livin home guide

Your livin home guideA guide to the services provided by livin.

14 A guide to getting involved 1 - 4

16 A guide to moving on 1 - 3

18 Useful contacts 1 - 3

11 A guide to aids and adaptations 1 - 5

12A guide to managing and improving your neighbourhood and communities 1 - 5

13 A guide to tackling antisocial behaviour 1 - 3

17 A guide to ending your tenancy 1 - 3

15 A guide to giving feedback on our services 1 - 5

1 Introduction 1

5 A guide to reporting repairs 1 - 6

6 A guide to gas safety 1 - 5

8 A guide to Legionella control 1 - 2

2 A guide to your tenancy - rights and responsibilities 1 - 7

3 A guide money matters, paying your rent and debt advice 1 - 3

4 A guide to taking care of your home 1 - 4

10 A guide to understanding tenants improvements 1 - 3

9 A guide to dampness & condensation 1 - 3

A guide to asbestos 1 - 57

Contents

You, our tenants, are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to providing you with excellent services and ensuring you can choose to have a say in how we develop your services in the future.

This guide provides a range of interesting and helpful information; it will act as a useful reference guide to living in your home and community. We want you to be settled in your home and make a success of your tenancy.

We provide an “On the phone and in your home” service which means that our teams are on hand to offer advice and support at a time, and location, convenient for you.

Once again, welcome to livin and I hope you find this guide helpful and interesting. Please contact us if you have any questions about your home or the services we provide.

Colin Steel Chief Executive of livin

Welcome to yourlivin home guide

1

2A guide to your tenancy - rights and responsibilities

[email protected] livin.co.uk0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344

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2

IntroductionYour tenancy agreement is a very important

legal document which you should keep safe. It

includes the rights and responsibilities you have

as a tenant and the rights and responsibilities we

have as your landlord.

When you accepted your home you signed a

tenancy agreement. Your tenancy agreement will

be either an “Assured (non-shorthold) tenancy”,

or an “Assured (shorthold) tenancy (starter

tenancy)” or a “Fixed term tenancy” and will be

clearly identified on your tenancy agreement.

As an assured tenant you have the right to live in

your home for as long as you wish, provided that

you keep to the terms of the tenancy agreement.

If you are not going to be living in your home for

any length of time, we need to know. You may

be going into hospital for example, and we need

to know how to get in touch with you and who

will be looking after your home while you are

away.

Brief details of the types of tenancy we use are

noted below.

Types of tenancy

n Transferring assured tenancies

n Assured (non-shorthold) tenancies

n Assured (shorthold) tenancy

(starter tenancy)

n Demoted tenancies

n Fixed term probationary tenancy

n Fixed term tenancy

Transferring assured tenancyIf you were a tenant of Sedgefield Borough

Council at the time of the stock transfer, you have

the same tenancy agreement as an Assured (non-

shorthold) tenant (see paragraph below). However,

you will retain the protected “Right to Buy” your

home that existed at the time of the transfer.

Assured (non-shorthold) tenancyThis is a standard tenancy agreement. It allows

you to stay in your home for as long as you keep

to the conditions of the tenancy agreement.

We will give Assured (non-shorthold) tenancy

agreements to new tenants who have transferred

from another Registered Provider or Local

Authority, and to those tenants who have held

an Assured (shorthold) tenancy (starter tenancy),

with us for 12 months, unless they have broken

the tenancy conditions.

Fixed term tenancyA tenancy is for a predefined fixed period of

time (minimum of five years). Such tenancies will

normally only be offered where a property is let

on an affordable rent basis. The following factors

will apply when making a decision about offering

and/or extending a fixed term tenancy:

n livin reserves the right to issue the most

appropriate type of tenancy to take account


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of the individual circumstance of the

applicant to ensure it would not have an

adverse effect on the tenant or wider

community

n Fixed term tenancies will normally

be extended, if the tenant’s household

circumstances have not changed

n Where a tenant does not have their fixed

term tenancy extended they will have the

right to appeal the decision in accordance

with an agreed procedure

n When a fixed term tenancy is not extended,

advice and assistance will be provided that

fully considers the housing options available

to the household

Assured (shorthold) starter or probationary tenancyIf you are a new tenant and have not transferred

from another Registered Provider or Local

Authority, we will give you an Assured (shorthold)

tenancy (starter tenancy) agreement or a Fixed

term probationary tenancy. The agreement

lasts for 12 months. If there have not been any

problems with the conduct of your tenancy, we

will convert you to an Assured (non-shorthold)

tenancy or a fixed term tenancy after those

12 months.

If you break the tenancy conditions, we may

take legal action against you which could lead

to you losing your home. This could be because

of unpaid rent, nuisance problems, moving out

of the property without telling us or if you are

neglecting the property. We may also extend

your starter or Probationary tenancy for a period

of six months.

If you are an Assured (shorthold) tenant (starter

tenant) you will not have the following rights:

n Right to make improvements

n Right to compensation for eligible

improvements

n Right to exchange

n Right to acquire

n Right to take in lodgers and sub-let part of

your home

Demoted tenancyShould an assured tenant cause antisocial

behaviour, the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003,

enables us to demote Assured tenancies to

Assured (shorthold) tenancies (starter tenancies),

for a period of 12 months.

At any time during this period of demotion the

tenancy can be brought to an end. If no action is

taken during the demotion period the tenancy

will become a fully assured (non-shorthold)

tenancy after 12 months.

If you are unsure, or would like further

information concerning your tenancy, please

contact your Communities Team.

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Your rightsRight to take in lodgers and sub-let part of your homeYou may take in lodgers as long as you do not

grant a sub-tenancy or exceed the number of

people allowed to live in your home.

As long as you first get our written consent, you

may sub-let part of your home. We may give

consent subject to reasonable conditions. You

must not grant a sub-tenancy of the whole of

your home.

Right to make improvements to your homeYou may make improvements, alterations and

additions to your home, including external

decoration, fixtures and fittings, as long as

you get our written permission and all other

necessary approvals (for example, planning

permission or building regulations approval)

beforehand.

If in doubt, please ask us first. When you move

out we may ask you to pay the cost of putting

right any alterations you have made to the

property without our permission.

Right to compensation for eligible improvementsIf you carry out certain improvements to your

home and then your tenancy ends, you may be

entitled to some compensation towards the costs

of these improvements. This will be explained

further at the time you apply for permission to

carry out the work.

Right to exchangeYou can exchange this tenancy for another

assured tenancy of a Registered Provider or

secure tenant of a Local Authority subject to first

getting our written consent.

Right to consultation

We will consult you on matters affecting your

home and your tenancy.

Right to informationYou have a right to information from us about the

terms of your tenancy. For further details please

refer to your tenancy agreement.

Right to buyIf you were a tenant of Sedgefield Borough

Council at the time your home was transferred

to us, and you live in a general needs home (this

is a property that is not for elderly or disabled

people), then you may have a preserved right

to buy. This means you may be able to buy your

home at a discounted price.

Right to acquireIf you don’t have the preserved right to buy, then

you may still qualify to buy your home through

the right to acquire scheme.


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Right of succession – the right to pass on your tenancyIf you are an assured (non-shorthold) tenant, your

husband, wife or civil partner may have the right

to take over the tenancy when you die, as long as

you were not a successor to the tenancy yourself.

This is called “the right of succession.”

If you are unmarried or widowed, or if your

partner does not claim the tenancy when you

die and there has not already been a succession,

we may be prepared to give this right to another

close member of your family. They must have

been living with you for over 12 months before

your death.

By law a tenancy can only be succeeded once.

This means that if your tenancy was passed to

you when someone died, it cannot be passed

on again when you die. However, in certain

circumstances we may pass the tenancy to your

sons, daughters or other close relatives who have

always lived with you. If a property has been

specially built or adapted for a disabled person

and where there is nobody in the household who

needs these features after you die, we may offer

more suitable alternative accommodation to

anyone still living in your home.

The right to assign your tenancyPassing your tenancy to someone else while

you are alive is called assignment. In certain

circumstances you may be able to assign your

tenancy to another person who is living with you

and who would qualify to take over the tenancy.

This will depend on the circumstances and the

type of tenancy agreement you have. We will

normally only agree to an assignment if the

person would have been entitled to “succeed”

to the tenancy, (see the previous section on

succession).

If there has already been an assignment or a

succession, legally there are no further rights

to take over the tenancy. However, in certain

circumstances we may pass the tenancy to your

sons, daughters or other close relatives who have

always lived with you.

You cannot pass your tenancy to someone else

if you leave your home because, by leaving, you

will no longer be an assured tenant.

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ResponsibilitiesYour responsibilities as a tenantYour main responsibilities are:

n To pay your rent and other charges when due

n To use the property as your main home

n To insure your personal belongings, furniture

and decorations against fire, theft, vandalism

or burst pipes

n To keep the property and garden areas in a

clean and tidy condition

n To ask our permission before carrying out any

alterations or improvements to the property

n To have our consent in writing before sub-

letting part of the property

n To make sure that you, your family, or any

friends or visitors to the property, do not cause

nuisance or harass your neighbours or anyone

living or working in the area

n To allow our employees, contractors or agents

acting on our behalf access to your home

at reasonable times and subject to reasonable

notice, particularly in relation to the servicing

of gas appliances

Our responsibilities to youWe will:

n Let you live in your home for as long as you

want to, as long as you keep to the conditions

of your tenancy

n We will carry out any important repairs to your

home – please see the “Repairs” section of

your handbook

n Let you know about any changes we want to

make to your tenancy agreement or changes

to the services we provide

n Listen to your views about any proposed

changes and give you at least four weeks’

notice before any changes start

n We will insure the structure of your home, but

not the contents (you are responsible for

insuring your personal belongings)


7

Home contents insuranceTenants are responsible for insuring their

personal belongings, furniture and decorations

against fire, theft, vandalism or burst pipes.

