Thursday, 09 February 2012

Ask the Experts (650)

Posted in: Need to Know

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Discussions Ratings Posts Last post
Information on damp 1 Last Post By steve king 08/02/2012 4:24 pm
Problem tenants 3 out of 5 stars 108 Last Post By F451 08/02/2012 3:21 pm
Benefit levels 5 out of 5 stars 27 Last Post Posted Anonymously 08/02/2012 10:55 am
Static rent arrears 1 Last Post By keepingitreal 06/02/2012 9:04 pm
Mutual excahnge and new tenancies 13 Last Post By Laurence Nasskau 06/02/2012 5:53 pm
Council leader given tenancy under homeless legislation 0 n/a
Provsion of Affordable Housing Through Section 106 Agreements 0 n/a
under occupy 2 Last Post By Spellbinder 01/02/2012 4:19 pm
Uninhabitable Property 0 n/a
am i homeless 0 n/a
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tags Accountability, advice, affordable housing, Allocations, antisocial tenant, arrears, Best Practice, care and support, careers, comment, council, council housing, councils, discrimination, discussion, eviction, HA renting, help, homelessness prevention, Housing, housing association, housing associations, housing policy, rent, urgent

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  • From steve king, 08/02/2012 4:24 pm in Information on damp

    With respect Sam, how accurate do you think 'statistics' are likely to be, as HAs tend to record damp as condensation and blame the tenants lifestyle for the problem.

  • From F451, 08/02/2012 3:21 pm in Problem tenants

    Here here mrkfm

  • posted Anonymously, 08/02/2012 10:55 am in Benefit levels

    anon 10:18

  • From keepingitreal, 06/02/2012 9:04 pm in Static rent arrears

    I'm no expert but I would treat these arrears as any other debt would be treated. Social Landlords could take good practice from the private sector when it comes to debt collection, and be proactive rather than reactive. For example, I once got two credit card bill mixed up and paid the wrong bill, just two days later the bank were on the phone asking me not, could I pay, but when I was going to pay and how much I was going to pay. I am certain that if this sort of approach were taken towards arrears, tenants ...

  • From Laurence Nasskau, 06/02/2012 5:53 pm in Mutual excahnge and new tenancies

    Of course the changes will have an impact on Mutual Exchanges. Most of the posts here refer to security of tenure although Paul's question was about mutual exchanges.  I am redrafting our Mutual Exchange Policy and asking our Exec to consider the impact that affordable rents will have - i.e.  If you have a social rent and exchange into an affordable rent tenancy, you take on that tenancy including its rent.

  • From Spellbinder , 01/02/2012 4:19 pm in under occupy

    If you mean are you breaching your tenancy by underoccupying, then the answer is no. 

  • From David Blythen, 30/01/2012 8:33 pm in Should separate Communal areas have separate electricity meters?

    @Will Nixon,

  • From Eddie Blaze, 30/01/2012 10:24 am in Advice about change of use

    Thanks for your response. 

  • posted Anonymously, 28/01/2012 8:00 pm in Being forced into private rented accomodation

    Sounds like you have gotten some very poor advice from the LA. When you went to court ( I take it you were on a Assured Shorthold tenancy or a licence?) did you mention that the LA had told you to stay put until the landlord evicted you? Unfortunately you are in the world of temp accommodation, where the local housing allowance is king. It might be the council is paying the max permitted for that property £900 and the new couple are covering the shortfall? As for the Housing Officer leaving....housing has massive turn over of staff, the ...

  • From Blair Mcpherson, 27/01/2012 10:31 am in Surveying Elderly and people with Learning Disabilities

    Best practice is don't ask too much, don't ask too often, don't get too defensive but most of all tell people what has changed as a result of their feedback. Any system of getting feedback needs to be supplemented so an annual survey needs to be supplemented by a more indepth approach to explore some of the issues coming out of the mass survey for example a focus group.