Please keep this handbook with your Tenancy Agreement and put it somewhere handy for easy reference.

This book gives you important information about your tenancy. If you would like any part of this book translated or produced in a different format, please let us know.

The purpose of this handbook is to provide you with information about your tenancy with North Ayrshire Council and about the services we provide for you. If you have a query or want to find something out, please first check whether it is explained within this handbook.

You can then talk to our staff who will gladly help with any further advice and assistance that you may need.

Our office hours are:

• Monday to Thursday 9am to 4.45pm
• Friday 9am to 4.30pm

The telephone number and address of your Area Housing Office is set out below. For staff training and development purposes, our offices close at 1.30pm on the second Thursday of every month.

How to contact our Area Housing Offices:

We welcome guide dogs in all of our area offices. All of our area offices and Customer Contact Centres have a reception desk and seating area where a colleague is on hand to offer any help you may need.

Also, some of our staff are trained in British Sign Language.

• 24-hour automated payment line: 0845 603 0593
• Online rent payment

A Housing Services Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) pages have been developed as an additional way of sharing information with our customers and to encourage digital engagement. We will use social media to tell people what’s new in housing and what’s happening in North Ayrshire to help people get involved in their community and in local decision making.

You can contact us by logging on to our website and completing our enquiry form. You can also find out about our Housing Service and other Council services on this site. You can get free access to the internet at all local libraries.

01294 310000

You can call the Contact Centre to report a repair at any time or you can visit your Area Housing Office or Customer Contact Centre and use a telephone to call the repairs line. Out with office hours we will only respond to emergencies.

The Council Plan highlights our Mission:

The Council currently owns and manages approximately 13,000 rented homes. These are mainly in estates in the towns and villages of North Ayrshire, from Skelmorlie in the north to Springside in the south. The properties are a mixture of houses, flats, bungalows, and some sheltered housing. The day-to-day management of the properties and the provision of services to tenants is handled on a local level through a network of area offices. All matters relating to tenancies are handled through these offices.

If you have a query about any aspect of your tenancy or just want general advice about your housing situation, you should telephone or visit your Area Housing Office. Addresses and telephone numbers of all area offices are above. If you want to discuss a particular matter in private you should arrange an appointment to ensure the relevant member of staff is free to meet with you. If you are unable to get to your Area Housing Office, a member of staff can visit you at home during office hours.

We aim to provide services that meet the needs of North Ayrshire Council’s tenants. We have staff values and service standards which set our customer service commitments. These are set out in a booklet you can get from your Area Housing Office or you can find it on our Website. We regularly publish how well we are doing at meeting these standards in our annual performance report and on the ‘North Ayrshire Performs’ page on our website.

The Charter was introduced by the Scottish Government on 1 April 2012. The Charter sets out the key outcomes that the Council should aim to achieve for our tenants, homeless people, and service users. The Scottish Housing Charter assesses and reports on the performance of social landlords. Copies of the Charter are available in our area offices.

Our staff are always happy to discuss any query, problem or worry you may have about your tenancy or related matters. We will always treat you with respect, take action promptly where necessary and keep you informed of progress. We will also give you as much help and advice as we can. We will treat anything you say to us with discretion. All the information you give us is confidential. However, you should be aware that, by law, we have to share certain essential details with some other public organisations. See Tenants' Rights below.

We are confident that you will, at all times, receive a high standard of customer care from our staff and also from other people contracted to provide services to you. We expect them to treat you with respect. If you are unhappy with the behaviour of a staff member or contractor, then please contact us.

We are also confident that you, members of your household and visitors will behave in a respectful way to our staff and contractors. We take our staff’s health and safety seriously. If we receive reports of verbal or physical abuse towards them, we will investigate these reports immediately and will take whatever action is appropriate.

If you have a complaint, let us know and we will try to resolve it. Your comments and complaints can help us correct mistakes and improve our service to you.

We expect them to treat you with respect.

