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Your Rent And Service ChargesThis section tells you:

• Howwesetyourrent.

• Aboutservicechargesandhowtheyareset.

• Aboutthewaysyoucanpayyourrent.

• AboutHousingBenefit.

• Aboutyourrentstatement.

• Whattodoifyouarehavingdifficultiespayingyourrent.

• Whereyoucangetspecialistmoneymanagementanddebtcounsellingservices.

• Whatwillhappenifyoudon’tpayyourrentandservicecharges.

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How We Set Your RentTherentpaidtousbytenantscoversthecostofprovidingandmaintainingourhouses.Thisincludespayingforstaff,payingforrepairandmaintenanceworkonourhomes,andrepayingmoneyborrowedtofinancethebuildingofnewproperties.Weareanon-profitorganisationandthereforewesetourrentatthelowestpossiblelevel.Theamountofrentyoupayforyourhomewillvarydependingonthesizeandtypeofyourhome,whereyouliveandwhetheryouhaveaSecureorAssuredtenancy.Beforewechangeyourrentwehavetogiveyouamonth’swrittennotice.

Secure Tenancies

Ifyourtenancystartedbefore15January1989,theamountofrentyoupayisfixedbytheRentOfficeratCardiffCountyCouncil.TheRentOfficerisapublicemployee,andiscompletelyindependentoftheAssociation.Every2yearswecanapplytotheRentOfficerforyourrenttobereassessed.TheRentOfficerwillconsultwithyoubeforemakingadecision.IfyoudisagreewiththeRentOfficer’sdecision,youmustappealwithin28daystotheRentAssessmentCommittee.Wecanassistyouindoingthis.TheRentAssessmentCommittee’sdecisionisfinal,andisbindinguponyouandus.

Wecanaskforyourrenttobereassessedwithinthe2-yearperiodiftherehavebeenanychangestoyourhome,forexample,anymajorimprovements.

Assured Tenancies

Ifyourtenancystartedafter15January1989,youwillhaveanAssuredorAssuredShortholdtenancy.YourrentisfixedbytheAssociation,althoughforsomepropertytypestherentisrestrictedtoacertainlevelbytheWelshGovernment.

Yourrentisreviewedeveryyear,andwemustgiveyouatleastonemonth’snoticeinwritingofanyincreases.

IfyouthinkwehavesetyourrenttoohighyoucanappealtotheRentAssessmentCommittee.Theywilllookatallthefactsandsetarent.Thismaybehigherthantherentwewanttochargeyou.YoucanaskforadviceaboutyourrentfromtheCitizen’sAdviceBureau,theLawCentreorasolicitor.

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About Service Charges And How They Are SetWemayalsochargeyouaservicecharge.Thisisachargeontopofyourrent,andcoversthecostofadditionalservicesweprovide.

Theserviceswechargeforinclude:

• ProvidinganEstatesAssistant.

• Gardening.

• Cleaningandlightingcommunalareas.

• Servicingdoorentrysystems.

Ifyouarerequiredtopayaservicecharge,youwillhavereceivedaservicechargeschedulewithyourtenancyagreement.Thissetsoutalloftheserviceswechargeyoufor,andhowmuchtheyare.Yourservicechargesarebaseduponwhatitactuallycostsustoprovidetheservice.

Servicechargesarereviewedannually.Wearerequiredtogiveyouatleast28days’noticeifweintendtoincreaseyourservicecharges,andwewillconsultyoubeforechangingthem.Thiswillgiveyoutheopportunitytogiveusanyfeedbackontheservicesyoureceive,andtoseehowyourchargesarecalculated.Thereisfurtherinformationaboutservicechargesinthe‘Tenants’Guarantee’.

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About The Ways You Can Pay Your RentYour rent is payable every Monday in advance for that week. This is a condition of your tenancy agreement.

IfyoupayyourrentafterMonday,yourpaymentmaynotshowonyourrentalaccountforthatweek,andyouraccountwillshowinarrears.

Ifyouwishtopayyourrentmonthly,itshouldbepaidinadvancefortheforthcomingmonth.Ifyouneedanyassistancewithcalculatingyourmonthlypayments,pleasecontactyourRentsOfficerorCustomerServiceAdvisoron02920259100.

Ifyouwouldliketopayyourrentatanyotherfrequency,pleasecontactyourRentsOfficerorCustomerServiceAdvisor,on02920259100,foradvice.

Thereareseveralwaysthatyoucanpayyourrent:

Rent Card

YoucanpayusingyourrentcardatanyPostOffice,oranyoutletdisplayingthePayPointorPayzonelogo.PleasecontactyourCustomerServiceAdvisoron02920259100,foralistofalltheoutletsinyourlocalarea.Ifyouneedanewrentcard,pleasecontactyourCustomerServiceAdvisoron02920259100.

