Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and answers about housing related issues.
- I am homeless, what shall I do?
- How do I apply to be housed by the Council?
- How can I access private rented accommodation?
- What is Homemove and how does it work?
- Can I lease my property to the Council?
- I'm in arrears with my mortgage, what shall I do?
- My landlord has served me notice, what shall I do?
- My neighbours play loud music, what can I do?
- I want to install a hardstanding, how do I do this?
- I want to add my partner's name to the tenancy, can I do this?
- I am in arrears with my rent, what should I do?
- I want to swap my property, how do I carry out a mutual exchange?
- I want to exercise my Right to Buy, how can I do this?
- I am interested in joining a Residents Group, and would like to find out about other opportunities to become involved in the area where I live. How can I do this?
-
I'm a private tenant and my heating doesn't work and the landlord won't fix it can you help?
-
Can I get help putting a shower in I can't get into my bath anymore I have mobility problems?
-
Can I get a grant to put solar water heating panels on my roof?
-
A traveller encampment is in a nearby field. What shall I do and what will happen?
1. I am homeless, what shall I do?
The Council will try to prevent you from becoming homeless. If it cannot be avoided we will advise you on alternative accommodation. Not everyone is entitled to emergency accommodation so always try to arrange a back up plan. We can also give you advice on other organisations that may be able to help you. Contact the Housing Options Team on 01323 443322 ...read more about homelessness >
2. How do I apply to be housed by the Council?
All Council and housing associations homes are allocated from the Council’s Housing Register. Application forms for the Council’s housing register are available from the Council directly or from the Council’s website. When you apply we will assess your priority. The Council and our partner Housing Associations advertise properties due to become available through the Sussex Homemove choice based lettings scheme. You then chose which properties you want to be considered for by ‘bidding’ (expressing an interest). Your application will then be considered along with everyone else that has expressed an interest in that property. It is impossible to say how long it will take to get housed through the register, because demand greatly out weighs supply ...read more about being housed by the council >
3. How can I access private rented accommodation?
If you are looking for private rented accommodation you will need to consider where you want to live, what your budget is (possibly what benefit you may be entitled to) and how long you plan to rent the property for as well as other things. Private rented accommodation is normally the quickest way to find somewhere to live. Never rule out private rented accommodation without looking into it further as it may take a long time to house you through the Council's Housing Register ...read more about private rented accommodation >
4. What is Homemove and how does it work?
Homemove gives people choice about where they live. Homemove’s Choice Based Lettings replaced the Council's points based scheme. Rather than the Council allocating properties, the scheme enables tenants and new housing applicants to bid, by registering an interest, for the properties they are interested in. All available properties are advertised on the website: www.homemove.org.uk and in a fortnightly free magazine called Homemove, available throughout Wealden.
Applicants are placed into one of four broad bands according to their housing need ...read more about Sussex Homemove's choice based lettings>
5. Can I lease my property to the Council?
The Council runs a private sector leasing scheme. The Scheme is a partnership between private sector landlords and the local authority. The owners
of empty properties provide homes on a lease of between one and five years and takes care of repairs; the Council provides tenants, guaranteed rent 52 weeks of the year and housing management services free of charge ...read more on about the private sector leasing scheme >
6. I'm in arrears with my mortgage, what shall I do?
Your options will differ depending on why you are in arrears. Firstly it is a good idea to talk to your mortgage lender. Debt advice is available from a number of sources. If you are threatened with re-possession you should try to prevent the loss of your home and as a last resort, look into what alternative accommodation is available. For more information contact the Council’s Housing Advice service on 01323 443380.
7. My landlord has served me notice, what shall I do?
First check why the notice has been served, is there any way to get the landlord to retract the notice? The notice may not be valid so it is worth checking your rights as a tenant. Check to see if the notice is valid by contacting the Council’s Housing Advice service on 01323 443380 or Citizens Advice Bureau on 01323 842336. If it is a valid notice, you should look for alternative privately rented accommodation as soon as possible.
8. My neighbours play loud music, what can I do?
Before making a complaint to the Council please consider if you can resolve the issue yourself. For instance the neighbour may not be aware that their music is too loud. If however this is not possible, your complaint will be dealt with by the Housing Officer for that area. The Housing Officer will investigate the complaint in line with the Council's anti-social behaviour procedure, and possibly involve the Environmental Health Department if the matter is very serious. You may be asked to keep a log of incidents of noise which will assist the Housing Officer in the investigation process ...read more about living in your council home >
9. I want to install a hardstanding, how do I do this?
You will need to obtain permission from your Housing Officer, Planning and Highways before proceeding. Your Housing Officer will need to give permission for the new drive that you wish to install, the planning department will need to give this request consideration because of the impact on the local environment, and Highways will need to carry out the work of installing a dropped curb. The costs of this process will have to be met in full by yourself as a tenant ...read more about reairs and maintenance >