We regard a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction by one or more members of the public about the Council’s action or lack of action, or about the standard of service provided by or on behalf of the Council.

You can complain about things like:

• Delays in responding to your enquiries and requests
• Our failure to provide you with a service
• Our standard of service
• Employee behaviour or attitude
• Our failure to follow a procedure
• A Council policy

There are some things we can’t address through our complaints handling procedure. These include:

• A routine first-time request for a service for example a first-time request for a housing repair or action on antisocial behaviour
• Requests for compensation from the Council
• Things that are covered by a right of appeal for example. if you are dissatisfied with the level of priority, you have been given when applying for a house, you have the right to appeal against the decision

Anyone can make a complaint to us, including a representative of someone who is dissatisfied with our service.

You can complain in person at any of our public facing offices, by phone, in writing or by completing an online complaint form available on the North Ayrshire Council website.

If you are still dissatisfied with our decision, or the way we dealt with your complaint, you can seek a review from an external organisation, for example, The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).

We have a two-stage complaints procedure:

We will try to resolve your complaint quickly, within five working days if we can. If you are dissatisfied with our response, you can ask us to consider your complaint at Stage Two.

We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days and aim to give you a final response letter within 20 working days (unless there is a good reason for needing more time).

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our Stage Two final response letter, you can ask the SPSO to consider it. We will tell you how to do this in the letter.

We welcome any compliments and suggestions you may have. These can be made at any of our public facing offices by phone, in writing or by completing an online form available on the North Ayrshire Council website.

We want to involve customers in shaping housing and related services. Over the past several years, we have made great steps in developing a service that involves and consults with customers in a range of different ways and on a number of topics.

Traditionally, tenant involvement has focused on consulting with formal tenants’ associations. We know that not all tenants want to get involved this way. As a result, we have developed a number of ways for tenants to get involved.

These options will allow us to work with and listen to our tenants so we can improve services and monitor and review our progress.

Our Customer Participation Strategy 2023 to 2028 gives detailed information on each method of involvement and demonstrates some of the ways you can be involved and going forward for the lifetime of the strategy the following will also be introduced:

Ensuring two-way communication with our tenants and customers, and providing opportunities for customers to take part in ways that meet their needs.

• Tenants Panel
• Tenants Chat Newsletter
• Social Media
• Satisfaction Surveys
• Redburn Record Newsletter
• Sheltered Connections Facebook
• Youth Matters Facebook
• Sheltered Housing Local Groups
• TP Matters Newsletter
• Tenant Group Manual
• Tenancy Matters Performance Edition
• Registered Tenants Organisations
• Tenant Handbook
• Sheltered Tenants' Handbook
• Text Messaging
• Applicants Newsletter
• Housing Forum
• Tenant Satisfaction Survey
• Annual Fun Day
• Consultation Cafe
• TV Screens

Developing the skills and confidence of our tenants to shape the services we provide.

• Estate Management Inspections
• Estate Based Regeneration Projects
• Annual Performance Reporting To Tenants
• National Engagement
• Inspection Panel (Scrutiny)
• Tenants and Residents Association group audit self-assessment
• Ongoing Mystery Shopping

Continually improving our services to meet our customers’ needs.

• Major Works and Repairs Improvement Group
• Tenant Event Working Group
• Tenant Editorial Panel
• Housing Business Plan Group
• North Ayrshire Network

We believe in the right of tenants and customers to influence and participate in making decisions about their homes, surrounding areas, and the services provided to them.

• Changes to rent and service charges
• Capital Works Programmes
• Housing Strategies
• Development (including new Council House Building)
• Policies and procedures in relation to housing management and repairs and maintenance which is likely to have a significant effect on tenants
• Housing Service Standards

We will ensure that when we are consulting with tenants and other customers that we:

• give adequate time to allow for meaningful consultation and discussion
• provide relevant information at the earliest stage to allow full understanding of any proposals
• provide advance notice of how and when decisions will be taken which affect the provision, maintenance, and management of the housing stock
• provide information that is clear and in plain language

In order to continually improve our services, we recognise that we need to regularly collect and use feedback from customers. We then use the feedback to improve service delivery. It is also important that we feedback to those who have participated, so that they know that their views have been listened to and are being acted on.

