Christian Action Housing

Welcome to your new home

Moving into a new home can be a stressful time with all the arrangements that have to be made. However we hope  that you see it as an enjoyable experience and the start of a new chapter in your life.

We want you to enjoy your home as fully as possible and the following information has been provided to help you to settle in and to aid you throughout your time as a Christian Action tenant.

If you are just moving in, there are a number of things that you will need to do:

Gas, electricity and water supplies

You are responsible for getting your gas, electricity and water supplies connected when you move in and making sure that the bills are paid from the date that you move in. Gas and electricity supplies are normally connected, however if they aren't you must contact the supplier of your choice straight away asking them to connect your supply. You will need to give them meter readings as well. Your Neighbourhood Officer will have told you where your meters are situated.

Your water supply should also be connected and your Neighbourhood Officer will have advised you about where your water stopcock is located.

Council Tax

You are responsible for paying the Council Tax for your home from the date that you move in and you should contact the Council Tax department at your local authority about this. You may be entitled to Council Tax Benefit if your income is below a certain amount or if you are the only person living in the property.

Housing Benefit

If you are entitled to Housing Benefit to assist you with the payment of your rent, you should claim it immediately. The Council Housing Benefit Department will need to see proof of your tenancy, what your rent is, your income and household circumstances. Your Neighbourhood Officer will help you complete the forms and will give you further advice on dealing with the Housing Benefit Department. Always obtain a receipt for any documents that you submit to the Housing Benefit Department.

Keys

At the commencement of your tenancy you are given two sets of keys. Christian Action does not keep duplicate sets of keys, nor do we change locks for tenants that lose their keys. Therefore, we would strongly advise you to get an extra set cut that you can leave with a friend or relative in case you are locked out.

Rent

Your rent is due every Monday and is payable in advance if your tenancy is weekly, or on the first day of each month in advance if it is a monthly tenancy. It is very important that arrangements are in place to pay the rent as soon as you take up your tenancy. Please see further within this section for more information on how to pay your rent.

Insurance

Christian Action insures the structure of your home but does not cover your personal possessions. We strongly recommend that you insure your belongings against theft, fire and water damage. You should also insure against damage that you may cause, for example, as a result of a washing machine flooding.

Decoration

You will either have been decorated or you will have been given an allowance to decorate your home when you move in. You should use this allowance to decorate the property and for no other purpose. You are responsible for the decoration of your property as a condition of your tenancy and if you end your tenancy you should hand it back to us in good decorative order.

Repairs

There should not be any outstanding repairs required to your home unless we have agreed and made arrangements for you to give access to complete any once you have taken up your tenancy. If you discover any repairs that may be required, do report them to our repairs team straight away. You may wish to draw them to your Neighbourhood Officer's attention also.

Connection of appliances

If you are plumbing in appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers or specialist electrical equipment, you must ensure that they are connected by qualified and experienced persons.

Heating

If you are experiencing difficulty in operating the heating within your home, please contact our repairs team and they will arrange for someone to show you the correct way of using it.

Television Reception

Most of our properties have television aerials already fitted, however on the whole these are your responsibility to maintain. You must obtain permission before installing a new aerial or satellite dish.

Most blocks of flats are connected to a communal aerial and in some cases a digital aerial and satellite dish are fitted so that you can receive digital Freeview and subscription channels.

If you require a television aerial or satellite dish, we will normally give permission but we do need to be sure that the equipment and cabling does not interfere with other properties, does not damage our property and has been installed correctly. You may need to secure planning permission consent from the local authority before fitting a satellite dish. We will not allow a satellite dish to be erected unless that consent has been granted.

Many properties also have cabling laid on so that you can receive cable television. Please check with your local cable television provider to see whether your home can be connected to cable television.

Home Telephone Connection

Most of our properties are connected to British Telecom telephone lines or Cable Telephone lines. Connection of your home telephone line is your responsibility should you choose to have it. Please contact British Telecom or your local Cable Telephone provider for further details about connection.

Rubbish

Please dispose of all rubbish responsibly. When new tenants move in it is quite common for there to be a large volume of rubbish to be left following the unpacking. It may be necessary for you to arrange to take your excess rubbish to your local recycling centre rather than placing it in the bin store area. In blocks of flats other households share the bin store area with you and room needs to remain for their normal weekly rubbish also. Your regular refuse collectors may not take away certain items for you such as unwanted furniture etc. If you are in any doubt contact your local council for advice.

General Safety and Consideration

Whilst moving in, please remember not to block entrances or passageways, leave entrance door open or overload any passenger lifts. Be careful not to cause any damage when moving large items in and remember to clean up any mess that you may make.

Improvements

You may find when you move in that you may wish to put up items such as shelves or make other improvements. Please always ask your Neighbourhood Officer for advice and if necessary permission before going ahead.

Information

If you did not provide all the information that we needed when we signed your tenancy, such as next of kin details, landline phone number, doctor details etc, please remember to give these to us as soon as you have them available.

New Tenant Visits

It is the Association's practice to visit all new tenants within a few weeks after they have moved in to their new home. An appointment may already have been made for your Neighbourhood Officer and Revenue Officer to visit you. This visit is a good opportunity for you to discuss any concerns or difficulties that you may have and we can check that you received appropriate advice and support when you were signed up for your tenancy.

We also aim to visit tenants on an annual basis to complete a tenants census survey with you. This helps us to keep up to date with any changes in your household, your circumstances and your contact details etc. It also gives you the opportunity to comment on our services and request a particular service relevant to your needs