About Rent
We collect rent on behalf of your
landlord the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
Your rent is used to maintain your home, your
block and your estate. It is used to pay for all of the services we
provide: repairs, the cleaning and maintenance of your surrounding
areas e.g. stairwells, corridors and open green spaces.
We also provide our residents with a 360
degrees rental service. We invite all new tenants into Ascham Homes
to discuss and sign their tenancy agreement. Our staff take rent
payments, provide payment plans and offer solutions to those in
arrears. We involve residents in shaping and improving the
service thorough customer satisfaction surveys,
mystery shopping and focus groups.
We will send you your rent statement every
quarter however if you would like to keep a closer eye on your
finances you can check your balance on line www.seemydata.com/cgilocal/index.pl?client=ascham
or telephone Customer Service on 020 8496 4197
The amount of rent payable by you under this
agreement may be changed by the council. In the event of
this happening they are required to give you four weeks written
notice. However, the council does not have to advise you in advance
of any increase in your weekly rent which occurs because of an
increase in service charges, which can include caretaking,
grounds maintenance, communal lighting etc.
Your rent is due one week in advance, on each
Monday. However there is an option to pay every two weeks or
monthly if this suits you better.
Your rent is made up of:
- net rent
- and some or maybe all of the following
depending upon the property you live in and your personal
situation:
- water charges
- service charges
- heating
- home insurance
Net rent
The net rent is the amount you pay for using
your home. The council combines all the rent it receives and uses
the money to maintain and manage its housing..
We work out the amount of net rent you pay
using the government’s national formula:
- The average council rent for all local authorities in
England
- The average earnings in your area compared with the national
average earnings
- The capital value of your property compared with the national
average of a council property (valuations of property are on the
open-market value at January 1999 prices)
- The number of bedrooms in your property
The formula calculates a “Target Rent” for
each property. This target rent increases each year in line with
inflation. At present the rent Waltham Forest charges is generally
lower than other councils, however, we are slowly moving towards
the target rent each year. Please be aware that rent is increased
annually in April. You will receive four weeks notice, prior
to the increase.
Water charges
We collect water charges for Water
Companies, who set the amount charged each year.
Service charge
This charge is based on the cost of delivering
the services used by you on your estate i.e. electricity, lifts and
security entrances and the maintenance of communal areas such as
caretaking and grounds maintenance (gardening and grass
cutting).
Heating
If your home has a communal heating system,
you will pay for heating with your rent.
Contents Insurance
We have arranged a low-cost home contents
insurance with Aviva Insurance UK Limited. All residents can
benefit from taking out this insurance. This insurance will protect
your belongings against fire, theft, vandalism and burst pipes,
speak to one of our staff to find out more, telephone 020 8531
8097. Download Contents Insurance
Booklet.
The cost for your insurance can be included
with your rent collection. You must remember to keep up to date
with your payments otherwise you will not be covered.
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