Each year we are required to provide an Annual Return on the Charter (ARC) to the Housing Regulator on our progress in achieving the Scottish Social Housing Charter outcomes and standards. The Regulator will publish a report for each landlord on its website. We will also publish an Annual Performance Report to our tenants and other customers in a format that we have agreed with them.

Most of our tenants have a Scottish Secure Tenancy. This type of tenancy is the same as other tenants living in council or housing association homes anywhere in Scotland.

Some tenants may have a Short Scottish Secure Tenancy. The main differences in the conditions of tenancy are that the Council can bring the tenancy to an end more easily.

A breach of tenancy is the term used when you fail to keep to the terms of your tenancy agreement, for example, not paying your rent or harassing your neighbours.

You and your family can be made to leave your home. We do not want this to happen and will provide you with support and advice to help prevent this. However, if you do not correct your breach of tenancy we will take you to court, through the following stages:

• We deliver a legal ‘Notice’ to you and other members of your household who are over 16. This gives reasons for taking action against you, and a date when we can start taking action to go to court
• If we decide to take court action, the court will write to you giving a date for the hearing
• At the hearing, the court may allow you to put forward your side of the case, and will decide whether you have to leave your home

We can only vary the terms of the Tenancy Agreement in consultation with you and all other tenants affected.

Tenants of Scottish Secure Tenancies have full security of tenure. They have the right to stay in the home for as long as they wish provided, they do not breach the terms of the tenancy. In addition, partners or relatives may be eligible to take over the tenancy when the tenant dies. See Household Changes below. For Short Scottish Secure Tenancies, tenants have security for the period of the tenancy.

You have contractual and statutory rights. Your contractual rights are set out in your Tenancy Agreement. Your statutory rights are laid down by Acts of Parliament.

The Tenancy Agreement is the legal document that you sign at the beginning of your tenancy. It gives the details of the contract between you and North Ayrshire Council.

By signing it you agree to abide by the Conditions of Tenancy. These are the rights and responsibilities that both you and the Council must observe.

Our main responsibilities are to:

• Consult with you on any proposed changes to the tenancy
• Keep your home wind and watertight and in good repair
• Keep all pipes, drains, gutters and installations for heating, water, gas, or electricity supply in working order
• Provide you with information about our complaints procedure, and our policies on rent setting, allocations, exchanges, and repairs if you ask for this information

We have the right to:

• Change your rent or other charges, provided we have carried out consultation and taken tenants views into account. We must tell you the new charge at least four weeks before it is due
• Be let into your home to carry out inspections or repairs, or to service heating systems. We must give you at least 24 hour’s notice. Failure to allow access could result in a forced entry to your home

Your main responsibilities are to:

• Pay the rent and other charges on time
• Keep your garden tidy
• Take care of the property, keep the inside properly decorated and do any repairs you are responsible for
• Make sure that everyone in your household and your visitors behave responsibly. They must not cause nuisance to neighbours, or harass or threaten other people, including our staff
• Not overcrowd the property
• Let us know in writing at least four weeks before you intend to leave
• Write to us asking permission if you want to carry out any alterations to your home

You have the right to:

• Live peacefully in your home without being unnecessarily interrupted by us, your landlord
• Appeal against decisions we make
• Exercise your legal rights as a tenant

You are welcome to approach any member of staff about a complaint. In most cases problems are resolved quickly and efficiently following an informal discussion. However, if matters are not resolved you should follow our formal complaints procedure.

These are your rights created under Acts of Parliament and Government Regulations.

