Moving in
Tenancy agreement and Lease
Your tenancy agreement or your lease are legal documents which set out your rights and obligations as an English Rural resident as well as what you can expect from English Rural as a landlord.
You are advised to keep a copy of your tenancy agreement or lease (and any associated documents) in a safe place for the duration of your tenancy or property ownership. Should you have any questions or require any clarification on any of the terms in your tenancy agreement or lease, please contact your Housing Manager who will be happy to discuss these with you.
Keys
You will have been provided with keys to your property when you moved in. English Rural do not hold spare keys to any of our properties. If you lose the key to your property, you will be responsible for arranging to have the locks changed at your own cost, so ensure you keep them safe.
You may wish to give a spare set to a friend or relative or fit a key safe to store them.
Resident's portal
We recommend that all residents sign up for the “My English Rural” residents' portal which can be found at https://my.englishrural.org.uk/ to register you will need to provide some personal information, including your tenant reference, for security purposes.
Signing up for the portal will enable you to check your rent balance, report and monitor the progress of repairs, and give feedback on the services we provide.
If you have any difficulty in signing up, please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Who do you need to notify?
When you move into your new home there are several organisations and people who you will need to notify;
Utilities such as your electricity/gas and water supplier (we will notify you who currently supplies the property and will give them your details, but you are welcome to switch supplier at any time and you do not need our permission for this
The Department for Work and Pensions (if you are in receipt of Universal Credit, PIP, DLA etc)
Your next of kin (if you do not live with them)
Your doctor, dentist, hospital services or support or care agencies and services
Your telephone/internet/media supplier, and TV licensing
Your employer
Your bank/building society
Your insurance companies (particularly for contents insurance, which we recommend you take out)
Any mail order catalogues/companies or subscriptions
It is also especially important to update the local council about your new address, especially the departments dealing with:
Council Tax
Benefits (including Housing Benefit, Income Support, and Disability Allowance)
Rent
English Rural relies on rental income to both maintain and manage our properties, as well as to fund the development of new social housing. Rent for your property undergoes an annual review, with changes taking effect each April, as outlined in our Rent Setting Policy.
In addition to your rent, you may also have a service charge that covers maintenance costs for communal areas in your development. These service charges are calculated based on actual expenses incurred and may include contributions to a sinking fund for long-term maintenance of communal facilities like treatment plants, private roads, drives, or boundary fences. Service charges are reviewed annually, and when your rent is reviewed, we will provide details of the new amount, along with an annual service charge statement, if applicable. It is essential to adjust your payments in line with the new figure, and direct debit payments will be automatically updated to cover any changes in weekly or monthly charges.
For tenants, rent (and any service charge) is charged weekly from your tenancy start date and can be paid weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly, or monthly. Timely payment is your responsibility, and we prefer direct debit as the payment method. If you haven't set up a direct debit, other payment options are available via AllPay.
If you are entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, it is your responsibility to apply or update your details with your local Housing Benefit Department or the DWP, providing them with a copy of your new tenancy agreement as soon as possible after moving in to prevent payment delays or arrears.
Shared owners are required to pay rent, service charges, and building insurance monthly. Typically, your rent will be paid up until the end of the month after your purchase is completed. Your Housing Manager will contact you to set up a direct debit for future payments, or other payment methods are available via AllPay.
Regardless of whether you are a tenant or a shared owner, if your account falls into arrears, we will take necessary actions in accordance with the Income and Arrears Policy and Procedure for Residents (link to policy here). You can monitor your rent balance and payments at any time via the Residents Portal to ensure your account is up to date. If you experience difficulty paying your rent, please contact your Housing Manager promptly to explore available assistance options, such as our Household Support Fund.