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Direct Debit

Wecanarrangetodebityourrentdirectlyfromyourbankaccount,atafrequencyagreedwithyou.Thistakesallofthehassleoutofpayingyourrent,aswedotheworkforyou!PleasecontactyourCustomerServiceAdvisororRentsOfficertosetupyourdirectdebitoverthetelephoneon02920259100.Don’tforgetthatittakesupto14daystosetup,sopleaseallowenoughtimeforthecommencementofyourdirectdebit.Wewillalwaysinformyouinadvanceofanychangesintheamountofrentwewillbecollecting,andyoucancancelyourdirectdebitatanytimebyinformingyourCustomerServiceAdvisorandyourbank.Remember,youmustensurethatyouhaveenoughmoneyinyourbankaccount.

Standing Order

Thisisaninstructionthatyougivetoyourbanktopayusonaregularbasis.Thisdiffersfromadirectdebit,asyouwillberesponsibleforinformingyourbankofanychangesinpaymentsthatarerequired,forexample,whenyourrentincreases.Ifyouwouldliketopaybystandingorder,pleaseaskyourCustomerServiceAdvisorforaStandingOrderMandate.Remember,youmustensurethatyouhaveenoughmoneyinyourbankaccount.

Counter Payments

Youcannowmakecounterpaymentsatouroffices,byusingachipandpinfacilityinreception.Youcanpaybyusingdebitorcreditcardsandyouwillbegivenareceiptuponpayment.Thissavesyoucarryingcash,aspaymentwillcomedirectlyfromyourcard.

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Debit/Credit Card on the Internet

Youcannowpayyourrentoverthephoneoron-line,usingyourdebitorcreditcard.

Itcouldn’tbeeasier...bothservicesareavailable24hoursaday,365daysayear.

Youwillneedtohavethefollowinginformationtohand:

• Yourallpay.netcardnumber.Thisisdisplayedonthefrontofyourrentcard.IfyoudonothavearentcardpleasetelephoneourCustomerServiceAdvisorson02920259100.

• Yourdebit/creditcardnumber.

• Theexpirydateofyourdebit/creditcard.

• Theissuenumberofyourdebit/creditcard(forSwitchcardsonly).

• Theamountyouwishtopay.

Debit/Credit Card over the telephone or in the office

Youcannowpayyourrentinreceptionviaourchipandpinmachine,allyouneedisyourdebit/creditcardandyourpinnumber.Topayoverthetelephone,pleasecallourrentsteamon02920259100duringofficeopeningtimes.

Topayonline,pleasefollowthelinkonourwebsitewww.taffhousing.co.uktoAllpay.Youwillreceivefullinstructionson-line.Again,pleasekeeptheauthorisationcodeforyourpaymentinasafeplace.

TomakepaymentdirecttoTaff,simplyringourofficeson02920259100andmakesureyouhaveyourdebit/creditcardavailable.Thisisaquickandeasymethodtomakepaymentsdirecttoyourrentaccount.

Cheque

Yourchequeshouldbemadepayableto‘TaffHousingAssociation’.Youcansendorbringyourchequetoourofficeat:AlexandraHouse,307–315CowbridgeRoadEast,Canton,Cardiff,CF51JD.Pleaseremembertoputyournameandaddressonthebackofthecheque.

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About Housing Benefit

IfyouareentitledtoHousingBenefittoassistyouwiththepaymentofpartorallofyourrent,youcanarrangeforthistobepaiddirectlytousbytheHousingBenefitDepartment.Foradviceonthisoption,ortoobtainanapplicationform,youcancontactyourRentsOfficerorCustomerServiceAdvisoron02920259100,ortheHousingBenefitDepartment,on02920872087.

AnofficerfromtheHousingBenefitDepartmentholdsasurgeryatourofficeseveryTuesdayafternoonfrom9.30am.IfyouhaveanyqueriesaboutyourHousingBenefitclaim,pleasecallintoseethem.

HousingBenefitevidencecanbehandedintoouroffices,oryoucangodirectlytoMarlandHousetoproducealldocuments,usingtheirfasttrackservice.

ThereareseveralveryimportantthingstorememberifyouclaimHousingBenefit:

• ItisyourresponsibilitytoensurethatyourHousingBenefitispaidtousontime.Please do not forget that the responsibility for payment of rent remains with you, not the Housing Benefit Department.

• IfyoureceiveHousingBenefitforonlypartofyourrent,youmustmakearrangementsforpayingtheremainder.