You can ask anyone over the age of 16 to become a joint tenant with you. (Provided they are 60 or over and are also eligible for sheltered housing). The proposed joint tenant must have lived at the property as their only or principal home for the 12 months before you apply. The 12-month period cannot begin unless we have been told that the person is living in the property as their only or principal home. Joint tenants are jointly and individually responsible. They have equal rights and obligations. Each tenant is responsible for the rent being paid. Either tenant can be held responsible if the Tenancy Agreement is breached.

You can take in lodgers provided you do not overcrowd your home. You can sub-let part or the whole of your home (provided they are 60 or over and are also eligible for sheltered housing if subletting the whole of your home). The Council allows you to do this for up to six months provided you meet certain conditions. You must have been the tenant of the house throughout the 12 months immediately before you apply for written permission to sublet your home. You must write to get our permission before you take in a lodger or sub-let. We must reply within a month.

When a tenant dies, the tenancy can pass to a joint tenant, carer, or a member of the family. The house must have been the family member’s only or principal home for 12 months before they qualify to succeed to the tenancy (previously there was no qualifying period, the person simply had to be living there at the time of the tenant’s death); and the 12 month period cannot begin unless we have been told that the family member is living in the property as their only or principal home, provided they are 60 or over and are also eligible for sheltered housing. See Household Changes below.

A tenant cannot be made to leave their home except by a Court Order. A court has to be satisfied that there are specific grounds for repossession, such as breaking a clause of the Tenancy Agreement, or the tenancy was obtained through false statements.

You can handover your tenancy to another member of your household provided you ask our permission. The house must have been your only or principal home during the 12 months immediately before you apply for written permission to pass your tenancy to someone else.

The person you wish to pass your tenancy to must have lived at the property as their only or principal home for the 12 months before you apply, be 60 or over and be eligible for sheltered housing in their own right. See Household Changes below.

We must consult you about changes that affect your tenancy or your home. See Tenant Consultation above.

You are entitled to have certain urgent repairs carried out within set times under the Right to Repair regulations. You will be told if a repair you have reported is classified as one of these ‘qualifying’ repairs. See Repairs Service below.

You can exchange (swap) homes with another Council tenant or a tenant of a housing association, provided that the person you want to exchange with is 60 or over and is also eligible for Sheltered Housing. See Other Ways to Move below.

You can carry out improvements to your home provided you have written to us asking permission before you start and we have agreed to them. You must not remove any safety features or adaptations already installed as part of all our sheltered homes, see Improvements to your Home below.

We must treat all personal information about tenants as confidential. You can see information relating to you held by us on file or on computer provided you give us reasonable notice. We can make a charge for this. If you are unhappy about anything recorded in your files, you can ask for it to be corrected or erased. If we disagree with your request, you can insist that your views on the matter are added to the records.

If it is written in the Tenancy Agreement that you need to get permission from us to do something, you must do this in writing or complete the standard permissions form available at Area Housing Offices and Customer Service Centres. We will reply within the set time given in the Tenancy Agreement. If we do not reply you have the right to go ahead as if permission had been given.

You and your neighbours may choose to form a tenant management co-operative which could take over managing one or more aspects of the housing service. Your new organisation must be approved by Scottish Ministers. A consultation process would be conducted before such a change could take place.

When you take up your tenancy you will attend an interview at your Area Housing Office. You will sign the Tenancy Agreement and we will tell you about:

• The conditions of your tenancy
• The start date for the tenancy
• The service provided by Housing Services
• How to pay your rent
• How to report a repair
• Any improvements we have planned for your home

• A copy of the Tenancy Agreement and a copy of the Sheltered Tenants Handbook
• Various useful advice leaflets
• Information about benefits and a Housing Benefit application form (if necessary)
• At least two sets of keys (we do not keep spares but the Community Alarm Team may access your home if you have a keysafe outside your home or via a master key where applicable and you have given them permission to use it)
• A home contents insurance form

We will visit you within six weeks to check you have settled in.

When you move in, a member of the Community Alarm will contact you, introduce themselves and explain:

• How the alarm unit works
• The arrangements for using the common facilities, such as the guest room and common areas.

