Northamptonshire Community Housing Network

Housing Training Programme

4th October 2011

SESSION TWO

The programme is about….

Learning together by sharing and finding things out

We want to help you think about these 4 things

Our Rules 1. You need to come to all the sessions

2. You need to come with a supporter if you are under 18

3. If you live with your family you need to bring a family member with you, and

4. We need to be willing to help each other

5. We all need to respect each other

Today we will look at……

Home work from last time

What we found out

Housing rules, responsibilities & applying for a home

SESSION 2

Session 2 – will cover….

• Tenancy types• Responsibilities of landlords & tenants • Responsibilities of home owners• Who can help us find a home?• Ways of buying a home & rules • How to apply for a home to rent• Understanding Choice based lettings• Finding a private home (buy or rent)

Rights & Responsibilities

Responsibilities & Rights

We all have responsibilities,things we have to do as part of the

agreement about our home

These cover People & LandlordsHome buyers & Home sellers

We also have rights about our homeand how we can live in it

Housing Rules

Where ever we live we all have rules to follow,

Can you name some rules where you live now

Legal Housing Agreements

To live in a home we make an agreement with another person or organisation.

The agreement is between us and the people who supply the home.

Types of Housing AgreementsThere are many types of housing agreement

We can either :-• Buy a home

• Rent a home, or• Stay in a care home

• or hospital

Renting a Home

We can rent a home from:-• a Private Landlord• From a Council or Housing Association• From a Charity or Voluntary Organisation• from Parents & Relatives

Legal ways of Renting a Home

When you rent a home you will have a Tenancy and you become ‘a Tenant’

To do this you need to sign a Tenancy Agreement

This is a legal agreement between You as a Tenant and the Landlord who owns the home

Types of Tenancy agreement

There are many types of tenancy agreement

1. Some mean you can stay in your home for a very long time, like an Assured Tenancy

2. Some let you stay for a shorter time, like an Assured Shorthold Tenancy

3. Some let you rent a room in someone’s home ,a License agreement

The Rules The Tenant follows

You agree to follow the rules of the Tenancy,

1. To make a weekly payment to live there – this is called ‘the Rent’

2. To look after your home, keep it clean & tidy3. To respect people living near by & not make noise4. To report any repairs5. To let the landlord in to do repairs 6. Agree not to damage your home

What the Landlord must do

Landlord agrees to:

1. To make the home available to you to live in for the agreed time

2. To repair & look after the home3. To respect your privacy & only visit when agreed4. To give you regular details of the rent you have paid and

let you know if you get behind

What Happens if you break the rules

It can be very serious if you break the rulesof your tenancy. You could even loose your home

Often you will be warned if youare behind on the rent or if youbreak another rule

What if the Landlord breaks the rules

You can make a complaint if the Landlordbreaks the rules, either to:-

1. Other people that work for the Landlord or2. To the local council, police or Trading Standards

office

Responsibilities of Home Owners

If you own your home you also have responsibilities

• To pay for your home – often pay a mortgage• To keep your home in good order• To get along with neighbours• To let the mortgage company know if you want to rent

out your home

Any Questions Any Thoughts

Playing a Game

The Housing Snakes

& Ladders Game

Getting a Home

Buying a Home

• Buy your home outright• Shared Ownership or Home buy• Buying a home with a mortgage

What is a Mortgage

This is a way many people use to buy their Home. A mortgage is when you borrow the money to buy your home

You can borrow from • A bank• A building society• A trust or a charity• Or your family

Finding a Home to BuyYou can find a home to buy by……

• Looking in the paper• Going to an Estate Agent• Looking on the internet• Talking to people & friends• Talking to a Housing Association if shared ownership

Help with Buying

You will need help to buy your home, you can ask….

• A solicitor• Family & friends• A Housing Association• A Voluntary body like My Safe Home• Your support worker• Delos• The Community Housing Network

Finding a Home to Rent

You can find a home to Rent by……• Applying to the Council’s Housing list• Looking in the paper• Contacting Housing Associations &

charities• Going to an Estate Agents• Looking on the Internet• Contacting a supported housing

provider

Applying to Your Local Council

Every Local Council in Northamptonshire helps people find a home.

They all have a Housing Register that you can apply to go on

When your name comes up on the Register they may offer you a home to rent

How The Housing Register works

Most Councils run a Choice Based lettingSystem to decide whose needs are highestfor a home.

All available homes are listed each week and you can ‘Bid’ for the home you like.

Who ever is the highest on the list against each home is offered the home

How Choiced Based Lettings works

Applying to Keyways Steps:-• You fill in application form to join in• You are registered & then given a band depending

on your level of housing need• You can start bidding for up to 2 properties per

week• If your bid is near the top you may be asked to

view the home• If you like it you can sign a tenancy & move in

About BandingThis is the way the Council’s decide

who is in the most need of a new home. The higher the band the higher your

level of need.

Some Councils band A – D, where A is the highest & D the lowest

If you live with your family you may be in the lowest Band - D

BAND

ABCD

More Information about Choice Based Lettings

The Housing Network did some work with Keyways in the Spring 2011

We produced a very important report & 2 guides saying how it works

These are available today for you to collect

Residential Care

• Larger care homes• Small care homes• NHS Homes & Campuses

Applying for Residential Care

You can apply directly to care homes if you have your own money to pay, or

You can apply to Social Services to have your needs assessed & choose a care home

Rules in a Care Home

These are different to renting your own place:-

• You may have your own room or may share• You will have to help out with home care• You may not have much money left over• You have your meals at set times• Your rights & choices are less• Someone may have to go out with all the time

Any Questions Any Thoughts

Thank you – see you next time

To join the Community Housing Network contact

Marion Turner on

01933 381467

or look at our website

www.myhomemysay.co.uk