To make it easier for our tenants to get home

contents insurance, we have negotiated a Home

Contents Insurance scheme designed specifically

for our tenants.

You can insure the contents of your home in an

easy and affordable way. The benefits of the

scheme include:

n No hidden costs

n Cover for theft and loss of keys

n New for old cover (except clothing and

household linen where an allowance for wear

and tear is deducted)

n Easy payments weekly, fortnightly, monthly

or annually

For full details of the scheme, please contact us.

Buildings insuranceThis covers the structure of your home. As your

landlord we are responsible for insuring all its

buildings including your home.

Further informationIf you have any questions about your tenancy,

please contact us on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111

2344 if using a mobile.

3A guide to money matters, paying your rent and debt advice


1

2

IntroductionWe have introduced this chapter to help you

manage your finances. Paying your rent is

important. It is a condition set out in your tenancy

agreement that rent and/or other charges

(including water rates) must be paid on time.

Failure to do so will result in action being taken

against you, which could ultimately result in us

recovering possession of your home through the

County Court.

It is rarely too late to seek help – if your account

is in arrears or if you think you will be unable to

pay your next rent payment, contact the Home

Support Team to arrange a repayment plan or

speak to a Financial Inclusion Officer.

Ways we can helpWe can help to make sure that you are claiming

all of the benefits that you are entitled to, how

to deal with debt and maximise your income.

One thing to remember about claiming benefits

is that the sooner you claim the sooner you can

‘benefit’; not all benefit claims can be backdated.

The Financial Inclusion Team will help and

support you in maximising your income and

prioritising your debt, we also work in partnership

with Citizens Advice Bureau and can refer you for

confidential and free debt and money advice if

you have debt problems. You can be referred to

other agencies, if specialist advice is needed.

Payment optionsWe offer a number of different ways to help make

paying your rent as easy as possible. You can pay:

n By Direct Debit. This is the easiest and

most convenient way to pay your rent. We

offer a choice of three payment dates to suit

monthly or weekly payments. Contact us on

0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if using a

mobile

n By Standing Order, either weekly or

monthly

n Online at livin.co.uk

n We can also issue payment cards so that

you can pay at over sixty local outlets

including Post Offices, and all over the UK.

Look for the Paypoint sign

n By phone. Our payment line is available

24 hours a day, seven days a week on

01388 814704. You will need your tenancy

number and your credit or debit

card details

n By post. Simply send your payment (we

advise you not to send cash) to livin,

Farrell House, Arlington Way, DurhamGate,

Spennymoor, County Durham, DL16 6NL

with a note telling us your name, address

and tenancy number and we will send you a

receipt. Please make cheques payable

to livin

3A guide to money matters, paying your rent and debt advice

3

ContactsFor more information about any of the above

payment methods, please contact the Home

Support Team on 0800 587 4538 or

0300 111 2344 if using a mobile.

If you are having difficulty paying your rent,

it is important to contact your Payment

Improvements Advisor at the earliest opportunity.

You may be entitled to claim Housing Benefit to

help with your rent payments. To find out, you

can make an online claim by visiting the Durham

County Council website at durham.gov.uk

Further informationIf you have any questions about your rent, please

contact us on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if

using a mobile.

Further information relating to your rent can also

be found on our website at livin.co.uk

4A guide to taking care of your home


1

2

Introduction This chapter explains your responsibilities for

looking after your home.

As a general rule we are responsible for the

structure of your home along with the plumbing,

heating and electrics.

We will maintain the components of your home

when they require it and will carry out necessary

repairs, but you also share the responsibility with

us for taking care of your home.

Reporting repairsYou are responsible for reporting a repair when

one is needed. This should be done promptly

and you should take reasonable precautions to

prevent further damage until we arrive to carry

out the repair.

Allowing us access to your homeWe will need to be able to access your home

from time to time to allow us to carry out

important maintenance work.

If you have a heating appliance, we need to

access your home each year to carry out a safety

check. These checks are important as they ensure

that your fixtures and fittings are safe and help

to prevent these appliances from breaking down

which could leave you without heating and hot

water.

Once a repair has been reported, quite often

we will need to be inside your home to carry out

the necessary work. You can help us by agreeing

suitable access arrangements.

If suitable access cannot be arranged for us to

carry out repairs, we may decide to exercise our

rights as a landlord to gain entry to your home

to carry out the repair. This will depend on the

nature of the repair, considering Health and

Safety matters and the risk of further damage

being caused to your home and adjoining

properties.

We will also need access to your home to carry

out various types of surveying work. We need to

carry out these surveys to determine our future

planned work programmes, to check that your

home is safe and also to ensure that our property

records are accurate.

Emergency accessThere may be circumstances where we need to

gain access to your home urgently; for example a

sudden flood or a gas leak. If you are unavailable,

we will make attempts to contact you, however,

we may need to force entry without your

permission. In these circumstances we will involve

the emergency services, leave your home secure,

and leave contact details for when you return.


3

Keeping your home in reasonable conditionTo keep your home in a reasonable condition you

will need to carry out some regular maintenance

work.

Activities such as window cleaning, sweeping and

weeding garden paths, keeping drainage grates

clear of debris, removing rubbish and gardening

not only keep your home clean but can also help

to keep your home safe for you and your family.

Keeping your house warm can help prevent

pipes from freezing and bursting in the winter.

Operating extractor fans and opening windows

can also reduce the occurrence of condensation.

Repairing deliberate or accidental damageYou are responsible for the repair or replacement

of damage caused to your property by you, your

family, visitors or even your pets. These repairs

should be made using suitable materials and

should be carried out to a standard, matching

the original condition.

We may carry out this repair for you, but you will

be charged for this service.

Reporting criminal damageIf someone damages or vandalises your home,

and you do not want to be held responsible, you

must report the matter to the police, obtain a

crime reference number and cooperate with the

police during their investigation.

If we are required to repair this damage, we may

decide to recharge you for this service.

Internal decorationYou are responsible for the decoration of all

internal walls, ceilings and woodwork. This

includes the filling of minor cracks and holes

before you redecorate.

TV aerialsWe will only maintain communal systems.

The maintenance of aerials and satellite dishes

is your responsibility.

Minor repairsSome repairs are your responsibility and we will

not carry out the repairs on the following list;

n Adjusting doors after the fitting of

new carpets

n Clearing blocked bath, basin, sink or toilet

(unless a blocked drain)

n Replacing plugs to bath, basin or sink

n Repairs to toilet seats

n Repairs to door bells (unless part of door

entry systems)

n Repairs to clothes posts and clothes lines

n Plumbing of washing machines or

dishwashers

n Installation/disconnection of cookers and

other electrical appliances

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n Electrical plugs, fuses, light bulbs,

fluorescent tubes

n Installation of additional

bolts or locks to external doors,

outbuildings, gates and so on.

Replacement of lost or stolen keysWe do not keep spare keys so if you lose them,

you will need to replace them. We can change

locks, but we will charge you for this service.

Maintenance of your own fixtures and fittingsYou are responsible for the repair, replacement

and servicing of any fixture, fitting or appliance

that you have added to your home, including

outdoor sheds.

You are also responsible for the repair and

replacement of any improvement or alteration

that you have made to your home (unless we

have an agreement to maintain it for you).

Testing of smoke and carbon monoxide detectorsWe will repair defective smoke and carbon

monoxide detectors. We will also carry out

annual function testing of these alarms, cleaning

them and ensuring that they are in good working

order.

You are responsible for checking the operation

of these alarms on a weekly basis. This can be

done by pressing the test button. If batteries

are required, you are responsible for their

replacement.

In the event of a fire or the occurrence of carbon

monoxide, these devices will give you and your

family precious seconds to escape serious injury

or even death.

County Durham handypersonThis scheme is run by Three Rivers Housing

Association’s Care and Repair department.

The service can help with small scale jobs for

residents of County Durham who are over 60,

disabled, victims of crime, at high risk of falling or

who are vulnerable in other ways.

If you feel that you meet these criteria and you

need a job carried out that does not come within

livin’s responsibility please ring 0191 375 3705 or

email: [email protected]

Further informationIf you have any questions about your caring for

your home please contact us on 0800 587 4538 or



5A guide to reporting repairs


1

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Introduction This chapter explains what you should do when

your home needs a repair, and how we will

respond.

We are committed to making sure that we

provide you with a high quality, efficient and

effective repairs service.

Some repairs may be your responsibility. If you

are unsure if we are responsible for the work that

needs doing, please refer to our leaflet ‘Taking

care of your home’.

Reporting repairsYou are responsible for reporting a repair when

one is needed. This should be done promptly

and you should take reasonable precautions to

prevent further damage until we arrive to carry

out the repair. For example place a bucket under

leaks.

When you report a repair, you will need to give

the following information:

n A description of the problem and where it is

n Your name and address, including the

postcode

n Telephone numbers where we can contact

you (home and/or work)

n Details of how to get into your home

(if necessary)

Telephone

You can report your repair by telephoning the

following numbers:

0800 587 4538 (free from a landline) or

0300 111 2344 (cheaper from mobiles – charges

vary depending on your network)

Online You can also report your repair 24 hours a day

and seven days a week by using our ‘Locator’

system.

We have introduced this system to make it easy

for you to report your repairs online. All you have

to do is point and click on the diagram of the

item you need repairing and it will identify what

the problem is and order the correct repair for

you.

It also gives you the opportunity to tell us when

you will be in, so that we can make a suitable

appointment, which will then be emailed to you.

You can also email us with repair queries at

[email protected]

In writingYou can also contact us by letter. Please

remember to include all of the relevant

information which we will need to make you

an appointment, and to enable us to send the

appropriate tradesperson.


3

Your repairs informationAfter contacting us about a repair you will be

given a job reference number and telephone

numbers to call if you want to check on the

progress of your repair.