We strongly advise you to take out home contents insurance. This would provide cover against damage to your personal belongings, carpets, furniture and other household contents and decorations, for example, if you had a fire or flood. It may also cover certain items stolen in a break-in. We have identified an insurance policy which you can pay for along with your rent. Contact the Councils insurance and risk section for further information. See Useful contact numbers below.

Occasionally, assistance with decoration is provided if the décor is in poor condition. In some cases where for example, vandalism has occurred or graffiti is evident, decoration may be carried out by the Council to ensure the property is brought up to a satisfactory standard for the new tenant. Each case is assessed individually. However, in most cases, decoration is the responsibility of the new tenant. You will be told when you are offered your new home whether a decoration pack will be available to you.

You can put up your own fittings as long as you do not damage or remove anything or alter our property. If you want to do any alterations, you must first ask permission. We will not allow you to change safety features or special adaptions already provided. See Improvements to Your Home below.

The roof space should not be used as a storage area. Storage within the roof space can cause items to become damaged. If you do choose to use the roof space as a storage area this is done at the Tenants own risk and the Council cannot be held responsible for any damage or loss.

The date on your Tenancy Agreement is when you become the legal tenant. From then on you are responsible for the property and for paying rent. If you qualify for Housing Benefit and or Council Tax reduction, you must make sure that you fill out the application form for your new home as soon as you know you are moving. You only receive the benefit once you move in, so if you do not move in immediately you will have to pay the full rent and Council Tax until you move in.

No. If you are a new tenant we will change all front and back door locks before you move in and provide you with at least two sets of keys. It is your responsibility to get further sets. We can provide extra keys or fobs for communal entrances but you will have to pay for these. However, we limit the number of fobs we provide to each household. If you exchange tenancies with another tenant, we strongly advise you to get new locks fitted. The Community Alarm Team may access your home if you have a key safe outside your home or via a master key where applicable and you have given them permission to use it.

Before we let a property to a new tenant, we inspect it and carry out electrical safety checks. When you move in, you must arrange for an engineer to carry out a gas safety check (if applicable) by calling the Repairs Contact Centre. We will also do some repairs. Some of these may be completed after you move in. If any further repairs are needed, you should call the Repairs Contact Centre.

Any members of your family may share your home. You can take in lodgers and you can sub-let part or the whole of your home provided this does not cause overcrowding. You need our written permission to take in lodgers or sub-let. (See Tenants’ Rights above). You should let us know if anyone moves into your home on a permanent basis or moves out. This may affect your entitlement to Housing Benefit or other benefits.

If your family increases and your home becomes too small, you can apply to the North Ayrshire Housing Register for larger accommodation. Alternatively, you might try to arrange a mutual exchange with another family. See Transferring Homes and Other Ways to Move below.

If you are going through a family breakup, act quickly to protect your rights. Only a court has the power to force you to move out of your home. If you are worried, contact your Area Housing Office to discuss the matter.

• Joint tenants have equal rights to remain in the home but either one may end their tenancy
• If you are not joint tenants, the person named as the tenant has the right to ask their partner to leave. However, if you are married or in a civil partnership, you have the right to stay but you may have to go to court to establish your right. If you are not married or not in a civil partnership, a court will decide whether you can stay. You can contact your local housing office to find out what options are open to you
• If a named tenant leaves the home, a remaining husband, wife, or civil partner has the right to stay but an unmarried partner will have to go to court to find out whether he or she can stay

No tenant can be made to leave their home, except by a Court Order. The court has to be satisfied that there are good reasons.

You can also go to a specialist who can advise you about your particular situation, for example:

• Contact your Area Housing Office. We are happy to discuss your situation with you and give you advice. The details of any conversation you have with us will be confidential
• Relationships Scotland (relationship counselling) for family problems
• Community Housing Advocacy Project about your housing options
• A solicitor for your legal rights
• Women’s Aid about domestic abuse, see Useful Contact Numbers below).