10. I want to add my partner's name to the tenancy, can I do this?
You should contact your Housing Officer in the first instance to ensure that the partner you wish to add to the tenancy is permitted to be added in accordance with the Housing Act 1985. Changes will not be made unless the rent account is clear, and in cases where you and your partner are not married, your partner will have to have lived with you for a continuous 12 month period before the request will be considered ...read more about about your tenancy >
11. I am in arrears with my rent, what should I do?
As soon as you think you may have problems paying your rent you should contact the income Section in Housing for advice. It may be that you can achieve additional assistance through Housing Benefit payment if your circumstances have changed. Do not wait to be chased for rental payments because this could result in a Notice being served, and this will put your tenancy at risk ...read more about rent arrears >
12. I want to swap my property, how do I carry out a mutual exchange?
As a Council tenant you can swap your property with any other Housing Association tenant or Council tenant throughout the UK. It is also possible to carry out a 3-way mutual exchange. Before proceeding it is a requirement that each landlord involved gives their permission for the exchange to proceed. Your rent account will need to be clear and your tenancy must have been conducted in a satisfactory manner for the Council to approve the exchange ...read more about mutual exchanges >
13. I want to exercise my Right to Buy, how can I do this?
You should contact the Housing Department to obtain a Right to Buy information pack. The contents of this pack will explain the process, and the first document you will need to complete will be a "RTB 1". This will initiate a valuation and register your interest in buying the property ...read more about the Right to Buy >
14. I am interested in joining a Residents Group, and would like to find out about other opportunities to become involved in the area where I live. How can I do this?
There is information about local groups on the Housing Website, and for further advice please contact the Tenant Involvement Officer based in the Housing Department ...read more about resident participation >
15. I'm a private tenant and my heating doesn't work and the landlord won't fix it can you help?
An officer from the Property Service Team can visit and carry out an inspection of your property. We will then make an assessment of the Excess Cold hazard under the Housing Health and Safety Rating system (HHSRS). The assessment will show the presence of any serious hazards (Category 1) and other less serious hazards (Category 2).
Officers have a range of enforcement powers dependant on how serious the case is. If the Council identifies any Category 1 hazards in a dwelling, it has a duty to take the most appropriate action. Where Category 2 hazards are identified the Council has the discretion whether to take action or not.
The Council will initially attempt to remedy a hazard informally with the property owner, however, if no response is received, more formal action will be taken. The Council can require property owners to carry out works to improve the property by serving an Improvement Notice....read more about the Housing Health and Safety Rating system>
16. Can I get help putting a shower in I can't get into my bath anymore I have mobility problems?
The Council offer Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) and the eligible works can include removing the bath and replacing it with a level access shower. The DFG must be for a person who is registered, or could be registered, as a disabled person.
The Council work closely with East Sussex Social Services and the disabled person will need to undergo an assessment by one of their Occupational Therapists, who will advise us what works are considered necessary and appropriate for their needs.
To arrange for an assessment to be carried out, you will need to contact Social Care Direct on 0845 60 70 191. Should the Occupational Therapist decide that adaptations are required, they will then forward recommendations to the Council.
Owner-occupiers, landlords and a wide range of tenants (including Council tenants) and licensees can apply for a DFG. The level of grant is decided by a means test which looks at the income and capital/savings of the disabled person and their spouse or partner. You may have to make a contribution towards the cost of any grant eligible works....read more about Disabled Facility Grants >
17. Can I get a grant to insulate my home?
There are grants for owner occupiers and private rented tenants to help with insulation. There are discount schemes or free schemes if you are over 70 or receive qualifying benefits. Please note that there may be additional charges depending on the size of the property.
For more information please see information on grants and discount schemes.
You can also call the Wealden Home Energy Efficiency Hotline on 01323 443321
18. Can I get a grant to put solar water heating panels on my roof.
There are grants for home owners through the Low Carbon Buildings Program, expect a grant of around £400 towards the system. Other renewables are also covered too, and you can apply more than once for different systems. The maximum grant is £2500. There are requirements for existing energy efficiency measures to be in place.
For more information visit the Low Carbon Building Program website.
You can also call the Wealden Home Energy Efficiency Hotline on 01323 443321
19. A traveller encampment is in a nearby field. What shall I do and what will happen?
Contact us - we need to know the location of the field and establish who owns the land. If the land is privately owned we will contact the owner and advise him/her what steps they need to take to comply with the law and also on eviction procedures as appropriate. If the field belongs to a public body we will contact that organisation and advise of necassary investigations to take to deal with the encampment. Site visits will always be made within 24 hours where possible and with Sussex Police...read more about unauthorised encampments and traveller sites>