Depending on the type of repair you need, you

should also be given an appointment.

If you prefer to check the progress of your repair

online, you need to be registered for our Online

Services facility. To register, please visit our

website and click on the tab ‘about your home’.

Once you have registered we will send you an

activation code in the post and then you will be

free to view the services and accounts you want,

when you choose.

Out of hours repairsIf you have an emergency repair to report out of

normal working hours, you can contact us using

the following telephone numbers:

0800 917 1773 (freephone number) or


vary depending on your network)

This service is for emergencies only so please

only ring if you have a genuine emergency repair.

The out of hours emergency service only deals

with very urgent work, not jobs that can safely be

left until normal working hours. The call centre

staff will determine whether your request is an

emergency.

If your repair is not an emergency, the call centre

staff will offer you appropriate advice about how

to deal with your problem or will arrange for

someone to call during normal working hours.

You may also be asked to help resolve or make

safe an emergency yourself, such as turning

off the water supply, and it is therefore always

useful to know the location of certain essential

items, for example your boiler (please note

the manufacturer’s name), fuse box, gas meter,

electric meter, water stop tap and water tanks.

When the out of hours team are required to

respond, they will complete a repair in full

whenever possible, but in some situations a

‘make safe’ or temporary repair will be carried

out. Please do not expect the job to be done

fully during emergency hours.

If a ‘make safe’ or temporary repair has been

carried out, we will arrange for a permanent

repair to be completed within normal working

hours.

Our trained staff are ready to deal with all

emergencies such as:

n Total loss of electrical power

n Unsafe power or lighting socket

n Serious leaks in water systems which cannot

be contained

n Serious roof leaks which cannot be

contained

4

n Gas leaks

n Security of property e.g. fixing locks,

boarding up

n Gain entry to a property (if due to loss of

keys, this will be a rechargeable repair)

n Failure of a stair lift (e.g. where tenant

cannot access facilities

n Heating failures involving vulnerable people

The two hour target for attending to an

emergency can only be adhered to if sufficient

resources are available to carry out the work,

for example during times of extreme weather

conditions it is unlikely that sufficient resources

would be available to respond to every

emergency at the same time.

Emergency out of hours calls are expensive to

the organisation and if you abuse the system we

may charge you for the visit to your home.

Repair prioritiesWhen you report a repair it is placed into one

of two categories; a repair with an appointment

time or a repair that requires a pre-inspection:

Repairs - Attended to by appointment

This category is for repairs which can be clearly

diagnosed over the telephone and which are not

emergency repairs. Our customer services team

will make a mutually agreed appointment with

you for the repair to be carried out.

Pre-inspected repairs - Attended to by appointmentWhere a repair cannot be diagnosed clearly over

the telephone, we will carry out an inspection

to determine the extent of the repair required.

Our customer services team will make a mutually

agreed appointment with you for an inspection

to be carried out, and our inspector will inform

you of what action we will be taking. Customer

services will be advised of the necessary repairs,

and an appointment will be made with you for

the work to be carried out.

Allowing us access to your homeOnce a repair has been reported, we will need

access to your home to carry out the necessary

work. You can help us by agreeing suitable

appointments and by informing us in advance if

these arrangements are no longer suitable.

Prior to the appointment please make sure

that our repairs team have access to the area in

which they will be working. This will involve you

removing any of your fixtures and fittings that

may get in the way.

You should also take reasonable steps to protect

your personal belongings, for example, lift your

carpets, move items of furniture and store any

fragile or breakable possessions well away from

the workplace.


5

Text aheadBefore an appointment takes place, if we have

your contact telephone number we will send you

a text message to remind you that we are coming

to carry out the repair. This will give you a further

opportunity to contact us if the appointment is

no longer suitable. To enable us to provide this

service, please ensure that we have an up to date

telephone number.

Missed appointmentsOnce an appointment has been made with you

to carry out a repair, you need to arrange for

yourself or another adult to be present for the

duration of the works. The delivery of a repairs

service is expensive, and we cannot afford to

make multiple visits to your home in order to

carry out a repair. If you abuse the system we may

charge you for the visit to your home.

Quality assuranceWe could ask you to let us check the work done

in your home. If we do, please let us in to do this,

as it will help ensure the works are carried out to

a high standard.

We may also ring you to enquire about your

satisfaction with repairs. Your feedback is helpful

to us as it can be used to improve the services

that we provide.

SecurityAlways ask to see the identity card of anyone who

calls at your home to carry out repairs and claims

to work for livin. All staff carries identification

cards. If you are unsure, do not let them into your

home and contact us for advice.

Emergency situationsIn an emergency, we may need to enter your

home if we believe that a situation could cause

personal injury, cause serious damage to your

home or damage a neighbouring home. If this

situation occurs, we will make every effort to

contact you.

Rechargeable repairsPaying for the repairsYou don’t have to pay for things that have been

damaged by fair wear and tear. If there is a

doubt about how the damage happened we will

come and check the problem before we make a

decision. We will also decide whether to take any

further action because; if you have caused the

damage then you have also broken your tenancy

agreement.

6

Charges We only charge you for the work if the damage

is caused deliberately, an accident or by neglect.

We will not ask you to pay if the damage has

been caused by fair wear and tear or because of

the age of the property or installation.

If your repair is rechargeable we will let you know

how much you will have to pay and you will be

asked to sign an ‘acceptance for recharge’ form

before we agree to do the work.

Once the work is completed we will send you a

bill. If you want time to pay the money we can

make an agreement to collect it in instalments.

If the bill is not paid, or the payment of the

instalments maintained, we could take legal

action to recover the debt.

You should know that outstanding debt may also

prevent you transferring to another one of our

homes.

RefusalsYou can refuse to have this work done, but NOT

if the damage poses a health and safety issue

or risks further damage being caused to your

home. In these circumstances, we may decide to

exercise our rights as a landlord to gain entry to

your home to carry out the repair.

You can choose to do the work yourself, but

we must be allowed to come and check that

the work has been completed to an acceptable

standard. If the work is not to an acceptable

standard we will carry out the work for you and

recharge you for the costs.

Termination of your tenancyIf you terminate your tenancy we will carry out

a survey of your home. If there is any damage

identified we will seek to recover the repair costs.

If necessary, we may use legal action to recover

the monies owed.

Further informationIf you have any questions about the repairs

service, please contact us on 0800 587 4538 or



6A guide to gas safety


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IntroductionThis chapter explains the gas safety service. By

law we must ensure that all of our homes that

have a gas supply have an annual gas safety

check. The gas safety check that we carry out

is very important, as it will ensure that our gas

appliances and fittings are safe to use and we

will carry out a visual check to your own gas

appliances (cookers and fires) while we are in

your property. This ensures that your gas fixtures

and fittings are safe. All safety checks are free of

charge.

The dangers of carbon monoxideEvery year, approximately 50 people die in the

UK from carbon monoxide poisoning caused

by gas appliances and flues that have not been

properly fitted or maintained.

When gas does not burn properly, it produces

poisonous carbon monoxide. You can’t see it.

You can’t taste it. You can’t even smell it. Carbon

monoxide can kill without warning in just a matter

of hours.

The early symptoms of carbon monoxide

poisoning include tiredness, drowsiness,

headache and pains in the chest and stomach.

You are at risk of this if:

n Your gas appliances are not working

properly

n Your gas appliances have not been checked

for safety or maintained regularly

n There is not enough fresh air in your room

(do not block air bricks or other vents)

n Your chimney or flue is blocked

n You have allowed unqualified people to

install or maintain your gas appliances.

Accessing your homeMaking appointments with youAt least 10 working days before we carry out

the annual gas safety check we will give you an

appointment. If this appointment is inconvenient,

please contact us on freephone 0800 587 4538 or


vary) and we will rearrange it to a time that suits

you better.

If you are unavailable during normal working

hours, we will make you a special appointment

on an evening or on a weekend.

If you cannot keep your appointment, please

let us know in advance. If you do not, our costs

increase and our time is wasted.

Text aheadIf we have your contact telephone number we will

send you a text message to remind you that we

are coming to carry out the gas safety check. This

will give you a further opportunity to contact us if

the appointment is no longer suitable. To enable

us to provide this service, please ensure that we

have an up to date telephone number for you.


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Failing to allow us accessDespite the importance of gas safety checks, a small number of our tenants do not allow our gas engineers access to their home.

Failure to allow access for the annual gas safety check to be completed is a breach of your tenancy agreement and you may be charged the cost of any missed appointments.

If you do not allow us access you will receive a warning card from the gas engineer.

If you fail to allow us access for a second appointment you will receive a further warning card from the engineer.

If a further appointment is not kept you will receive a final warning card and if you still fail to allow the gas safety check to be completed after receiving these cards, your details will be passed to the Support and Intervention Team for legal action to be taken.

This could result in you losing your home!

What happens during a gas safety check?During the gas safety check we will service and repair all the gas appliances that we own. We will also carry out a visual inspection your own appliances, such as your cooker, and list any faults. You can then arrange any necessary repairs.

We will also check that all of your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are clean and are working correctly. If any of your detectors are not working properly then we will

repair or replace them for you free of charge.

If you haven’t got a smoke detector or carbon

monoxide detector fitted already, then we will fit

one for you free of charge.

We will explain the gas safety certificate, send

out by post two to three days after the service a

copy of the certificate and tell you what we will

do next if any extra work is needed.

The gas safety check will only take up around one

hour of your time to complete. We will protect

the areas where we work with dustsheets and our

engineers will clear up any mess that is made.

This work could save you money as it will ensure

that our gas appliance(s) are in good working

order.

Any problems with our gas appliances during the

period between annual gas safety checks should

be reported to our customer service centre

immediately by calling 0800 587 4538 or


Gas Safe RegisterGas Safe Register is the new Governing body

responsible for ensuring that all our gas

engineers are qualified and competent to work in

your home.

