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 such as: your 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 Ascham Homes tenants 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 through 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 http://ascham.seemydata.com/ or
telephone Income Services on 020 8496 4197 to discuss any concerns
you have with your rent or service charge account.
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.
If you pay by Direct Debit, a letter detailing your revised
instalments will be sent to you shortly. Please remember that if
you pay by standing order, you will need to recalculate your
payments and advise your bank of the increase in the instalment
amount.
If you at present are in receipt of housing benefit, you must
notify Income Services of all changes in the amount of Housing
Benefit you receive. Upon notification, your payments will be
adjusted to take account of the charge and details will then be
sent to you.
If you are not receiving housing benefit and wish to claim, please
contact the Benefits Section by telephoning 020 8496 3000 or
claim online at www.walthamforest.gov.uk/benefitsonline
If you are in doubt, please contact our Income Services Team who
will support you through this process by telephoning 020 8496
4197.
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 RSA Insurance. 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 8496 4197. 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.
Download Contents
Insurance Booklet.
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