Managing your Occupancy

We manage your tenancy or licence to occupy by helping you manage your rent account and dealing with issues to do with your occupancy.

Managing your rent account

• We can work with you to work out if you are entitled to Housing Benefit and help you fill in the claim forms (we can give you more information about housing benefit) 
• If you agree we will check your Housing Benefit forms and send the forms to the Housing Benefit Office 
• We will offer you different ways to pay your rent e.g. by direct debit or swipe card (see Rent Payment) 
• If you get behind with your rent we will deal with the matter quickly, efficiently, confidentially and in a sympathetic way 
• We will send you a rent statement every three months 
• We will provide rent statements within 10 working days of you asking us for one 
• Our staff can talk about rent issues with you either in your home, over the phone or by e-mail 
• If you are having difficulties paying your rent, we will offer you advice on benefits and dealing with debt or refer you to agencies who will be able to help you 
• We will give you flexible options for paying if you have fallen behind with your payments 
• If your rent account is in credit (for example, because you have paid too much) we will refund the amount it is in credit 
• If you owe rent after your occupancy ends, we will contact you to make an arrangement for you to pay 
• If we make an arrangement with you to pay the rent you owe and you do not keep it, we will use a debt-collection agency.

Occupancy Issues

• If we fail to meet our standards, we may pay compensation (see Compensation) 
• We will deal with complaints (see Feedback) 
• You have a right to see the information we keep on file about you (see Your Personal Information)

Rent and Service Charges

• We will give you 28 days notice before we increase your rent or other charge

How we make sure we meet our standards

• We will collect feedback by asking you to fill in satisfaction surveys so that we know how we are doing.

If you feel that we are not meeting our standards please tell us.