Moving into your home

Understanding your Tenancy Agreement

Your Tenancy Agreement will explain the rights and obligations you have as a tenant, what is expected of you whilst living in a Brunelcare home and what behaviours are considered acceptable. It will also give details of Brunelcare’s responsibilities as your landlord. The Tenancy Agreement is a legally binding contract, and the occupancy rights will depend on the type of tenancy you have.

The tenancy agreement will include details of when the tenancy agreement started, your rent and charges, including a breakdown of service charges, along with when and how often you are expected to pay. It will also detail how many people can live in the property, and the terms and conditions of the tenancy.

When one person signs a tenancy agreement there are called a ‘sole tenant’ and if two people sign a tenancy agreement they are called ‘joint tenants’. As the name suggests, Joint tenants are both jointly liable for the rent & service charges as well as all the terms and conditions included in the agreement.

What to expect when moving into your new home

We have a set of standards we follow when preparing a home for a new resident. When Brunelcare hands you the keys to your new home, you can be reassured that we will have:

• Made sure it is clean and tidy, free from damp, mould and any other hazard
• Checked for asbestos and if any is found, assessed where it poses a risk
• Checked your home has a working smoke detectors/alarm
• Checked that the decoration is in good condition throughout the property or offered you a decoration voucher to help with providing decorating materials such as paint, paint brushes or rollers
• Checked your home has an up-to-date Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), Electrical Safety Certificate and a Gas Safety Certificate for any homes which have a gas boiler or appliances installed.
• Checked that the kitchen has space for a cooker and fridge, along with ensuring that kitchen units and work tops are in good order. Checked that all vents and extractor fans are clean and working
• Checked the bathroom to ensure that it is clean, tidy and that sinks, showers, basins, showers are stain free. That plugs are attached, and that any bathroom tiles are in a good condition, with flooring being slip resistant and checked that it has the appropriate vents or extractor fans
• Checked that your home has at least one form of heating, and checked that heating and hot water systems, wiring and appliances are safe.
• Checked all windows, repairing any cracked, missing or failing glazing and have fitted window restrictors to windows above the ground floor
• Checked that all doors are in a good condition and that they open, close and lock easily
• Provided 2 sets of keys for the property (including keys or fobs for accessing communal areas), checked that the letterbox is working and the flat number is fitted on or around the front door
• Checked that carpets or floor covering from the previous tenant are in good condition, and ensured that there is vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bathroom
• Ensured that your home meets the Decent Home Standard: chiefly that it is safe, warm and comfortable

Read our handy ‘to-do’ list for when you first move in.

There’s a lot to think about when you move into a new home, so we’ve prepared this checklist to help you get set up:

• Ensure you have read and understood your Tenancy or Leasehold Agreement. Please ask us if you have any questions.
• Check that your home is clean, tidy and free from damp, mould or hazards when you first move in. Check that your home is not in need of any repairs.
• Check the heating controls and how they work in your home
• Check you understand how your Alertacall device works. See the Alertacall section on this page for more details. Check that you understand how the Out of Hours support services operate for your property and site.
• Familiarise your service with Brunelcare’s key contact telephone numbers
• Check you understand how to use the laundry service at your site and confirm your time slot (only applicable to sites with an onsite laundry)
• Ensure you have agreed how and when you will pay your rent and service charges to Brunelcare. Mor information on how you can pay your rent can be found here (link out to Paying your Rent page)
• Contact your local council to set up or change your Council Tax payments and to add your household to the electoral roll
• Contact your local council to make new claims for Housing and Council Tax Benefits (means tested based on income). We can support you with this and help with Change of Circumstances forms, if applicable/required
• Arrange contents insurance. The building is insured by Brunelcare however your personal possessions and belongings will not be covered under that policy
• Remember to let your doctor, dentist, bank, employer, school and DVLA, etc of your new address
• Re-direct your mail from your previous address (please contact the Post Office for advice)
• Arrange or amend your TV licence (if necessary)

New Tenancy Visit

We aim to visit all new tenants within the first six weeks to find out how you are settling in. This is also a chance for you to raise any questions or concerns you may have.

During the visit, we will:

• Check the right people have moved in
• Make sure you understand your responsibilities as a tenant and are complying with your tenancy conditions
• Identify any issues with the property
• Find out if you need any extra support

What you can expect Brunelcare to do for you.

We take our duties as a landlord seriously and we want to make sure you are well supported during your time living in a Brunelcare property. We will:

• Ensure that you are supported to live independently, provide you with a safe, comfortable and warm home free from hazards, provide advice and guidance if you are struggling in your home or with the terms and conditions of your tenancy and provide services that ensure communal areas are well maintained.
• Provide a first-class Housing Service that is responsive to the individual needs of our tenants/residents providing you with the appropriate support or referring you to specialist support to provide additional/extra help in living independently
• Ensure that our Customer Service Team is customer focussed, solution oriented and is the first point of contact for tenants regarding questions or concerns about their tenancy or their home
• Provide a repair service that aims to fix issue first time, unless planned work or more extensive work is required, to ensure that your home is safe and free from hazards
• Brunelcare will replace or improve kitchens, bathrooms, heating/hot water systems, windows, doors, fire alarm systems, communal carpets, laundries, communal kitchens and communal lounges based on the latest information about the condition of properties and our Asset Management Strategy.
• Brunelcare will have a rolling programme for decorating internal communal areas as well as carrying out preventative maintenance to the structure of the building.
• Promote inclusivity, prevent social isolation and celebrate our diverse communities
• Provide information and policies which are clear and easy to understand, and in a format or language that is appropriate to the needs of our residents. For example, we will print documents in a large font, and offer translation and interpretive services if English is not your first language
• Support residents by offering aids and adaptations to their homes to meet their physical needs to remain independent
• Offer digital solution such as computers in communal lounges (on available sites). As well as using digital devices within the home to communicate with residents and offer a digital alternative for the reporting of repairs, antisocial behaviour or submitting general enquiries
• Offer out-of-hours support to residents that may have a repair emergency or wellbeing emergency. Where appropriate, we will support residents to access pendant services that will provide extra piece of mind
• Carry out routine compliance checks and inspections such as Legionella testing, fire door checks and fire safety system checks. We will conduct regular site inspections ensure that communal areas are well maintained, free from any potential hazards and external communal areas are cultivated and tidy

What we expect from you.

• We want all residents to enjoy and be proud of your home. You are welcome to decorate it and make it your own.
• Please report any repairs required to Brunelcare as soon as possible to ensure that no further damage is caused to your home or a neighbouring home.
• Keep your home clean, tidy and free from excessive clutter.
• If you wish to make any alterations to your home, you must make sure you get permission from Brunelcare before undertaking any changes and before any work starts.
• If you do not get permission, you could be asked to return the property to its original condition and you could be in breach of your Tenancy Agreement.