TENANT’S NEWSLETTER SPRING 2015 MORE HOUSES FOR AYR!
Our latest housing development will start in the Spring. It’s on Ayr’s King Street on the site of a former pub and school. When complete, there will be 16 flats and 6 houses. The flats will either have one or two bedrooms and the houses will have two or three bedrooms. The development is designed to the highest insulation standards and will incorporate heat recovery ventilation. Each of the flats will have an enclosed balcony for the residents to enjoy throughout the year. We are pleased to have gained the support of the Scottish Government and South Ayrshire Council for this £3million project. We have worked closely with the local tenant and residents groups in designing the scheme.
UNIVERSAL CREDIT—Be Prepared! From September 2015 in South Ayrshire, you may be able to claim Universal Credit instead of certain benefits if you’re on a low income or out of work. Initially this will affect only single Job Seeking claimants. To help you prepare, Ayrshire Housing will provide further information, advice and assistance as the introduction date approaches, You don’t need to do anything if you’re already claiming benefits - you’ll be told when Universal Credit will affect you.
CARE & SHARE For the fifth year in a row, we are pleased to have donated to Care and Share. This Ayr based charity supports people experiencing homelessness and insecurity. It organises regular drop-in lunches and advice sessions as well as offering support. Help is provided on health, benefits, housing, addictions, education, getting back to work and lots more. Ayrshire Housing’s Vice-Chair Stuart Reid presented this year’s cheque at their base in the Riverside Church. Care and Share worker Ali Gilmour says, “I’m really pleased that Ayrshire Housing continues to be a good friend of Care and Share. The donation is much appreciated!”
NEW TEXT MESSAGE NUMBER - 07860 020 459 Tenants are reminded that our Text Message number has changed.
www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk Telephone (01292) 880120 or Lo-Call 0845 2712 32
STAFF NEWS
We are pleased to welcome Carla Strachan (pictured left) as our new Housing Officer. Carla will be covering the areas of Tarbolton, Symington, Annbank, Monkton, Mossblown, Troon and Dundonald. Also our new office extension is well underway and making good progress (right).
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RENT INCREASE 2015-2016 Tenants are reminded that rents have been increased by 2.5% from 1 April 2015. If you currently pay by Standing Order it is essential that you contact your bank and ask them to amend payments from 28 March 2015.
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If you currently pay by Direct Debit then please note that we will increase the amount we deduct from your bank account from March 2015. It is essential that you ensure that there are sufficient funds in your account to meet your new rental obligations. The local Council has been informed of the new charges and if you are in receipt of Housing Benefit your benefit should increase accordingly. Please note that if you are having difficulty in meeting your rent payments it is important that you contact your Housing Officer or our Money Advice Officer at the earliest opportunity to ensure that appropriate advice and assistance can be offered.
BENEFIT SANCTIONS We are more and more aware of the number of benefit sanctions being applied to our tenants who are claimants of JSA (Job Seekers Allowance) or ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) and we would urge you to seek help if this happens to you. You have the right to appeal against any sanction decision and we can help you with the appeal. You should get in touch with us as soon as you have been sanctioned so that we can help with the immediate problem you may have in getting some money. We can also help at this stage with an appeal if the sanction seems unreasonable. If you do not appeal and you are sanctioned again it will be for a longer period the next time.
You should be aware that it is not the case that you are not entitled to Housing Benefit while you are sanctioned. However, you must respond to the council if they ask for information from you in order for the Housing Benefit to be continued and for your rent to be paid. Remember – please contact your Housing Officer immediately if you find out you have been sanctioned.
