tenancy and neighbourhood management

Service StandardsWhat you can expect from Luminus

Tenancy and Neighbourhood Management


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Luminus will provide high quality services to help

people get the most from their tenancy and will consult you about any

changes which affect you

We will work in your local neighbourhood to help

make it a clean, safe and attractive environment for

you to live in

Tenancy and Neighbourhood Management What You Can Expect From Luminus

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Part OneYour tenancy

For more detailed information about your tenancy and the different types of tenancy available:

Refer to your Guide for Tenants•Call our Neighbourhood Services Team on •01480 428550Look on our website at •www.luminus.org.ukS• end an email to [email protected]

Luminus will provide high quality services to help people get the most from their tenancy and will consult you about any changes which affect you. We will make sure that everyone is able to access our services, regardless of their individual circumstances.


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When you begin your tenancy with us we willGive you a copy of your tenancy agreement, •which is a legal contract between you and us. Your tenancy agreement sets out your rights and obligations as the tenant, and ours as the landlordWhere you are unable to read/speak English •or have you have a disability which makes it difficult for you to understand the document, we will provide a copy in another language, in large print, braille, or an audio version. If you would like assistance please let us know before your tenancy startsGive you a different type of tenancy, •depending on whether you:

Were a tenant of Huntingdonshire District •Council before 20 March 2000Became a tenant of Luminus Homes or •Oak Foundation (formerly HHP), on or after 20 March 2000Are a new tenant of Luminus Homes. •When you first become a tenant of Luminus Homes we will give you a 12 month ‘Starter Tenancy’ (Assured Shorthold Tenancy). This will automatically become a full Assured Tenancy after 12 months, provided we have not taken action against you for breaking the terms of your tenancy


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Explain what your tenancy agreement •means and answer any questions you have about itAsk you to sign a ‘Good Neighbour •Agreement’, which explains how we expect our tenants to behave as neighbours and members of the local communityTalk to you about paying your rent. Where •you are experiencing difficulty, we will refer you to our Income and Benefits Advisor who will be able to assist you (please refer to our Service Standard ‘Collecting Rents and Service Charges’ and our leaflet on ‘Income and Benefits Advice’) Ask you to complete a Customer Needs •Survey, which contains questions about any special assistance you may require to help you get the most from your home and your tenancy. We will take every reasonable step to help you access all our services, regardless of your personal circumstances such as a disability or not being able to speak/read EnglishCarry out a ‘New Tenant Visit’ within two •weeks of you moving in


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Having relationship difficulties/getting divorced?We will give you advice about your housing •rights and other things to consider about your tenancy agreementWe will support tenants or members of their •household who are a victim of, or fear they will suffer from, domestic violenceWe will respect your wishes in helping you •find solutions, which may involve looking at options for re-housingOur staff will be supportive and will respect •your confidentiality at all timesWe will give you advice about other services •and agencies which may be able to help. This may include our own Tenancy Support Service

For more information about our Tenancy Support Service refer to our Service Standard ‘Support Services for Vulnerable and Elderly People’

When a partner, or someone else in your household diesOur staff will deal with you in a supportive •and sensitive wayWe will talk through your housing options, •which may including continuing the tenancy or finding another suitable property


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Passing your tenancy to someone elseIn some cases you will be able to pass or assign your tenancy to someone else. We will consider each case carefully and tell you of the outcome in writingYou may be able to:

Exchange or swap your home with someone •elseAssign your tenancy to someone else who •would be entitled to succeed to your tenancy if you died

Running a business from your homeYou do not have the right to run a business •from your home but in some cases we may give you permissionYou must ask for permission and we will •consider each request carefully and fairly

Sub-letting (renting) your home to someone elseIn some cases we will allow you sub-let part •of your homeYou must not sub-let all of your home, as •this will break your tenancy conditionsWe will consider all cases and will inform •you in writing of our decision