Any tenant named on the Tenancy Agreement can end the tenancy. For a joint tenancy, both tenants must agree. If you are not named on the Tenancy Agreement and your partner wants to end the tenancy, contact a solicitor. If any joint tenant wants to end his or her interest in a tenancy, they must give four weeks’ notice to us and also to their joint tenant. The tenancy will then continue in the name of the remaining tenant, provided they are eligible for sheltered housing in their own right. If they are not eligible, we will consider the individuals circumstances. See Tenants Rights above.

If a joint tenant has already left the home, we need to serve a notice on them before we can remove their name from the tenancy. Otherwise, only a court has the power to force a change of tenancy.

If you are threatened with, or are subjected to, abuse from members of your household or an ex-partner, you may want help and advice. Contact your Area Housing Office, your local Citizens Advice Bureau, the Domestic Abuse Helpline, Women’s Aid or Police Scotland. See Useful Contact Numbers below.

It is important that your rent and services charges are paid on time. It is the money that pays for the services you receive.

• Direct Debit - Phone 01294 324603 (please have your bank details ready) or complete a direct debit mandate.
• Standing Order - Call or visit your Local Housing Office or complete a standing order mandate
• PayPoint - Pay by PayPoint wherever you see the sign. Please take your rent card with you.
• Online - Visit our pay rent page
• Telephone - Call your Local Housing Office and use your credit or debit card. You can also call our 24-hour automated payment line on 0300 456 0639
• Post Office - Pay by Girobank at any Post Office. Please take your rent card with you.

Rent payments are due fortnightly. If you receive Housing Benefit, the amount you pay, if any, will be given in your Housing Benefit notification. If you receive Universal Credit, you should claim your housing costs and pay your rent direct to the council. Your rent is based on the type and size of property you live in, and for certain properties it includes heating charges. Your Council Tax is a separate payment from your rent, however you can pay it in similar ways to your rent. Your Council Tax payment includes water and sewerage charges.

Each time you make a payment at your Area Housing Office, Customer Service Centre, a post office or a Paypoint or Payzone outlet, you will be given a receipt. Always check that the receipt is correct before you leave. If you pay through your bank, the payment will show on your bank statement. Telephone and internet payments will show on your bank statement or credit card statement.

Rent levels are reviewed once a year. There will be a consultation about any proposed increases. If your rent goes up, we will let you know at least four weeks before it must be paid. Rent increases usually come into effect in April.

If you want a statement of the payments you have made at any time, you can ask for one from your Area Housing Office.

Arrears is the term we use for money you have failed to pay us. If you owe us rent, act quickly. If you don’t, you risk losing your home.

If you know you have a rent payment problem, or you have received a letter from us about your rent, you should contact your Area Housing Office immediately. We will show you an up-to-date statement of your recent rent payments, discuss your arrears with you and give you advice including how to apply for benefits. If you are unable to pay the amount you owe in full, we can enter into an agreement with you on how you will pay it off. This will involve paying an extra amount in addition to your rent over a period of time until the debt is paid off.

Contact your Housing Officer immediately. If you have money problems, temporary or permanent, we will do everything we can to help you catch up. If we agree what action you need to take, you may be able to avoid losing your tenancy.

However, if you do not contact us and you continue not to pay your rent, we will take you to court. Act now, don’t risk losing your home.

If you do not contact us about your arrears or do not keep to a repayment agreement, we will issue you with a reminder letter. If you do not respond your Housing Officer will visit you at home.

If you do not respond to the visit or fail to contact us or make an agreed payment, we will send you (and anyone over 16 years whom we know is living with you) a notice of proceedings for recovery of possession. This will be given to you by a Housing Officer or sent by recorded delivery (you sign saying you have received it).

If you still do not contact us, we will take court action. If you do not try to clear or reduce your arrears the court is likely to allow us to make you leave your home. If we go to court:

• You will have to pay the court costs if the court believes you are in the wrong
• You will still have to pay us what you owe us
• You and your family could be made to leave your home

Whatever stage you are at in the process, we can come to an agreement.