The Gas Safe Register scheme came into effect

on 1 April 2009 and is administered by the

Health and Safety Executive. By law anyone who

works with gas has to be registered with the Gas

Safe Register and should carry photographic

registration cards as proof of this.

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Always remember to check the engineer’s

registration card before allowing them to carry

out work on your gas appliances. All our gas

engineers are registered with the Gas Safe

Register.

For more information on the Gas Safe Register

visit their website at gassaferegister.co.uk

How will I know the work has been done correctly?We only employ qualified staff to carry out

this work and you will be given a copy of the

Landlord’s Gas Safety record. We will also check

a sample of works done to make sure it is carried

out to a very high standard.

We may ask you to let us or a contractor working

on our behalf to check the work done in your

home. If we do, please let us in to do this, as it

will help ensure the work has been carried out to

a high standard.

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectorsMost of our homes are fitted with smoke

detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. In

the event of a fire or the occurrence of carbon

monoxide, these devices will give you and your

family precious seconds to escape serious injury

or even death.

We will check that these detectors are in good

working order during the annual gas safety check,

however, you should ensure that you test them

on a weekly basis by pressing the ‘test’ button. If

you are elderly or disabled, ask a relative, friend

or neighbour to do it for you.

Under no circumstances should you disconnect

or remove batteries from smoke or carbon

monoxide detectors.

What should I do if I smell gas? Turn off your gas supply immediately. Find the

lever next to your meter and move it one quarter

of the way round, either right or left, until the gas

stops.

Once the gas has been turned off, open the

windows and doors to let in plenty of fresh air.

Do not turn any electrical switches on or off, light

matches or lighters, or smoke.

Immediately ring the National Gas Emergency

Service on 0800 111 999. They will come to your

home and make it safe.

If the engineer from the National Gas Emergency

Service tells you something in your home

needs to be repaired, call our contact centre

on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 (cheaper

from mobiles) and we will arrange for one of our

engineers to call.

If you believe you may have suffered from any

symptoms related to carbon monoxide poisoning

visit your GP or the hospital at the earliest

opportunity.


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Stay safe n Never use a gas appliance if you think it

is not working properly. Signs to look out

for include yellow or orange flames, soot or

stains around the appliance and pilot lights

which frequently blow out.

n Never cover an appliance or block the

convection air vents

n Never block or obstruct any fixed ventilation

grills or airbricks

n Never block or cover outside flues

Further informationIf you have any questions about gas safety,

please contact us on 0800 587 4538 or

0300 111 2344 if using a mobile, or the gas

servicing team at Mears Ltd. on 0845 602 5983.

7A guide to asbestos


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What is asbestos?Asbestos is a fibrous material that is made

from a group of natural materials found in

rocks. Large amounts of asbestos-containing

materials (ACM’s) were used for a wide range of

construction purposes in new and refurbished

buildings until 1999 when all use of asbestos was

banned.

This means that some homes built or refurbished

before this time may contain asbestos.

When is asbestos a problem?Generally, asbestos is perfectly safe if it is in

good condition and not disturbed or damaged.

However, if asbestos containing materials are in

poor condition or are damaged or disturbed, for

example, drilled, cut or sanded, this can release

fibres into the air. Breathing in these fibres can

cause serious damage to the lungs.

Sound, undisturbed asbestos-containing

materials do not pose a direct health risk but they

should be carefully managed to ensure they are

in good condition and to prevent fibres being

released accidentally.

Where in my home could I find asbestos?Asbestos can be found in many materials

including:

n Roofing sheets, roof slates and tiles

n Roofing felts or lining panels

n Guttering and rainwater pipes

n External wall cladding and panels

n Fascia and soffit boards

n Panels beneath window frames

n Pads fitted beneath stainless-steel sinks

n Cold-water tanks in loft spaces

n Service ducting

n Tiles, slats, canopies and firebreaks

above ceilings

n Internal partitions walls

n Decorative textured coatings

n Panels behind or under heaters

n Panels on or inside fire-resisting doors

n Toilet cisterns

n Bath panels

n Floor tiles and linoleum

*This list is not exhaustive


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What do I do if I find asbestos?You can’t tell whether something contains

asbestos simply by looking at it. Often you

can only find out by analysing it in a specialist

laboratory.

If you think any material may contain asbestos

or if you think your home contains damaged

asbestos material, then don’t try and deal with it

yourself, contact us immediately on

0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if using a

mobile.

How do we manage asbestos?We have a legal duty to protect against the

health risks posed by asbestos.

We regularly survey and sample all our empty

properties for any possible asbestos-containing

materials and if we find asbestos containing

materials, we record these on our database.

When planning refurbishment or major repair

work for your home, we will arrange for a survey

to be undertaken before we begin the work, if

there is not a survey already in place.

A specialist surveyor from the asbestos surveying

company we use will make an appointment with

you to come and do the survey. They may need

to take samples from your home for testing.

We need to know what asbestos-containing

material may be in your home before starting any

building work. If you don’t allow the surveyor into

your home, this could delay the planned work.

What if asbestos is found in my home?If we find some asbestos-containing material that

has been identified as high risk, we will remove it

immediately using licensed contractors.

If the asbestos-containing material carries a much

lower risk, we will:

n remove (if appropriate) when we do any

major building work to your home, or

n seal and bond the material to stop it

releasing fibres.

If the material is in good condition, sealed and

not exposed, and so unlikely to break up, we will

record its type and where it is.

We share our surveys with all of our contractors

so they are aware of the presence of asbestos

and will take this into account before they start

any work.

We will also inform you about the presence of

asbestos in your home after a survey has been

conducted, we will also inform you if no asbestos

is present.

If asbestos containing material has been found

within your home from time to time we will

arrange with you to re-inspect the material.


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Frequently asked questionsWhat are the health risks?Asbestos-containing materials can cause serious

illness, including some forms of cancer. Often it

takes many years for the disease to show itself.

There is asbestos-containing material in my home, why not remove it straight away?Disturbing asbestos-containing materials that

are in good condition may produce dust and

increase health risks. We survey homes to find

out whether there are asbestos-containing

materials, we also check their condition. Materials

in good condition do not cause health problems.

If we find materials in poor condition, we will

consider removing them or sealing them.

However, when we need to do building work

on your home, disturbing asbestos may be

unavoidable. If so, we would look at how we

could safely remove the material.

I may have disturbed or damaged some asbestos containing materials in my home - what should I do?Contact our Building Health and Safety Team

on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if using a

mobile and we will arrange to have the material

inspected and assessed. We will then decide

what needs to be done to make it safe.

I’ve been told my decorative wall coating (Artex) contains asbestos. What is it and is it safe?Decorative coating was widely used in properties

on interior walls and ceilings. Older types of

decorative coating contained a small amount of

asbestos. Decorative coating is safe as long as

it is left alone - it is very hard and is unlikely to

produce dust.

Can I hang a picture on a wall coated with old decorative coating?Tapping in a normal picture hook is not a

problem, but never drill or screw through old

decorative coating as this could create harmful

dust.

Your guide to asbestos in your homeCan I decorate walls and ceilings coated with old decorative coating?You can paint walls and ceilings coated with old

decorative coating, but do not scrape. If you

notice any damaged areas, please contact the

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Building Health and Safety Team for advice.

Is it OK for tenants to sand off old decorative coating?No, because this could cause large amounts of

harmful dust. Contact us for advice.

Can I repair or re-skim walls or ceilings that are coated with decorative coating?Please contact us for advice.

Can I remove and dispose of plastic floor tiles that contain asbestos?Plastic floor tiles are unlikely to produce much

harmful dust, but you still need to be cautious.

Environmental and Waste Regulations state that

you should transport and dispose of all waste

asbestos safely and properly. We suggest you

contact us for advice before removing floor tiles.

Can I overlay old plastic floor tiles that contain asbestos with another floor covering?Generally, this is OK as long as no sanding or

scraping is involved. Nailing down floor coverings

or gripper rods though the tiles will not produce

harmful dust. If in doubt, contact us for more

advice.

I have noticed some broken pieces of plastic floor tile that I think contain asbestos. Is my health at risk?No, even broken pieces of tile don’t produce

much dust, so there should be little health risk.

But contact us and we will help you dispose of

them safely.

Further informationIf you have any questions about asbestos, please


using a mobile.

8A guide to Legionella control


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Legionella controlLegionella bacteria are found naturally in

water sources. They can multiply in domestic

water systems given the right conditions of

temperature and nutrients. Breathing in or

ingestion of legionella bacteria can cause a form

of pneumonia called legionnaire’s disease, as well

as other less serious illnesses.

We will carry out risk assessments to our housing

stock in line with recommendations determined

by the Health and Safety Executive, Approved

Code of Practice L8.

The risk in domestic properties is very small given

the relative small size of most domestic water

systems and the high throughput.

In our larger premises including sheltered

housing we employ a specialist contractor to

carryout regular assessments and cleansing

to ensure that water hygiene is managed and

maintained.

To avoid the risk of this bacteria forming, the

following regular operations are advised:

n Legionella survives best in water

temperatures of 20 - 45 degrees celsius. It

starts to die if heated to above 50 degrees

celsius. If you have a hot water cylinder

you should ensure that your water

temperature exceeds 60 degrees celsius, by

turning up your cylinder thermostat

n Shower heads and hoses should be

dismantled and descaled every three

months or when the shower rose shows

signs of blocking

n If your taps have not been used more

than once a week the bath, basin, and sink

taps should be run for a minute. Similarly,

the shower hose and rose should be flushed

through in this manner.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Raising the temperature of the warm water

is one way to control Legionella growth,

but could also increase the risk of burns

and scalding. Please take care of the risk of

scalding and burns, especially if you have

children.