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Taking in a lodgerWe will allow you to take in a lodger, as long •as this does not lead to the property being overcrowded. (A lodger is someone who pays to live in your home but does not have private use of any of it, except for a bedroom)We will give you advice on taking in a lodger, •to include making sure you are not overcrowding your home

Buying your homeIn some cases you will be able to buy your •home. There are two different schemes available. These are:

The preserved right to buy (tenants who •transferred from a ‘secure’ council tenancy, for example from HDC)The right to acquire (people who began •their tenancy after 20 March 2000)

We will consider individual requests •carefullyWe will give you more information and •advice on these schemes upon request


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Compensation for improving your homeWe will allow you to carry out alterations •and improvements to your home, after you have received written permission from us and based on certain conditionsWhen your tenancy ends, we may pay you •compensation for any authorised improvements which you have made to your home

Gas/oil servicingEvery year, by law, we have to service your •gas/oil boiler and check the safety of the system, ventilation and any additional gas appliances you may have installedWe will make an appointment to carry out •this workYou are required to give us access to carry •out the work and if you fail to do so we can take legal action against you


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Information and consultationWe will provide information and consult with you if we are considering:

Changing the way we manage your home•Improving or carrying out major repairs to •your homeDemolishing your home•

Dealing with breaches of tenancyIf you break the terms of your tenancy we will:

Explain to you how you are breaking the •terms of your tenancyGive you the chance to put this right•Take action against you, either in the form of •an injunction or a possession order, which may result in you being evicted


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When will we take action against you for breaking the rules of your tenancy agreement?

There are a number of ways in which tenants can break the rules of their tenancy. These include:

Non-payment or late payment of rents and •service chargesAnti-social behaviour/nuisance•Sub-letting your whole home•Running a business from your home without •our permissionCausing your home or any common parts of •it to deteriorateGiving false information which has been •used to decide if you will be granted the tenancy

Please refer to your Tenancy Agreement, the Guide for Tenants, or speak to a member of our Neighbourhood Services team for a more detailed explanation of the reasons why a tenancy can end and the different actions we can take when you break the rules of your tenancy.


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Measuring our performance We monitor the way we perform in delivering tenancy management services. We have set the following targets:New tenant visits

We will carry out new tenancy visits for •100% of tenants within the first two weeks of their tenancy

Gas servicingWe will carry out annual gas servicing to •100% of homes with gas central heating systemsWe will carry out annual oil servicing to •100% of homes with oil-fired central heatingWe will carry out annual solid fuel servicing •to 100% of homes with solid fuel central heating systems

Overall satisfaction with our serviceEvery three years we carry out a customer •satisfaction survey for all of our tenants. In 2007 87% of our tenants were happy with the overall service we provide. We aim to improve on this result in our 2010 survey.


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Part TwoNeighbourhood Management

We will work in your local neighbourhood to help make it a clean, safe and attractive environment for you to live in.

Working with you in your local communityOur Neighbourhood Wardens will hold weekly surgeries. The weekly surgeries will give you the chance to meet your Neighbourhood Warden and tell them about any concerns you have about your local neighbourhood. The weekly surgeries are held at:

Yaxley Information Centre •Tuesday 9.30am- 1.00pmRamsey Information Centre •Tuesday 1.30pm-4.00pm

Looking after your neighbourhoodNeighbourhood Wardens will carry out •estate inspections every week. The inspections will include:

Identifying litter, dog mess, graffiti, •abandoned cars, dangerous/illegal parkingChecking that our grounds maintenance •contracts are being carried out to the standards we set


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Identifying fly-tipping•Checking that communal areas of flat •blocks are clean and have no health and safety issuesChecking that entry systems to flat blocks •are working properlyChecking that lifts are working properly, •including the alarmChecking that rubbish in communal areas •is not causing a nuisance or a danger to the health of othersChecking that fencing and other items •which are the responsibility of Luminus are in a good state of repairChecking that faulty street lighting, and •any other items which are the responsibility of the district and county councils have been reported to the relevant authority

Neighbourhood Wardens will carry out •general works to improve your local environment. These include:

