Understanding responsibilities for your home and community
At ForHousing, we work in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council to ensure homes and communities are well-maintained, safe, and are great places to live. Below you can find information about the responsibilities of Cheshire West and Chester Council, ForHousing, and tenants when it comes to looking after your home, caring for the local area, and staying in touch.
Caring for your home
- Ensuring that the housing management service provided by ForHousing is delivered in line with the key performance framework and the governments regulatory framework.
- Providing reassurance to the Council Housing Management Board that homes are well-maintained and compliant with all health and safety legislation.
- Waste and recycling services – bin collection days and lost and broken bin replacements.
Caring for your neighbourhood
- Street cleansing – reporting of unkept roads and pavements.
- Road maintenance and conditions such as potholes.
- Grass and grounds maintenance including weed control.
- Graffiti – on public buildings, monuments, benches and bins.
- Installation and maintenance of streetlights on the roads.
- Parking issues on adopted roads and other highway areas maintained by the Council.
Keeping in touch
- To tell you how your rent is being spent each year.
- To provide an annual report that informs you on the progress being made on the Together with Tenants Charter.
- To keep you informed about how the Council are performing.
Caring for your home
- Providing you with a safe and well-maintained home by carrying out regular safety checks. To find out more, visit the keeping you safe section.
- Making sure you have an efficient and accessible repairs service when something needs fixing in your home.
- Giving you information and support on your right to buy / acquire your home.
- Providing you with advice and support about making improvements to, or any adaptations for your home.
- Providing you with advice and guidance about a mutual exchange of your home should you wish to relocate.
- Working with you to investigate and resolve complaints as well as learn from these to help improve services.
- Providing you with wellbeing support, including money advice when you are struggling to pay your rent.
Caring for your neighbourhood
- Working with you to investigate and resolve noise complaints and anti-social behaviour.
- Investigating and reporting fly tipping on land that is managed by ForHousing.
- Reporting criminal damage to police and remove graffiti.
- Working with the Council to ensure the grass and the grounds maintenance is being maintained during the different seasons.
- Carrying out neighbourhood and block inspections to ensure that they are safe, clean, and well-maintained.
Keeping in touch
- Keeping you informed about any repairs or planned maintenance work to your home.
- Providing you with opportunities to tell us what you think about our services so we can continue to improve.
- Contacting you when you are not keeping to your tenancy agreement.
Caring for your home
- Understanding your tenancy agreement and your responsibilities and rights as a tenant.
- Giving four weeks’ notice when you want to end your tenancy.
- Paying your rent on time, but if you are struggling, get in touch with ForHousing for support.
- Telling us if you will be leaving your home for a long period of time, for example, because you need to go to the hospital, or are going into respite care.
- Reporting repairs, including damp and mould to ForHousing.
- Allowing access to your home to undertake relevant safety inspections, including electricity tests and annual gas safety checks.
- Keeping your home in good order, clean and tidy.
- Keeping your garden or communal areas clean and tidy.
- Asking ForHousing if you want to make alterations to your home, to give you the necessary permissions.
- Insuring the contents of your home in case of any accidents, damage or theft.
Caring for your neighbourhood
- Treating your neighbours with respect and do not cause any nuisance or annoyance to others.
- Being a responsible pet owner and if permission is required, please ensure that you ask ForHousing.
- Disposing of rubbish appropriately and if you identify any fly tipping in your neighbourhood, report this to ForHousing.
- Reporting any safety concerns that you may have that could impact you and your neighbours.
Keeping in touch
- Telling us about any changes to your household and your circumstances. This will help us understand your needs and tailor the services provided to you.
- Letting us know about any contact detail changes so we can keep in touch with you.