Further informationIf you have any questions about Legionella,



8A guide to Legionella control

9A guide to understanding dampness and condensation


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Is your home damp?Damp can cause mould on walls and furniture.

Damp housing encourages the growth of mould

and mites and can increase the risk of respiratory

illness.

Some damp is caused by condensation. This

chapter explains how condensation forms and

how you can keep it to a minimum, reducing the

risk of dampness and mould growth.

What is condensation?There is always some moisture in the air, even

if you cannot see it. When the warmer moist air

comes into contact with a cool surface, water

droplets form. This is what happens when your

bathroom mirror steams up.

When this happens on your window, the glass

mists up and drops of water run down the

window. When it happens on a wall, the wall

soaks up the moisture and becomes damp.

Mould could then grow on the damp areas.

Where does condensation come from?Your body produces moisture all the time, when

you breathe and perspire. In fact, the average

person produces 0.85 litres of moisture per day

through breathing alone.

We also put lots of moisture into the air when we

take a bath or shower, cook or wash the dishes.

Moisture is also produced when we dry clothes

indoors or use an unvented tumble dryer.

Bottled gas heaters produce large amounts

of moisture into the air. This moist air travels

through your home and when it comes into

contact with a cool surface it will condense and

turn to water.

Where can it happen?Condensation happens on cold surfaces and in

places where there is little movement of air. It

often appears as a dark patch in corners near the

skirting and on the ceiling.

Areas with poor ventilation can be prone to

condensation. This could be behind furniture;

particularly wardrobes, beds drawers and even

clothing if they have been placed against an

outside wall. Condensation can happen in

any room but it is most likely to occur in your

bathroom, bedrooms and hallway as they are

generally cooler.

Moisture in the form of condensation is most

commonly found in bathrooms and is easily seen

on tiles. To prevent mould, open the window

after bathing or showering, wipe the tiles down

and close the door.

How can the mould be removed?Mould can be easy to remove. You can normally

wipe it off with a disposable cloth using some

household cleaner. There is no need to use

strong chemicals. Wipe over the area again every

few days using diluted household cleaner to stop

the mould growing back. This should become

part of your regular cleaning routine.

9A guide to understanding dampness and condensation

3

How can condensation be prevented?To help reduce the risk of condensation in your

home:

n Keep a window open when drying clothes

indoors; don’t dry clothes over warm

radiators

n Keep the kitchen door closed when cooking

n Keep lids on pots and pans when cooking

n Keep the bathroom door closed when

running a bath and bathing

n Open the bathroom window when finished

bathing

n Don’t overfill cupboards and wardrobes –

make sure air can circulate

n If you have an extractor fan in the kitchen

and bathroom make sure to use it

n If your home has been fitted with a whole

house ventilation system make sure it

remains switched on

n Don’t keep furniture and wardrobes hard

against walls – make sure air can circulate

n Keep your heating on low throughout the

day in cold weather to maintain a

background heat

n Avoid using bottle gas heaters as they

produce a lot of moisture

n Adequately heat and ventilate rooms at risk

n When using an unvented tumble dryer,

make sure the hose is put out the window

or door.

Further informationIf you have any questions about dampness and

condensation, please contact us on

0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if using a mobile.

10A guide to understanding tenants improvements


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Getting permission to make alterations or improvements to your homeYou may wish to carry out improvements,

alterations or additions to your home, but you

must always get our written permission before

you start any work. This includes the fixing of a

satellite dish or TV aerial and the erection of a

garden shed, greenhouse or fencing. Please write

to us giving full details of the work you intend to

carry out, or complete the online form.

We do not normally withhold permission, but the

work must be carried out to our standard and

have a minimum of 12 months guarantee.

You may also need to get approval from other

parties before you start the work, for example,

some work may require building regulation

approval and planning permission. All works

should be carried out by a suitably qualified

contractor, for example, alterations to gas or

electrical installations. Our staff can advise

on this.

At the end of your tenancy you may be required

to leave any fixtures or fittings you have installed

or reinstate our original fittings.

No improvements that you make to your home

will affect the rent you pay.

There must be no rent arrears outstanding on

your account.

Satellite television equipment

We have no objection to you installing satellite

television systems, however, in order to ensure

that you do not damage the external fabric of the

building we do ask that you obtain our written

permission. Many of our properties are either

solid wall or non-traditional cavity construction,

therefore bolting the brackets required to carry

a satellite dish may cause structural damage that

could result in damp problems. We will be able

to advise on the best method of installation but a

few guidelines worth considering are as follows:

n Check that you are not in a conservation

area

n Do not connect the satellite dish to the

chimney stack

n Ensure that the dish is sited lower than the

highest part of the roof and should not

exceed this height

n The dish should not exceed 27.5 inches

(70cm) in diameter

n If there is an existing satellite dish erected

on the building you must contact the local

authority to check if planning permission is

required

If you live in a flat and wish to install satellite

apparatus that require cables to run through

a communal area, you will need to submit a

detailed plan before permission can be granted.

For further advice please contact the Property

Team on 0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344.

10A guide to understanding tenants improvements

3

Wood or wood effect flooring

We have no objection to you fitting wood or

wood effect flooring in your home, however, you

will need written permission from us before fitting

the flooring.

Please note that it may be necessary for the

flooring to be removed for maintenance

purposes, for example to access concealed

pipework or electric cables. In this instance

it is your responsibility for removal and any

reinstatement of the flooring. We will not be

responsible for re-laying, repairing or making

good the flooring. For this reason we would

suggest that any flooring you fit is ‘clipped

together’ rather than glued.

Wood or wood effect flooring is not covered

by standard household insurance. If you have

wood or wood effect flooring in your home,

please check with your insurer that it is covered,

including re-laying and making good any

damage.

If you move from the property, you should

remove the flooring and reinstate the floor to its

original condition.

This also applies to vinyl floor coverings.

Compensation for improvements

If your tenancy is coming to an end, you may be

able to get compensation from us for certain

improvements, such as a new bathroom, toilet,

kitchen, central heating and energy efficiency and

home security improvements.

You must have received our written permission

before carrying out the improvement and will

need to submit two estimates from bona fide

contractors, stating the reason for choosing a

particular estimate.

Compensation will only be paid at the end of the

tenancy and the amount of compensation will not

be the full cost of the work as depreciation will be

deducted. Most improvements have a notional

life of less than 10 years. We suggest that you

keep all of the receipts for improvement work

that you carry out. This will help us to process

your compensation easily.

Also, the amount of compensation will be set

against any sums that may be owed to us.

Where the tenancy is terminated through a

possession claim, based on breach of Tenancy

Agreement, you will not normally be entitled to

compensation.

Further informationIf you have any questions about tenant

improvements, please contact us on

0800 587 4538 or 0300 111 2344 if using a mobile.

11A guide to aids and adaptations


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What is the aids and adaptations service?This is a discretionary service provided by livin for people who live in one of our homes and need it adapting because they:

n Have difficulty with normal day to day activities because of age, illness or disability

n Have problems with climbing steps or stairs

n Have problems getting in and out of their home or around the rooms inside it

n Have difficulty with personal care such as bathing or using the toilet

What is an adaptation?

It is an alteration to the home to make it easier to carry out daily activities such as:

n Getting in and out of the home

n Climbing steps or stairs

n Preparing meals

n Using the toilet

n Bathing

We may be able to help with providing:

n Grabrails or handrails

n Stair lifts or vertical lifts

n Ramps for wheelchair users only (not motorised scooters)

n Alterations to doors and steps

n Alterations to bathrooms or kitchens

We can fund adaptations up to a maximum of

£15,000. Above this tenants will need to apply to

Durham County Council for a Disabled Facilities

Grant.

Who can apply for an adaptation?

Tenants can apply if they live in a livin property;

however an assessment needs to be carried out

by a member of the Occupational Therapy team,

who are employed by Durham County Council

Social Services, before we can carry out any work.

How to apply for an assessment

To apply, contact Social Care Direct and ask

to be referred to Social Services for an

Occupational Therapy assessment.

Contact Social Care Direct by:

Telephone: 0845 8505010

Fax: 0191 3835752

Minicom: 01429 884124

Email: [email protected]

It is essential to contact Social Care Direct to

request an assessment as they may request

personal details and consent may also be

required for an assessment to be carried out.

What happens next?

When Social Services receive a request the

Occupational Therapy service will arrange to visit

to carry out an assessment.


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The appointment will be confirmed by letter or telephone, but if this is inconvenient, another time can easily be arranged.

An Occupational Therapist or an Occupational Therapy Assistant will carry out an assessment using the Fair Access to Care (FAC’s) guidelines from the Government. (For more information on this visit the Department of Health website at dh.gov.uk and check the publications section).

What will happen during the assessment?

You may like to ask a member of your family or a friend to be with you during the assessment.

You will be asked questions about your health, disabilities and how you cope with daily activities. Any information that you give to the Occupational Therapist including medical and personal details is treated in the strictest confidence.

You will be asked to show them how you carry out the tasks which are difficult for you and perhaps try out some equipment that may help you.

The Occupational Therapy staff will suggest ways of helping with your difficulties and discuss what is available to you. They may recommend adaptations to your home or equipment which will help you to carry out an activity more easily and safely.

You may be asked to go for Physiotherapy for further rehabilitation before a decision about alterations to your home to meet your long term

needs can be made.

What happens after the assessment?

Following your assessment your levels of need will be determined as either:

n Critical

n Substantial

n Moderate

n Low

Only those that are assessed as having a critical or substantial need will be eligible for adaptations.

It is important to remember that what may be a solution to another person with similar needs may not be the answer for you.

The Occupational Therapist or the Occupational Therapy Assistant may visit with a surveyor or Occupational therapist from livin to see if the recommendations made are feasible and comply with law.