Picking litter•Carrying out gardening work to untidy •communal areasRemoving graffiti•Contacting tenants who are causing •nuisance to their neighbours through fly-tipping, untidy gardens and inconsiderate parking


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Working with vulnerable residentsOur Neighbourhood Wardens will:

Visit elderly tenants in their homes regularly •to make sure they feel safe, and address any concerns and queriesCarry out regular visits to our sheltered •housing schemes and deal with any issues raised by the residentsVisit vulnerable tenants regularly, as advised •by our Tenancy Support and Neighbourhood Services teamsInstall key safes and ‘Life Line’ (community •alarm) systems in the homes of vulnerable people and carry out repair visits. For more information about key safes and ‘Life Line’, please call our Community Services Team on 01480 428562Put people in touch with the local Bobby •Scheme. The Bobby Scheme provides free advice and crime prevention aids to vulnerable people, for example door chains.

Getting involved in your community through partnership working Our Neighbourhood Wardens will work with other organisations in your community. Together we can make your community a better place to live. Examples include:

Getting involved with local schools•Meeting with local residents•Attending Parish Council meetings•Working with the police•


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Improving your local environment through the Spot the Solution scheme‘Spot the Solution’ is a unique project where we work with local residents to identify how we can make improvements to the physical environment of your neighbourhood, to help make it more secure, provide better facilities and improve the way it looks.

Examples can include:Improving landscaping to estates and •communal areas of flatsImproving security to communal areas, •including gardensImproving parking arrangements•Installing security measures to areas of your •estate

If you have any suggestions on how Spot the Solution can improve your neighbourhood please speak to a Neighbourhood Warden or call our Tenant Liaison Officer on 01480 428531 to find out more.

Measuring our performanceWe monitor the way we perform in delivering estate management services. We have set the following targets:


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Supporting vulnerable peopleOur Neighbourhood Wardens will maintain a visible presence in your local community, and in particular will keep in contact with the most vulnerable people in your neighbourhood. This will involve carrying out visits to the following people every month

At least thirty visits to elderly tenants•At least thirty visits to sheltered housing •schemesAt least thirty visits to other vulnerable tenants•

Reporting repairsOur Neighbourhood Wardens will report •repairs on behalf of tenants within 24 hours of being informed Our Neighbourhood Wardens will raise •repair orders for communal areas within 24 hours of identifying them

Customer satisfactionEvery three years we carry out a full customer satisfaction survey. In 2007 87.2% of people who responded to the survey said they were satisfied with their area as a place to live.

Our aim is improve on this result in our next full customer satisfaction survey, in 2010.


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Your feedback is important to us. If you feel that Luminus services arenotmeetingthestandardwehavesetoutinthisleaflet,pleasecontact our Customer Services Team by either:

Calling • 01480 428333 Calling any other Luminus number, where •you will put through to our Customer Services TeamComing in person to our offices at •Brook House Completing an ‘Online feedback’ form •which you can access through our website at www.luminus.org.ukPutting your issue in writing to us at •Luminus Group, Brook House, Ouse Walk, Huntingdon, PE29 3QW Completing a Comments, Compliments •and Complaints form – available to download from our website or by requesting one by phone, or in person

More information on how to get in touch with us and make a comment about our services can be found in our ‘Customer Service’ Service Standard.

We will work with customers to review our Service Standards each year, to ensure we continue to meet them and to look at how we can improve services for the future. If you would like to be involved in reviewing our Service Standards please call our Performance Review Officer on 01480 428728.


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Luminus Group • Brook House • Ouse Walk • Huntingdon • PE29 3QW T: 01480 428777 • F: 01480 428555 • [email protected] • www.luminus.org.uk

For a copy of this leaflet in large print, audiocassette or in another language call 01480 428707

01480 428707

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For a copy of this document in large print, audio or in another language call 01480 428707

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tenancy and neighbourhood management

Documents

tenancy agreement

assured tenancy

shorthold tenancy

tenancy startsgive

different type of tenancy

month starter tenancy

local neighbourhood

neighbourhood services