Annual Tenancy Visit Policy
Introduction
Cross Keys Homes has made a commitment to visit every single one of its homes every year. These visits will allow us to check the condition of your home and ensure it is safe and habitable. We will also check for signs of damp and mould. But more than that, it will enable us to get to know you and your household. We will ask you questions about any challenges you are facing and what support we can put in place, or signpost you to, in order for you to live the life you want.
This policy outlines how we will carry out these visits and what it means to you, as well as what we need you to do.
Our commitment to you
At CKH we put residents first. We recognise that our residents have a range of varied needs and backgrounds, and they all must have access to reliable services that provide a safe home. Our homes should be good quality and well-maintained and our annual tenancy visit is our opportunity not only to better understand our residents and where they live, but to take action where it’s needed, prevent tenancy failure and change lives through our drive, expertise and resources.
Every year we will contact you to arrange a time for your Neighbourhood Manager (or Scheme Manager, if you live in one of our retirement housing communities) to come to your home for this visit. We may contact you by email, phone or through the post. Please respond promptly to book your appointment.
At the start of the inspection, your Neighbourhood/Scheme Manager will want to talk to you about yourself and other members of your household. They will need to see some identification from you. They will also ask about any vulnerabilities you may have (such as disabilities or mental health challenges) and any reasonable adjustments CKH can make to ensure our services are accessible to you. With your consent, we will record these to ensure everyone in CKH who provides a service to you can do so in the way you need. We will also ask for details of everyone who lives in the home with you.
During the visit, we will look around your home and garden to check on the condition of your home. We are not judging your lifestyle. We will need to check for damp and mould and any repairs that need to be completed. We can support you with reporting repairs, should you need it.
We have a clear policy that no CKH resident should have to live with damp and mould. If we find any evidence of damp and mould we will take action. The action we take will depend on the severity of the damp and mould found.
- If there is slight damp and mould, the resident will be offered a pack with cleaning materials with guidance of how to clean the any mould and further self-help. Advice will be provided to report as a repair should the problem persist.
- Moderate levels of damp and mould will be reported to the Repairs team, to be actioned in line with our Damp and mould policy.
- Cases of severe damp and mould will be reported directly to the Repairs Team Manager to arrange for a surveyor to attend within 24 hours to assess the condition and arrange any remedial works.
During the visit, we will categorise your property condition good, average, poor or unacceptable. Properties categorised as ‘good’ include those in a good decorative order, free from damage and a garden, if you have one, in good order. Those in ‘average’ condition may require minor work such as a clean or repair to minor damage.
Properties in poor condition may require re-decoration (for example nicotine-stained walls/ceiling) minor damage and a garden in poor condition such as overgrown or unsafe groundworks. Properties in unacceptable condition may also include similar features and there may be issues such as hoarding or other health and safety concerns.
Your Neighbourhood or Scheme Manager will discuss your property condition with you during the visit and talk about any steps you need to take to bring your property up to a satisfactory condition, if it is poor or unacceptable. They will also ask you about any challenges you are facing and what support you need.
You will be provided with a ‘Property Inspection Certificate’ following completion of the tenancy visit. This will include key property outcomes from the visit including whether any damp and mould was present, and how the property condition was categorised along with information about your home’s energy efficiency rating, the date of the next gas service and the date of the next stock condition survey.
Preventative actions we take
There may be some immediate concerns identified at or during the visit that we will action to prevent further harm, including:
· Safeguarding concerns regarding children or adults at risk in the home.
· Welfare concern requiring an alive and well check.
· The property may be sub-let to people who are not the registered tenant.
· Illegal activity such as drug taking.
· The property may have been abandoned by the tenant.
The Neighbourhood or Scheme Manager will take immediate action in accordance with the relevant policies and procedures. If access is required to the property for an alive and well welfare check, any ongoing criminal activity or immediate safeguarding concern for a child in the home, they will contact the emergency services.
Your responsibilities
If you receive an email, phone call or letter requesting you book an appointment for a visit, please respond as soon as you can. Allowing pre-arranged access to your home to employees of CKH is a condition of your tenancy, and we can take enforcement action if you refuse.
Please ensure that at least one adult who is named on the tenancy is present during the visit. You will need to present identification when requested.
If your property falls below the good or average condition standard you will be required to comply with any actions identified to improve its condition, within the agreed timescale. Our Tenancy Compliance Officers will revisit you for a period of time to ensure the improvements have been made
We welcome feedback on our tenancy visits and you will be invited to share this with us.
Further information:
Who is responsible for managing the Annual Tenancy Visit Policy?
The Assistant Director of Operations has overall responsibility for the policy and procedure.
Legislation and regulation
This policy is written in accordance with the following regulatory and legislative requirements:
- The Housing Act 1985, The Housing Act 1988, The Housing Act 1996
- Equality Act 2010
- Regulator of Social Housing Consumer standard
- Decent Home Standard
Information sharing
Cross Keys Homes has an information sharing agreement with key agencies and contractors to share information in relation to the delivery of our services. Information shared must be relevant and the Data Protection Procedure adhered to when handling data. You can find more information about how we manage your data in our Transparency and Privacy Policy.
Monitoring and review
The Annual Tenancy Visit Policy was written and approved in April 2024 and will be reviewed every year – next review April 2025.
Other related policies
- Damp and Mould Policy and Procedure
- Tenancy Management Policy and Procedure
- Repairs and Maintenance Policy and Procedure
- Service Request Policy and Procedure