The most cost effective solution to your problems will always be recommended. Showers, stair lifts and ramps are always a last resort and cannot be recommended for reasons of personal choice alone.

Ramps are only installed if you are dependent upon a wheelchair (to access your home).

It is sometimes necessary to use specialist companies to carry out some of the work (stair lifts and ramps for example). If this is the case we will let you know when the adaptation is

approved.

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The work on your adaptation will be carried

out as soon as possible and you will receive a

letter to tell you when it has been ordered with a

contact name and telephone number to enquire

about the time of the work.

Major items like stair lifts and bathroom

alterations will take longer than small ones

like grab-rails and handrails. This is because of

the extra time needed to carry out the surveys

necessary at the planning stage, ordering the

materials and carrying out the work.

Once your application has been assessed your

adaptation will be placed on our waiting list in

date order.

Only adaptations that have been assessed as

urgent by the Occupational Therapy Team will be

moved to the top of the list.

Can livin refuse to carry out the work?

Adaptations are a discretionary service and

all recommendations from the Occupational

Therapy team will be assessed by the Property

and Development team. If the work is not classed

as reasonable or practicable, we may refuse to do

the work. We will confirm in writing why we have

refused to do the work.

What if my home is not suitable for adaptations?

Occasionally the outcome of the assessment

is that you need a more suitable property,

especially if your existing one is not suitable for

adaptations. However, Occupational Therapists

or Occupational Therapy Assistants can only

write a letter of support to livin highlighting the

type of property you need. This information will

be used when they allocate empty properties.

If you are currently on a housing list, you are not

eligible for adaptations other than minor health

and safety works to your current property whilst

you wait.

Will I have to pay towards the adaptation?

No, we do not charge for this type of work to be

carried out. We currently have a limited budget

for Disabled Persons Adaptations that is set from

our annual budget.

You will be required to complete an eligibility

declaration to assist livin in this process to claim

relief for Value Added Tax (VAT) on the work to

your home.

How long will I wait for an adaptation?

There is not a set timescale for adaptations,

however, from the assessment to the work being

complete could take 12 months.


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How much disruption will there be during the works?

There may be some disturbance to your home

during the works, particularly if we are doing

internal alterations. This will however be kept to

a minimum by the workmen who will clear up

afterwards.

All new fittings and fixtures will be decorated

where necessary. However, we are not

responsible for redecoration of existing areas

disturbed by the works.

Whenever possible the workmen will restore or

provide all existing essential amenities within

your property at the end of each working day.

The contractor that will be carrying out the work

will visit you before commencement of the work

to inform you of all arrangements.

Further information

If you have any questions about adaptations



12A guide to services to help you in your home and how we manage your neighbourhood and communities


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Supported servicesWe know that managing a new home can be

difficult, especially if it is your first tenancy. If

you are having problems with your tenancy,

please contact us and we may be able to provide

support and advice.

We can help you to:

n Understand your tenancy agreement and

how to keep it

n Help you manage your money and your rent

payments

n Help you claim benefits

n Provide advice on getting your gas and

electric connected

n Advise you how to look after your property

n Help you deal with antisocial behaviour

n Assess if you need extra support and put

you in touch with other support agencies,

if you need them. Some of these agencies

can help people with alcohol and drug

problems

Supported/Sheltered housing

This type of housing can help older and

vulnerable people to keep their independence

and maintain their privacy in a safe environment

by providing a low level of support.

If you are living in supported housing you can

choose how much you become involved in any

activities that take place in the schemes.

Care Connect

The Care Connect service is an alarm service

provided by Durham County Council.

This provides 24-hour emergency cover every

day of the year. In the event of an emergency,

operators will respond to your call and offer

reassurance and appropriate support.

For more information about this service contact

Durham County Council.

Tenancy visits

We carry out annual visits to your home to talk to

you about your tenancy and ensure that you are

keeping to your tenancy conditions.

During this visit we will update the information

we have on you and your household so that we

can make sure you are getting the right services.

Garden maintenance scheme

We provide a garden maintenance service for

vulnerable tenants needing support to maintain

their garden. Please contact us for further

information.

Sponsored decoration scheme for our vulnerable tenants

The sponsored decoration scheme is available

to vulnerable tenants who have had major works

carried out in their homes or who have moved

into a home which is in need of decoration. If you

are eligible for the scheme, you can exchange


3

the decoration allowance you receive to have

up to two rooms fully decorated to your own

requirements. You would be required to provide

your own decoration materials. If you would like

further details about this scheme please contact

your Property Services Team.

Being a good neighbour

Everyone is entitled to enjoy their home quietly

and peacefully. You must not cause nuisance or

disturb your neighbours. You must also make

sure that anyone living with you or visiting your

home behaves responsibly.

As a good neighbour, please be considerate by:

n Keeping the volume of televisions, radios

and stereos as low as possible, late at night

and early in the morning

n Trying to avoid installing music systems

against walls that divide you and your

neighbour

n Carrying out work to your home during

reasonable hours

n Parking vehicles responsibly and respecting

your neighbours’ parking and access needs

n Return your rubbish bin back to its normal

storage area when it has been emptied

n Being a responsible pet owner, for example,

if you have a dog, make sure it does not

bark or whine for long periods and arrange

for it not to be left alone if you are away

from home for a long time. Do not let it soil

communal areas inside or outside flats

n Controlling your children when they are

playing outside your property

n Making sure any visitors respect your

neighbours and the area you live in whilst

they are travelling to and from, and while

they are in your home

Nuisance

If your neighbour is being too noisy or is causing

a nuisance, talking to them is often the best

way to solve the problem. Most people are

reasonable if you speak to them in person and

sometimes they may not realise that they are

causing a nuisance.

If you do not think you are able to sort the

problem out yourself please contact us and we

will discuss the best way to deal with it.

Communal areas

Everyone living in your block is responsible for

keeping the shared communal areas neat, clean

and tidy. This includes the stairs, landing and

hallways.

You must not leave rubbish on the stairs or in the

hallways, as this may be a safety hazard. You must

not place any items of furniture in the hallways

or on landings – this could be a hazard if people

need to leave the block quickly in an emergency.

Keep communal areas secure by keeping doors shut when not in use.

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We inspect shared areas on a regular basis. Please contact your Communities Team if you need to report any problems or if you would like to know more about the inspections for the shared areas near your home.

Enviromental assessments

The Communities Team will carry out regular assessments to make sure that the neighbourhood is clean and well maintained.

If you notice any problems in your neighbourhood or you would like more information about assessments in your neighbourhood please contact your Communities Team.

Community plans

19 community plans have been produced that highlight the key issues across each of our communities. Residents and tenants helped identify issues and actions to improve their community after teams at livin carried out a series of public consultation events. Our teams will work in partnership to deliver actions from each plan in a bid to tackle problems and improve neighbourhoods. To find out more or to view a copy of your community plan visit our website or call the Community Team using the contact details at the front of this chapter.

Abandoned homes

If you think that a property that is owned by us looks abandoned, please tell us immediately. We

will investigate and take the appropriate action.

Dumping rubbish

We want neighbourhoods to be clean and attractive places to live. If you find dumped rubbish in a shared area or you see someone dumping rubbish in your neighbourhood, please contact your Communities Team. If the rubbish has been dumped on land we are responsible for we will take necessary action. If it is not on our land we provide appropriate guidance and advice to try to resolve the problem.

Neighbourhood improvements

We carry out a wide range of work in your neighbourhood including:

n Ground maintenance – we will maintain grass, trees and flowerbeds on open spaces that we are responsible for

n Unadopted footpaths – we will keep footpaths that are our responsibility maintained so they are safe

n Neighbourhood improvements – we put money aside to improve car park areas and so on

n Open air communal areas – we inspect and manage our garage blocks, garage sites and garden sites

Vandalism and graffiti

If you see vandalism or graffiti please let us know, if it is on our land or property we will arrange for it to be removed. If it is not our land or property we will refer your report to Durham County

Council.


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livin community fund

The livin community fund is open to all tenants or residents as well as community groups from our neighbourhoods. Our aim is to create economic, social and environmental communities by investing in local projects and initiatives.

We are encouraging initiatives to tackle issues in three different categories:

Economic – to help people and neighbourhoods to thrive. This includes tackling unemployment, financial confidence, antisocial behaviour and much more

Social – to help to improve the health and wellbeing of Residents

Environmental – to help residents to live ‘greener’ and be environmentally responsible as well as improving the landscape where you live

If you’ve got an idea simply fill in a submission form which can be found online or by requesting

a form from our Improving Communities Team.

Untaxed and abandoned vehicles

We will investigate untaxed or abandoned vehicles that are found in our neighbourhoods; however these vehicles can also be reported to


Rubbish and refuse collection

Durham County Council is responsible for both rubbish and refuse collections. A wheeled bin collection service is provided for each home and has a regular collection. If you have a large

amount of household waste to dispose of you can take it to any of the council amenity sites free of charge.

The council also provided a bulky waste collection for items to be removed from outside your home. For more information on the full range of services and any charges contact


Street lighting

If you notice a broken or faulty street light you

should contact Durham County Council to

report it.

Stray dogs

Please contact Durham County Council’s Dog

Warden service to report stray dogs.

Vermin and pests

For advice about pest control and problems with vermin you should contact Durham County

Council.

Further information

If you have any questions about our services



If you need to contact Durham County Council, please telephone 0300 123 7070.

13A guide to tackling antisocial behaviour


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13A guide to tackling antisocial behaviour

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Tackling antisocial behaviour

This chapter is to give you advice if you are

suffering from, or have witnessed antisocial

behaviour (ASB) and want to report it to us.

ASB can have a serious negative effect on the

quality of life of individuals and of entire

communities if allowed to continue unchallenged.