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ALTERATIONS & IMPROVEMENTS If you are proposing to carry out any improvements or alterations to your home or garden (other than internal decoration or minor cosmetic changes) your tenancy agreement requires that you obtain permission before starting the works. It is also important to seek the necessary permission should you wish to claim compensation under the Right to Compensation for Improvements at a later date. GENERAL PRINCIPLE In considering applications to carry out improvements and alterations, the association will not unreasonably withhold consent. In general, permission will only be refused on grounds that take into account: The safety of the occupiers and visitors to the house and other adjacent premises Any resulting expenditure for the association Any effect on the value of the house, the future rental value or the property’s suitability for future letting Unreasonably onerous future maintenance responsibilities for the association Any effect on the general aesthetics and look of the building and surrounding area Any effect of the work on the amount of accommodation space provided (e.g. reducing a 4 apartment to a 3 apartment by making two bedrooms into one) and on the future use of the property Any likely inconvenience to other residents Where it is assessed that the proposed alteration or improvement is likely to have a detrimental effect on any one of these factors, permission may be reasonably withheld. In relation to the final condition listed above, the views of neighbours who may be affected by the proposed works are of significance. REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES The association will not normally take responsibility or accept liability for the repair and maintenance of any components installed or of alterations/improvements undertaken by tenants for the duration of that tenancy. Where the association agrees to maintain any element of the works, this will be stipulated in writing. Where a component of the alteration/improvement requires to be replaced and is deemed to be the association’s responsibility, then the association’s standard fixings and/or fittings will normally be used (e.g. a standard light fitting rather than a bespoke one).
TERMINATION OF TENANCY
Removal of Alteration/Improvement As part of the application to carry out an alteration/improvement, the applicant will generally be asked to intimate whether they intend to remove any component of the alteration/improvement in the event that they subsequently end their tenancy with the association. Where the association believes it would be left with unreasonably onerous maintenance costs then the applicant will be advised that the component must be removed at the end of their tenancy. Where the resident is to remove all or part of the alteration/improvement they will be obliged to re-instate the property to a standard acceptable to the association and replace all the fixtures and fittings prior to terminating their tenancy. Where this is not done the association will reinstate the property and recharge the cost of any works to the former tenant. Leaving the Alteration/Improvement Where the alteration/improvement is to be left by the vacating resident, all components of the alteration/improvement must be left safe and in fully working order and in a condition that meets the association’s re-let standards. Where required, the resident must meet the cost of an electrical or gas safety check of the components. If they fail to do so, the alteration/improvement will either be brought up to standard or removed by the association and the former resident recharged the full costs incurred. Right to Compensation for Improvements You may be eligible for compensation for certain alterations or improvements you have made to your home when you terminate your tenancy. The level of any compensation due is dependent on the initial cost of the works, when they were carried out and the notional lifespan of the alteration or improvement. New Tenants Where an alteration/improvement is left with the agreement of the association, we will take on responsibility for the maintenance of any component it has authorised the previous tenant to install. Where a non-standard component of the alteration/improvement requires to be replaced then the association will normally use standard fixings and/or fittings.
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PET COMPETITION ENTRY FORM 2015 It is also time for our ever popular Pet of the Year Competition. To enter send along a picture of your pet with an explanation of why they deserve to win. Name
________________________________________
Address
________________________________________ ________________________________________
Tel/Email
________________________________________
Pet Breed
________________________________________
Pet Name _____________________________________
Ruby, our new PR Guru, wants to hear from you! You can also email your photos with a story! ruby@ayrshirehousing.org.uk
GARDEN COMPETITION ENTRY FORM 2015 Spring has arrived and it’s time to head out into your garden. Enter our Annual Garden Competition to show off your horticultural skills. Just complete and return this entry form to us. Name
_________________________
Address
_________________________ _________________________ _________________________
Tel
_________________________
_________________________
Garden
Window Box
Container
Best Kept Close
RENT CONSULTATION SURVEY We recently carried out consultation on the proposed rent review for 2015/2016 and were delighted at the numbers who responded. The results provided us with valuable information regarding a number of aspects about our rent, the value for money of the services we provide and the importance of many of our core activities. We offered an incentive of a prize to those who responded and we are delighted to announce that the joint winners of the ÂŁ20 Marks & Spencer voucher, who was chosen randomly from the names of all respondents, were Mr & Mrs Curragh from Ayr.
We can supply this document in a print size to suit. It is also available in Braille, audio and other formats, and in other languages. Our website also has several accessibility features which you may find useful.
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