When you are offered a home
Contents
Overview
When you are offered a home, an Allocations Officer will contact you to discuss when the property will be available to view.
They will provide details of our lettable standards, which sets out the minimum repair standard you can expect from us.
If you are already a South Tyneside Homes tenant, we will inspect your home to make sure it is in good condition before you will be allowed to move to another property.
The Allocations Officer will advise you at the viewing when your tenancy will start.
The officer will also be happy to answer any questions you may have about the property or the services offered by South Tyneside Homes.
You will be asked to sign a viewing checklist confirming that you have had the opportunity to view the property, and discuss any queries with your Allocations Officer.
When the property is ready to let
When the property is ready to let, your Allocations Officer will contact you to arrange a sign-up appointment.
The officer will guide you through the sign-up, helping to make the process as simple as possible, before handing you the keys to your new home.
You will also be given a Tenant's Handbook to take home, containing useful information about your tenancy.
Please note: You will need to make your rent payments by Direct Debit. Please make sure you have a bank account which accepts Direct Debit.
Rent and first payment
When signing for your tenancy and collecting your keys, you need to pay one week's rent in advance.
This amount is your rent and service charges, minus any Housing Benefit entitlement. If you get full Housing Benefit, your payment will be the total amount of your water rates / sewerage charges.
You will need to pay by debit card. Please let us know before your appointment if you wish to arrange a different payment method.
If you do not make the advance payment, the offer for the property and the tenancy will be withdrawn.
You will need to make your future rent payments by Direct Debit.
An Allocations Officer will help you to arrange the Direct Debit as part of your sign-up.