We have a dedicated team of experienced and

highly trained staff to deal with serious ASB and

support victims and witnesses. ASB can include:

n Excessive noise

n Drunken and offensive behaviour

n Verbal abuse

n Violence (including threats of violence)

n Criminal damage

n Illegal drug cultivation and dealing in

addition to other criminal activities.

Solutions to deal with ASB

We have a range of measures to resolve and

prevent ASB:

n A dedicated 24 hour telephone reporting

system

n Mediation: This is conducted by trained

and impartial professionals, allowing

residents to speak to each other in a non

formal setting in order to resolve issues

between them.

n Family intervention plan (FIP): FIP’s are

useful for families if their children are

causing ASB. Support workers will work

closely with families to improve parenting

skills, ensure children attend school and

offer other advice and support to reduce

ASB caused by youths.

n Housing behaviour agreements (HBA): These agreements are used by livin to

outline the terms of the livin Tenancy

Agreement to perpetrators of ASB. They

are signed by these individuals to show that

they understand what their obligations are

and they agree to comply with them.

n Acceptable behaviour contracts (ABC): These are similar to HBA’s but are issued in

partnership with Durham County Council

and the local Police. The contracts are

designed to prohibit individuals from

engaging in ASB in the local area and are

monitored by multiple agencies to ensure

they are being adhered to.

n Good neighbour agreements for new tenants: These are given to new

tenants at sign-up as a further reminder as

to what their responsibilities are when

moving into the community.

n Covert CCTV: Used to monitor more

serious cases of ASB such as criminal

activities, the use of technical equipment

often provides invaluable evidence against

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perpetrators of ASB, which is used in court

for possession proceedings and/or legal

injunctions, in addition to being passed to

police as part of criminal investigations.

n Noise monitoring: The use of technical

equipment can be installed to record

incidents of excessive noise such as loud

music, drunken parties or other noise at

unreasonable hours of the day and night.

n Possession notices: These are legal

notices served once other warnings and

remedies have failed or been ignored. This

is the first legal step in recovering

possession of properties from persistent

perpetrators of ASB; if incidents continue

then the case will be progressed to County

Court and heard before a judge.

n Trespass letters: Served on people who

are not tenants but are visiting livin

properties and causing problems for local

residents and behaving in an unreasonable

manner. These letters prohibit individuals

from visiting a given address or being in a

given locality. They are enforced by a legal

injunction if they are breached.

n Antisocial behaviour injunctions: These served on individuals and prohibit

them from engaging in ASB. If breached,

these injunctions can be heard at court and

individuals may receive a large fine or in

serious cases imprisonment.

n Vexatious complaint letters: These letters

are served on persistent complainers who

make unwarranted complaints with little or

no substance regularly. This is a preventative

tool which may be followed with an

injunction.

n Demotion and/or suspension of preserved right to buy/acquire

In appropriate circumstances enforcement

action can be taken in cases involving

antisocial behaviour which will demote

a tenancy to shorthold/starter from being

fully assured as detailed within chapter two.

Suspension of preserved right to buy or

right to acquire may be the consequence

of action taken in court proceedings related

to antisocial behaviour.

Further Information

If you have any questions about antisocial

behaviour, please contact us on 0800 587 4538 or


ASB can be reported 24 hours a day on the ASB

report line: 01388 424690 (this is replied to

during office hours Monday to Friday).

14A guide to getting involved


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IntroductionOur tenants are at the heart of the services that

we provide and your views on how well we are

doing are important to us.

This chapter explains how you can get involved

in telling us what you think of our services. This

could cover repairs, home improvement works,

antisocial behaviour and the work we do in our

neighbourhoods.

We are committed to delivering excellent

services to you, but we can only do that if we

know what you want.

Why get involved?

By getting involved you can:

n Influence decisions that affect you and your

neighbours

n Give your views on the services you receive

n Help us to understand the needs of people

from different backgrounds

n Make a difference, meet people and

develop your own skills

n Make your area a better place to live

Ways to get involved

There are many ways you can get involved

ranging from attending meetings to being

involved from your home on the Readers Panel.

Below is a brief overview of the various ways you

can get involved.

Tenants panel

The panel meets every month and works with

us to improve services by commenting on, and

developing, ideas and proposals to make a real

difference to the services we provide.

Becoming a board member

Register your interest in becoming a Board

member and we will contact you when

vacancies arise.

Mystery shopping

Mystery shopping is an easy way to get involved.

It’s a great way for you to test the services

that you receive. You can do this by making

anonymous phone calls, receiving a visit to your

home, sending emails or by visiting our website.

We will then use your findings to improve service

delivery.

Scrutiny panel

Effective Tenants Scrutiny is an important part

of co-regulation and offers an enhanced role for

tenants ensuring that the priorities and views of

tenants are at the heart of the organisation.

The Scrutiny Group works on behalf of tenants

to ensure that livin is a well-managed, viable

organisation that puts tenants at the heart of its

business. It provides an independent check and


3

if needed challenge to drive up performance,

advises and influences standards to improve

service delivery and standards of performance.

Readers panel

Comment on documents produced by livin by

post or email.

Setting up or taking part in your local tenant/

resident association.

Tenant and resident associations are groups

of people who live in the same area that get

together to make a positive difference in

their area. They are a great way of bringing

communities together to deal with local issues

and run social events. Get in touch if you and

your neighbours are interested in setting up a

group. We offer support to all of our affiliated

residents associations.

Sedgefield residents federation

This is a group made up of tenant and resident

associations and other community groups within

the area we manage.

Focus groups

We often create focus groups to look at

individual service areas, for example, antisocial

behaviour and financial inclusion.

Taking part in consultations, forums or public meetings

Give us your views on consultations through

attending local events, road shows, forums and

public meetings.

“Your voice local choice” community plans

Community plans are important commitments

that we make to residents in our

neighbourhoods. You can get involved by

telling us what is important to you and your

neighbourhood. You can also get involved in

monitoring the development and progress of

these commitments.

Taking part in regular surveys

Take part in telephone surveys, postal surveys or

talk to our teams to give your views about the

services you receive.

Frequently asked questionsI am interested in getting involved, what do I need to do?We have a list of volunteers which is made up

of all the tenants and leaseholders who want to

get involved. To join the list we just need some

information about you, so please complete the

form on our website or give us a ring.

4

How much time will it take to get involved?The amount of time you give will depend on the

ways you choose to get involved. If you don’t

have much time there are lots of quick ways you

can get involved.

Will any training be provided to help me get involved?We will provide training to help tenants and

leaseholders with certain types of involvement,

depending on how you want to get involved.

Do you pay expenses for meetings?We cover out of pocket expenses such as travel

costs, childcare and carer expenses.

This is so that everyone has an equal chance

to get involved regardless of personal financial

circumstances.

Further information If you have any questions about getting involved



Further information on getting involved can also

be found on our website at livin.co.uk


15A guide to giving feedback on our services


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Introduction This chapter tells you what to do when you want

to give us your feedback about the services

we provide. This can include compliments,

complaints and general comments to give us

suggestions about how we can improve the

services we give you.

What type of feedback can I give? Compliments

We really would like to hear from you if you are

happy with our services. If there is a particular

person you have spoken to, or a service you think

that we are really good at, please let us know.

Any compliment you give us will be forwarded to

the person or service team you are praising.

ComplaintsWe always try to provide you with an excellent

service but recognise that sometimes things

can go wrong. We regard your comments as an

opportunity to look at if our services are meeting

your needs or not.

Don’t be afraid to tell us what you think we are

doing wrong.

Your right to services will not be affected if you

make a complaint. We need to know so that we

can make changes and stop these problems

happening again. Your complaint is the first step

in helping us put matters right.

General comments and suggestions to improve

services

Your comments may not be a compliment or

complaint, but they are still important to us. They

can help us to plan future services and give us

ideas on how to improve the services we provide.

How to give us your feedback You can give us your feedback:

n By completing the feedback form on

the website

n In person to one of our officers

n By telephoning us on 0800 587 4538 and

asking for the Customer Relations Team

n In writing (letter, fax or email)

n By completing a satisfaction survey - we

send these to customers using our services

You can give us your comments yourself or you

can ask someone to do this on your behalf. If

you would like someone to deal with this on your

behalf please tell us on the comments form. You

can also ask our staff to help you. If you wish to

refer a complaint to us via a Councillor, Board

Member or MP an authorisation form must

be completed before your complaint can be

discussed with your representative.

We will acknowledge any feedback you give us

within two working days, but we have a specific

procedure for dealing with complaints (see

overleaf).


3

You can get independent advice on making a

complaint from the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).

Their contact details can be found in the phone

book.

Our complaints procedure If you require the services of an interpreter or

translator in making your complaint, please

let us know.

Standard complaint stages: Informal This is an opportunity for us to deal with issues,

‘on the spot’, at the first point of contact.

Stage 1

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of

how we have dealt with your complaint during

the informal process, you can ask to have the

outcome reviewed by a manager. This is Stage 1

of our internal complaints procedure. (For details

of how your complaint will be dealt with see

‘What happens next?’)

Stage 2 If you do not consider the matter has been dealt

with in accordance with our Customer Feedback

Policy, you can ask to have the outcome reviewed

by another officer from an unrelated area.

Appeal If you do not consider the matter has been dealt

with at Stage 2 in accordance with our Customer

Feedback Policy, you can write us outlining

the reasons why within 28 days of the date

on your stage 2 closing letter. If your reasons

are considered valid we will arrange for your

complaint to be reviewed by our Appeals Panel.

What happens next?

Stage 1

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint

within two working days. This will be either

verbally, in writing or by email, confirming the

comment you made, when we received it,

and who will be responsible for handling and

monitoring your complaint. We will aim to visit

you to resolve Stage 1 complaints within 10

working days. If the investigation will take longer

than this, we will update you in writing every 10

working days. Once the Stage 1 investigation

is concluded we will write to you with our

findings. If you do not consider the matter has

been handled in accordance with our Customer

Feedback Policy you can ask for your complaint

to be investigated further, however, you must do

this within 28 days of the date on your Stage 1

closing letter.

