of rent you pay every year. They must tell you first if they are going to change the rent.
What is the rent for?
Your Landlord will use the rent to pay for repairs to your home and to pay back any money they borrowed from the bank to buy your home. The rent does not pay for your support or the other bills you have to pay.
RULES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Tenancy Agreement will set out what you must do when you live in your home and what you landlord must do. These things are the rules and responsibilities.
Following the rules will help you to live happily in your home.
If you don’t follow the rules it can be very serious. Your Landlord could ask you to move out. This only happens when you can’t solve the problem any other way. If you have a problem you must talk to your Landlord or your Support Worker straight away and they will help you to sort out the problem.
Here are some examples of the rules you must follow:
You must pay the rent
You must not let anyone else live in your home unless the Landlord has given their permission
You must not make too much noise like playing loud music at night
You must not damage the house or break the furniture in it.
You must keep your home clean and tidy.
LOOKING AFTER YOUR HOME
If something in your home gets broken it will need to be repaired. Your Landlord will repair some parts of your home using the money you pay in rent. The tenancy agreement will tell you what things the Landlord will repair.
Sometimes you will need to pay to repair parts of your home that are your responsibility. Your tenancy agreement will tell you what things you will have to pay for but here are some examples:
o You will have to pay if you damage something on purpose.
o You will have to pay if your friends or family damage something.
o You will have to pay for things that need to be replaced because of wear and tear like light bulbs, plugs for sinks and the decorating inside your house.
OTHER THINGS
There are some other things you should know.
You have the right to be told what is going on. Your Landlord will tell you about any changes that affect you and if they are going to do any repairs to your home. You can then tell the Landlord what you think.
You have the right to make a complaint. If you are not happy with something that your Landlord has done or hasn’t done you might want to make a complaint. You will need to speak to someone about the reason you are not happy. This is often a good way of getting things to change.
Sometimes we all have problems with our neighbours or the people we live with. If you have a serious problem make sure you speak to your Support Worker or your Landlord and they will try to help you sort things out.
DO YOU WANT SOME MORE INFORMATION OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE READ IN THIS BOOKLET?
After reading this information booklet you may have some other questions and the team at Fairoak Housing Association would be happy to discuss these questions with you. Please contact us on:
TEL: 01539 72 00 82
EMAIL:
WRITE: Fairoak Housing Association
155 Highgate,
Kendal
Cumbria
LA9 4EN