Frequently asked questions
Finance
I pay rent in full every month, so why am I in arrears?
This could be because your rent is due weekly, so each week another week's rent is added to your account. If you pay at the end of the month rather than the beginning, your account will show arrears for three out of four weeks. To avoid this you need to pay in advance. If you can’t do this, just pay a little extra each month until you are in front. Your housing officer will be happy to help with this.
How can I pay off my arrears?
Make an agreement with the Incomes Team of Yarlington Housing Group to repay an amount which you can afford and are able to stick to. Check your benefits entitlement, every little helps. We may be able to ask for money to be deducted directly from your benefits each week. Inform both housing Benefit and the Incomes Team of any changes to your financial or household circumstances.
Can I get any help with my rent?
It is your responsibility to claim housing benefit, and any claim will not start until you have completed a claim form, however, we do have a dedicated Welfare & Benefits Officer, who will be able to assist you with making a claim.
When will I be recharged for a repair?
If a repair is needed because you have neglected your home, or you have damaged it then you will be charged for the cost of the repair. If the damage has been caused by a member of your household, or by your guest, you will still be charged for the cost of the repair, as you are responsible for their actions?
Help and Advice
Can I get any documents in audio version or large print?
Yes, we produce out tenant magazine Inside Outside in audio version, if you would like to be added to our mailing list please let us know. We are a member of Language Line, a global interpreting and translation company. Please contact us for further information.
Developing Homes
What is the Code for Sustainable Homes?
The code for sustainable homes is a rating system awarding credits throughout 9 categories; Energy & CO2 emissions, Water use, Environmental impacts of materials used, Surface water run-off, Waste, Pollution, Health & Wellbeing, Management, Ecology. The more credits achieved in each individual category equals the more points gained. These points are a way of rating the environmental sensitivity of a new build house and arriving at the various “Levels”.
There are 6 levels of The Code for Sustainable Homes; 0 is equivalent to current building regulations for energy efficiency, it then goes up in increments based on the number of points achieved. Level 6 is deemed as the Zero Carbon House, one which does not produce any carbon emissions over the course of a year. We aim for Level 3 and 4.
What is the HCA?
The HCA is the Homes & Communities Agency which is a Government Organisation that has the responsibility for investing Government funding in housing and the communities those houses are built. YHG have to bid to the HCA for funding to enable to construction of affordable homes.
Is Affordable Housing good quality?
The word Affordable in Affordable Housing relates to the rent payable and not to the cost of building that house. YHG is required to meet significant higher standards than the private market such as size, energy efficiency, safety and design. YHG also has to maintain its properties over the long term (80+ years) thus we construct our homes to the highest quality to reduce the cost in the long run.
Housing
Will you pay me for what I spend on home improvements?
When your tenancy ends, unless you are buying your home from us, you may be able to get compensation for certain improvements you have made to your home. Please contact us to discuss this. The amount of compensation will be adjusted depending on the condition of the improvement and the amount of use you have had from it.
Do I need permission to put up a satellite dish?
Yes.