A 77-year-old friend of mine, Mrs M, moved into a sheltered housing scheme three years ago with a permanent warden service. The warden provided regular checks on residents and helped them with filling in benefit claim forms, picking up prescriptions and collecting pensions. But in June the full-time warden was replaced with a floating warden service covering several schemes. Mrs M and the other residents no longer receive help with their benefit claims forms or with collecting pensions and so on and the new warden will only check on residents once a day. Mrs M was also asked in April this year to sign a deed of variation to her tenancy agreement, which she did. She feels the landlord may have acted in breach of its covenants under the tenancy agreement but is not entirely sure, as she speaks only Urdu and is unable to read English. What can she do?
Mrs M will need to examine the terms of her tenancy agreement including her landlord's duties under the agreement in order to determine whether there has been an actual breach of covenant. It is possible that the services in question were provided under a separate agreement. It is also possible that deed of variation signed by Mrs M in June might have substantially altered the rights and responsibilities of both parties but Mrs M will need to find this out. She should call the Advice, Information and Mediation Service's multi-lingual housing advice line (0845 600 2001) and leave a message; a housing adviser will call her back with an interpreter on line to discuss the problem, give advice and arrange a dispute resolution meeting as appropriate.
Stephen Boyo, National policy officer (housing, regeneration and crime) at Age Concern
There are two key issues in this case. The first one is what kind of tenancy is involved. Certain tenancies cannot be changed just by way of deed of variation. The second one is whether the landlord consulted tenants appropriately prior to the change. Consultation has to be meaningful and tenants who are vulnerable, for example because they do not speak English as a first language, should be given adequate advice and support so that they understand what is being proposed and can participate fully in the consultation process. Options for alternative accommodation should be considered for tenants who clearly need a high level of support when that is no longer available.
Mrs M should make a formal complaint to her landlord, perhaps with the assistance of a local advocacy organisation such as the Citizens' Advice Bureau, or Age Concern, who should be able to provide interpreters. If the landlord does not explain its actions convincingly, she can subsequently approach the independent housing ombudsman scheme.
Dr Mike Biles, Independent housing ombudsman
Details, details
I am concerned that my staff are puting in too much detail when writing our business plan. Although I see the point of planning ahead, the forecast covers such a long time that I am worried that after a few years we will end up trapped in following an out-dated plan.
Too much detail will result in a greater than necessary effort to maintain the plan, but too little may result in unreliable forecasts and flawed business decisions.
Your business plan should be detailed enough to capture all material factors affecting income and expenditure projections over the term of the forecast (typically 30 years). For example, housing properties should be analysed over sufficient numbers of types, or areas, to ensure that the impact of notably different rents, turnover rates, rent loss, and/or costs can be properly forecast.
Management expenditure should be broken down in sufficient detail to accommodate accurately any different cost behaviour patterns.
Dermot McRoberts, executive director, Hacas Chapman Hendy
Source
Housing Today
Postscript
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