Remember, if you leave your home, you will still have to pay us any money you owe us. If we don’t know your new address we can use a tracing agency.

If you think the arrears on your account are wrong, please contact us. We will check the account and give you a statement of your rent account. If the arrears are wrong, we will adjust the account. If they are correct, we will explain to you how the arrears have occurred.

Also see Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction below.

Whatever the situation with your finances, it’s good to know where you stand and that you are making the most of what you have. There are lots of reasons why people find it hard to meet their debts including.

• Reduced income
• Bereavement
• Borrowed too much

An officer can help.

They will take account of the circumstances, level of debt (rather than indebtedness), personal circumstances and help people.

Debt Advice staff assist with emergencies such as:

• Gas or electricity being disconnected
• Wages or bank account arrestment
• Court Action being taken against you

Debt Advice staff can also provide one-to-one advice, assistance, and representation with:

• Advice and where appropriate representation regarding court proceedings
• Negotiating repayments with creditors
• Advising on bankruptcy and trust deeds

We can refer you to our Debt Advice or Welfare Rights Officers. You can also contact these services yourself. See Useful Contact Numbers below.

The benefits system can be complicated and it is hard to know if you are receiving all the benefits that you are entitled to. The Welfare Rights Officers from our Welfare Reform Advice Team assist tenants to get as much help with their finances as possible. They provide advice on a full range of benefits to maximise income, and will be happy to help tenants apply

As well as income maximisation, the Welfare Rights Officers will:

• Advise clients on their rights and obligations
• Help fill in benefit and court forms
• Assist with mandatory reconsiderations
• Assist with, and represent tenants at benefit appeals
• Deal with complex benefit enquiries
• Complete financial assessments for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP)

Appointments can be made in any of our Area Housing Offices or alternatively a home visit can be arranged.

The Welfare Reform Advice Team are a team of support workers who give information on the welfare benefit system for example Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments. The support workers can also make referrals to other agencies and advisors to assist you with the transition and support you with all aspects of your welfare benefit entitlement.

If you need support with any of the above issues, please contact the Welfare Reform Advice Team on 0300 999 4606.

Universal Credit replaces the following six benefits for those under pension credit age:

• Housing Benefit
• Child Tax Credits
• Working Tax Credits
• Income Support
• Income based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Income based Employment Support Allowance (ESA)

A person’s state pension age is determined by their date of birth. This information can be accessed by visiting the Government website: Check Your State Pension Age

If you need help to pay your rent, are under pension credit age and not currently claiming Housing Benefit in the North Ayrshire Council area you need to claim Universal Credit. This claim needs to be done on-line at Housing costs and Universal Credit

The amount you will receive depends on your personal circumstance including:

• Your rent charge
• The number and ages of people in your family, and any other people living in your household and whether any are employed
• Your income and any savings or investments
• Any health conditions

Applications and enquiries about Housing Benefit are dealt with by Benefits Service staff.

This is for tenants over pension credit age on low incomes or receiving welfare benefits. It is only for help with rent payments. It does not cover garage rent, home contents insurance, water rates or sewerage charges.

The amount given depends on:

• Your rent
• The number and ages of people in your family, and any other people living in your household and whether any are employed
• Your income and any savings or investments

This is for people on low incomes or receiving welfare benefits and who would normally be expected to pay Council Tax. The amount given depends on:

• Your income and any savings or investments
• Your personal circumstances
• The amount of Council Tax set by the Council after any reductions which apply to your home

You are responsible for your Housing Benefit claim. It is important that you contact the Benefits Service as soon as possible and provide all information asked for by them to process your claim. If you are having problems you need to contact the Benefits Service directly.

Your responsibilities:

• It is your responsibility to make sure that your Housing Benefit is paid to us
• You must return any form or request for information. If you don’t, your Housing Benefit may be stopped
• You must inform the Benefits Service of any change in your circumstances immediately

You need to contact the Benefits Service directly. You will need to complete an application form. This will include both Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction. You will be assessed on your income, size of household, whether you are disabled or a pensioner, and any savings you may have.