• YoumusttelltheHousingBenefitDepartmentandyourRentsOfficerifyourcircumstanceschange,forexample,ifachildreachestheageof18,someonemovesinorout,oryoustartwork.If you do not inform the Housing Benefit Department of any changes, you may receive benefit which you are not entitled to, and you will be asked to repay it.

• YoumustansweralllettersyoureceivefromtheHousingBenefitDepartment,evenifyouthinktheyalreadyhavetheinformation.If you do not, your benefit may be cancelled, and you will have to pay the rent yourself.

• YoumustfillinandreturnanewHousingBenefitformwhenyoureceiveone.If you do not, your benefit may be cancelled, and you will have to pay the rent yourself.

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• Ifyourbenefitstops,foranyreason,youwillhavetopaytherentyourself.

• IfyouneedanyhelporadvicewithyourHousingBenefitclaim,pleasecontactyourRentsOfficeron02920259100.

• IfyouareindisputewiththeHousingBenefitDepartmentregardingyourclaim,wecanreferyoutoourWelfareRightsOfficer,whowillbeabletoassistyouwithclaimsforbackdatedbenefitorappeals.

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About Your Rent StatementWewillsendyouarentstatementevery3months.Thisshowsalltherentwehavechargedyou,andallthepaymentsyouhavemade.Youshouldcheckthisstatementcarefullytoensurethatallyourpaymentsarethere.IfyouhaveanyquestionsaboutyourrentstatementpleasecontactyourRentsOfficerorCustomerServiceAdvisoron02920259100.

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What To Do If You Are Having Difficulties Paying Your RentIfyouareexperiencinganydifficultiesinpayingyourrent,pleasecontactourRentsTeam,on02920259100,assoonaspossible.Wewilldowhateverwecantoassistyouinmaintainingyourrentpayments.Ifyouwouldlikeadviceonwhatbenefitsareavailabletoyou,orrequiresupporttodealwithdebts,wecanreferyoutoourTenancySupportTeam.IfyouwouldlikefurtherinformationaboutTenancySupportpleasecontacttheTaffTenantSupportTeamon02920259100.

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Where You Can Get Specialist Money Management And Debt Counselling ServicesIfyouthinkyouneedspecialistadviceaboutyourfinancialaffairs,youcancontact:

RiversideAdviceCentre 029 2034 1577

TheCitizensAdviceBureau 0870 126 4028

NationalDebtline 0808 808 4000

CardiffLawCentre 029 2049 8117

HousingBenefit 029 2087 2087

ConsumerCreditCounsellingService 0800 138 1111

TheUKInsolvencyHelpline 0800 074 6918

TaffHousingAssociationhasaspecialistin-houseWelfareRightsOfficer.Youcanreachthisserviceon02920259193.

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What Will Happen If You Don’t Pay Your Rent And Service ChargesTherentyoupayusisourmainsourceofincome.Weneedittocarryonprovidinghomestopeoplewhoneedthem.Thisiswhywearequicktoremindyouwhenyouoweusrent.

Ifyoudofallbehindwithyourrent,wecanhelpyouby:

• Givingyoubenefitsadviceandhelpingyouclaimanybenefitsyoumightbeentitledto.

• Makinganaffordablerepaymentarrangementwithyouifyoucan’taffordtopaythemoneybackstraightaway.

• Ifyouaremorethan4weeksinarrears,andareinreceiptofIncomeSupportorIncomeBasedJSA,wecanapplytotheDepartmentofWorkandPensionstohavesomemoneydeductedfromyourweeklybenefittopayoffyourarrears.

Ifyoudon’tkeeptoanarrangementwithus,orfailtocontactusaboutyourarrears,wewillissueyouaNoticeofSeekingPossession.Thisisthefirststeptowardstakingyoutocourttoregainpossessionofyourhome.Ifwehavetotakeyoutocourt,younotonlyrisklosingyourhome,butyouwillalsoincuradditionalcourtfees.Remember,wedon’twantanyonetolosetheirhome,butifyoudon’tpayyourrentwewillhavetoaskyoutoleave.Ifyouloseyourhomebecauseyouhaven’tpaidyourrent,itisunlikelythattheCounciloranotherhousingassociationwillre-houseyou.

Ifyoufallintoarrearspleasefollowthisadvice:

• Carefullyreadanylettersyoureceivefromus.Theywillexplainwhatyouneedtodo,andwhatyourrightsare.

• Contactusimmediately–wecanhelp.

• Cometoanagreementtopayoffyourarrearsinawayyoucanafford, and stick to it.

• Takeindependentadvice.