Please note: We will not reopen your complaint

if you simply do not agree with the stage 1

decision.

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Stage 2 When we receive your request we will send an

acknowledgement receipt within two working

days. If your reasons are not considered valid

we will write to you and let you know. If your

reasons are considered valid your complaint

will be passed to one of our officers working

in a service area unrelated to the one you

are complaining about. They will visit you to

investigate your complaint and aim to contact

you with their findings within 10 working days. If

the investigation will take longer than this, we will

update you in writing every 10 working days.

Once the Stage 2 investigation is concluded

we will write to you with our findings. If you do

not consider the matter has been handled in

accordance with our Customer Feedback Policy

you can appeal and ask for your complaint to

be reviewed by the Appeals Hearing Panel.

However, you must do this within 28 days of the

date on your Stage 2 closing letter.

Please note: We will not reopen your complaint

if you simply do not agree with the Stage 2

decision.

Appeal If your reasons for requesting an appeal hearing

are not considered valid we will write to you and

let you know. If your reasons are considered valid

you will receive an acknowledgement within

three working days and your appeal will be

passed to the Appeals Panel for a review hearing.

The Appeals Panel will review the outcome of

any Stage 2 complaint or any very serious or

multi-department complaint. They aim to contact

you within three working days and give you an

expected hearing date for dealing with your

complaint within 28 working days. They also aim

to give you a full response to your complaint

within 15 working days of the Panel Review

Hearing being held. If there are any delays in

issuing the full response, you will be contacted in

writing to explain why.

If your appeal is upheld you will receive a written

apology, which will include:

n Confirmation of the details of the complaint

n Details of the result of the complaint

n A clear statement of what we have done,

or will do, to resolve the complaint

(including a timescale if necessary)

n A clear statement of any action we have

taken, or will be taking, to make sure that

the circumstances that made you complain

do not happen again

At the completion of the appeal hearing, we

will give you details of how to complain to the

Housing Ombudsman Service, in case you still do

not consider your complaint resolved.


5

Please note that where an interpreter or

translator is required, the time limit for response

may be extended by five working days at any

stage within the complaints process.

Complaints about a partner or contractor

If you have a complaint regarding one of our

partner contractors, please let us know. As your

landlord we need to know if the service you

receive from our partners is not satisfactory.

Complaints received about our partners will be

logged and referred to the partner’s complaints

team for action.

Our partners are expected to follow livin’s

internal complaints policy and procedure and we

will monitor their actions and response to your

complaint and log the outcome.

Anonymous complaints

Occasionally we may receive a complaint from a

complainant who wishes to remain anonymous.

We reserve the right not to investigate

anonymous complaints where it is clear that a full

investigation is not practicable or the grounds of

the complaint are not within our remit.

Further information

For further information about giving feedback,



You can also find out more information via our

website at livin.co.uk

16A guide to moving on


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We have introduced this chapter to provide

information to existing tenants who may want to

move to another livin home or to another social

landlord.

Durham Key Options

We let our homes through the Durham Key

Options choice based lettings scheme. This is a

partnership between:

n livin

n Cestria Community Housing Association

n Dale and Valley Homes

n Derwentside Homes

n Durham County Council

n East Durham Homes

n Teesdale Housing Association

If you wish to move to a home owned by one of

the landlords above you will need to fill in the

Durham Key Options application form.

You can do this by either:

n Completing an application form, we can

send you one through the post

n Completing the form online at

durhamkeyoptions.co.uk

n We can also visit you in your home to help

you complete a form if necessary

Once we have your completed application form

we will check to see if you can join the scheme

and we will let you know in writing. We will also

send you a ‘User Guide’ which tells you the next

steps.

Mutual exchange

Some council or housing association tenants may

exchange (swap) their homes with each other.

If you are interested in swapping your home,

there are two ways you can do this, through

Durham Key Options or the Homeswapper

scheme.

Durham Key Options (County Durham only) n You can apply to advertise your home

through the Durham Key Options

scheme. You will need to log-on to

durhamkeyoptions.co.uk and complete

the mutual exchange application, giving

details of your home. We will check your

application and let you know if it has been

accepted

n If you cannot complete the application

form online please contact us and we will

send you a form in the post or we can

visit you in your home to help you fill in the

application form if necessary

16A guide to moving on

3

If your application is accepted your home will

be advertised as a mutual exchange property

on the Durham Key Options website. You will be

able to view other available mutual exchange

properties and other tenants will be able to see

your advert. For more information about mutual

exchange please contact us or visit our website.

This scheme only includes properties from the

Durham Key Option partner landlords.

Homeswapper (national scheme)livin is part of the National Homeswapper service

which helps council and housing association

tenants from across the country to swap homes.

n If you are interested in advertising your

home on this website you will need to visit

homeswapper.co.uk and complete

some details about your home and also the

type of home you are interested in. We will

then receive a request from Homeswapper

to approve your application. If your

application is accepted you will be able to

log onto the website and look at other

properties

n If you do not have access to the internet you

will need to contact us and we will send you

the form out in the post or we can visit you

in your home to help you fill in the

application form if necessary.

If you find another home and the other tenant

agrees they want to move into your home you will

need to contact us immediately. Your application

to exchange homes must be approved by the

appropriate landlords

Further information

If you have any questions about moving on,



Further information relating to moving on can

also be found on our website at livin.co.uk

17A guide to ending your tenancy


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IntroductionIf you are a livin tenant and want to end your

tenancy, you need to be aware that it is much

more than just returning your keys.

How much notice do I have to give?

You must give us four weeks written notice to

end your tenancy*. We will send you a ‘notice to

terminate’ form, or you can fill one in online. Your

tenancy can end on any day of the week and you

must give us the keys by 12 noon the same day.

If you leave your home without telling us, you will

still be liable for four weeks rent.

*We may reduce the notice period in certain

exceptional circumstances. Please contact us for

further information.

What do I need to do before I leave?

You must leave your home clean, empty and

in good condition. We may charge you if we

have to remove any items which have been left

behind. You must allow our Home Letting Co-

ordinator access to inspect your home before you

leave to discuss any issues and arrange for any

outstanding repairs to be reported.

You must make sure that all fixtures and fittings

are left intact. If there are broken or missing items

you may be charged for replacing them.

We will use the notice period to advertise and

allocate your home to the next tenant. Properties

are usually advertised for letting on the Thursday

following receipt of any notice.

We will, in most cases, offer your property to

someone the following week. We may also need

to make arrangements for the next tenant to view

your property so that they can make an informed

choice.

We will always make an appointment with you

first if we wish to show anyone around your home.

We may also arrange for your utility services to be

switched to our preferred supplier. This process

takes approximately 28 days so if you decide to

withdraw or extend your notice, please let us

know immediately.

Can I change my mind?

If you decide not to move or if you need more

time to move out, please contact us on

0800 587 4538 / 0300 111 2344 to discuss this

further.

How do I return my keys?

You must contact us to make arrangements for us

to collect all of your keys. You can contact us at

any time to collect your keys before your tenancy

is due to end but you will be charged rent up to

the day your tenancy officially ends. You will be

given a receipt that shows how many keys you

returned to us and time you handed them in. If

the keys are not returned on time or there are any

keys missing, we will charge you for changing the

locks and for any rent lost during this time.

17A guide to ending your tenancy

3

What do I need to do on my moving out day?

You must supply your gas, electricity and water

meter readings to your suppliers to make sure

your final bill is accurate.

You must inform the Durham County Council,

Council Tax and Benefits section (if applicable)

that you are moving and your forwarding

address as this may affect any housing

benefit claim.

Hand over all keys to your Home Letting

Co-ordinator.

Leave your home clean, tidy and empty.

Further information

For further information about moving on, please


using a mobile.

You can also find out more information via our

website at livin.co.uk

18Useful contact details


1

Automated rent payment line 01388 814 704

Reporting anti social behaviour (out of hours) 01388 424 4690

Useful contact details

2

18Contact livin

General switchboard 0845 505 5500

Online visit: livin.co.uk email: [email protected] twitter: @weare_livin

Advice and supportCitizens Advice Bureau citizensadvice.org.uk

Social Care Direct durham.gov.uk

MIND [email protected]

National Centre for Domestic Abuse nedv.org.uk

0844 499 4123

0845 850 5010

0300 123 3393

0844 804 4999

County Durham Welfare Rights durham.gov.uk

Age UK ageuk.org.uk

Women’s Aid National Helpline womansaid.org.uk

Victim Support victimsupport.org

0191 370 8787

0800 169 6565

0808 200 0247

0845 277 0977

Customer Service Centre (including 24 hour repair reporting)

0800 587 4538 (free from a landline)

0300 111 2344 (cheaper from mobiles - charges vary)

3

Electricity, gas and waterNational Grid (Gas Leaks) nationalgrid.com

Electricity Supplier

Northumbrian Water nwl.co.uk

0800 111 999

0845 601 3268

0845 717 1100

Gas Supplier

Northern Electricity Dist. Ltd (loss of power) epr.ofgem.gov.uk

The Energy Saving Trust energysavingtrust.org.uk

0870 608 1524

0800 668 877

0800 512 012

Other useful numbersDurham County Council (All Departments) durham.gov.uk

Benefits Agency (Jobcentre plus)

Police (Durham Constabulary) durham.police.uk

0300 123 4567

0191 382 5000

Department of Work and Pensions dwp.gov.uk

Durham County Credit Union durhamcountycu.co.uk

NHS nhs.co.uk

0845 606 0265

0191 375 7677

101 (24 hour non-emergency contact number)

111 (24 hour non-emergency urgent care)

livin home guide

Documents