Ending Housing Association Tenancy

Pont

squinty wrote: »

Look at this a different way.

The HA is asking you to leave the property that is in a good condition where they will have little or no work to carry out before letting this to the next tenant. This will include removing carpets, cleaning the loft etc. If you do not move these yourself they will need to do this. I think it’s entirely reasonable to give you the option – either you move it, or they will charge you.

Secondly, you mention things like a shower and wooden flooring. It would have been a condition of tenancy that you needed permission before making these alterations. If you have gained permission this should have made it clear what happened at the end of the tenancy (either leave it or remove).
However, you do not mention any permission. If this has not been granted you have three choices.

1. Remove this and make good
2. Leave them in the property but you will be charged for their removal
3. Ask the HA for retrospective permission and see if they will accept ongoing maintenance of these items

Some HA’s and Councils do make payments as an incentive for people to move into smaller accommodation or to move into the private sector, especially when this frees up family housing. Its often cheaper to do this rather than paying for another family to be in B&B. Such schemes are referred to as Cash Incentive Schemes.

Many HA’s and Councils also make payments to tenants who leave their properties in a good condition where this is ready to let. There is no national scheme for this and payments can vary between a token amount to a couple of hundred quid.

Finally I doubt if there is a legal obligation to provide a forwarding address. But I’m not sure why you think this is a problem – it would allow the HA to contact you. If you chose not to provide this, and there is a debt when you leave a property they will be able to find you trough a debt tracing agency, and may well charge you for the trace.

Thanks for your input squinty and I take on board what you're saying. I just don't like the double standards used by the HA. When I moved in I asked for permission to get rid of 2 sheds left by a previous tenant - I was told if I wanted to do so I could, but it was down to me. There was also an enormous fake stone fireplace in the lounge - again it was down to me to remove it. As I said every room was carpeted - I had to get rid of it. So why am I expected to remove items if previous tenants didn't?

The shower mentioned was probably installed by the previous tenant too. However, it was dodgy (didn't work half the time and electrical wires exposed) so I paid for a certified electrician to install a new one. All I'm saying is that if previous tenants didn't have to remove all these things from the house why do I have to? They didn't get billed for anything (I checked with them) so again why should I?

I too doubt there is a legal obligation to supply a forwarding address. From the pack I received the tone was rather threatening IMO, 'You will enter your new address in box 4 etc'. At the moment I feel maybe I will, but probably I won't!

barnaby-bear

Pont wrote: »

'You will enter your new address in box 4 etc'. At the moment I feel maybe I will, but probably I won't!

What if you were going travelling to Thailand?;) Long holiday before looking for a new place, staying with a friend?

Pont

carefullycautious wrote: »

Dont presume that everyone working at your HA knows about incentive schemes. When I asked about incentive payment for leaving the girl I spoke to had no idea what I was talking about even though they had advertised this in the local paper. This was some years ago

Speaking to the LA recently about other matters I managed to speak to the guy who managed this scheme on behalf of the government. He was the one who told me that they had had to scrap the incentive scheme due to the poor take up. However, he acknowledged that due to the 'boom' in house prices nobody could afford to buy at the time especially in relation to the low cost rent and maintained property they afforded with a secure tenancy.

However, i believe some authorities may still run these incentive schemes so again do ask

The problem is that the house is HA not LA. I've managed to find some HAs that run such a scheme and I always thought all HAs in the country operated by the same code of practice. There's probably a get out clause somewhere in the smallprint though.

Pont

barnaby-bear wrote: »

What if you were going travelling to Thailand?;) Long holiday before looking for a new place, staying with a friend?

Exactly! I think they are just using these tactics in the hope that most people will comply. I feel that as I'm honest, decent, paid all rent on time, kept the garden tidy etc (:A), I'm going to be picking up the bill for those who have done a moonlight flit!

usernameisvalid

The scheme I was on was many moons ago - cant remember what year but it was the same year labour came to power - wasnt all bad news that week:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

At the time there were a few schemes being run, being paid a lump sum to give up your HA property to go and buy on the open market, or the rent free period on the shared ownership. We missed out three years on the trot for the lump sum and when we got accepted on the shared ownership it was a mad dash trying to find a property before the funding was passed on to someone else. I think once you were accepted you had 12 weeks in which to find and complete on a purchase before the offer went to the next on the list.

I do remember at the time the rules had just changed to allow HA to offer incentives for tenants to move out but not all HA had the funding to do so