Once your application has been approved, the Benefits Service will write to you telling you how much you will receive. The benefit will be paid directly into your rent account. See Rent Payment above. If you feel you have been incorrectly assessed you can ask for your claim to be reconsidered. Contact the Benefits Service. See Council Contact Numbers below.

Some households can get reductions on their Council Tax, for example people who live alone, or households with students. These reductions apply even if you are not on benefits.

Savings or income under a certain amount will not affect any benefits. If you have savings, capital, or other income for example private pension, over a certain amount, you will not be eligible at all.

Savings include spare cash, money in banks or building society accounts, unit trusts, stocks and shares, income or capital bonds, premium bonds, and lump sum redundancy payments.

If your circumstances change, you must inform the Benefits Service, otherwise you might face a large bill if you are overpaid. You should also inform your Area Housing Office.

If we know of any changes in your circumstances, we have to pass this information on to the Benefits Service. An example of this is a change in the number of people in your home, or a change in your income.

We will carry out maintenance to:

• Paths that lead to your main doors
• Walls or fences which separate our land from lanes and public areas
• Communal areas and open areas we own

These are provided for everyone in the block or scheme. We expect you to help us keep them tidy and pleasant places to enjoy. Our Streetscene services maintain all our common gardens including grass cutting, weeding, and trimming of shrubs. If you would like to cultivate a flower bed in the common garden, you should first ask permission from your Area Housing Office.

• You may keep one domestic animal such as cat, dog, bird, or a hamster. If you want to keep more than one pet you must ask our permission. We will only give permission if your home is suitable. However, such pets will not be allowed to go into the common areas of the sheltered unit unless it is a guide dog for a blind person or an assistance dog for a deaf person. You must also get our permission to keep any exotic or unusual pets
• You must make sure that your pets cannot escape, for example, don’t leave gates open
• Your pets must not annoy your neighbours. This includes fouling, noise, or smell from your pet. You must clean up your animal’s faeces
• You can be issued with a fixed penalty notice if you allow your dog to foul public areas or roam
• Do not allow your dog to bark continually
• We can stop you having pets if you are not a responsible owner

From April 2019, customers have been given additional recycling capacity with the introduction of a new individual or shared purple bin dependant on local requirements.

This new purple bin, along with your blue and grey bins, will be collected on a three weekly

cycle. You will still have at least one bin collected every week.

• our purple bin is used for glass, cans, and plastics.
• Your blue bin is used for paper and card.
• Your grey bin is for non – recyclable waste.
• Your brown bin is for food and garden waste.

When your supply of liners is running low, tie an unused liner to the handle of your brown bin on collection day. We’ll place a new supply in the emptied bin.

Or a small supply of liners may be collected from; libraries, Saltcoats Local Office, Brooksby Medical Centre, Bridgegate House, and Cunninghame House.

If you have larger items to dispose of these can be taken to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre, or alternatively a bulky collection can be arranged by contacting the Customer Contact Centre. Please note that a charge is applicable for this service.

If you have some larger items which could be re-used you can contact Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company as they may be able to collection your items for free.

If you are having difficulty with anything in your tenancy, we have a Housing Support team available to provide you with advice and assistance. You can ask your Housing Officer for a referral to this team or contact them directly. See Council contact numbers below.

Your Housing Support Officer can help provide information and advice on a variety of issues such as:

• Homelessness
• Housing options
• Understanding and managing your tenancy rights and responsibilities
• Welfare Benefits or Housing Benefits
• Budgeting
• How to manage your rent arrears
• Debt Advice
• Filling in forms
• Independent Living skills
• Accessing GPs and Dentist
• Education, Training and Employment
• Resettlement
• Engaging with other support agencies with an interest in your welfare
• Acting on your behalf

When living in sheltered housing complexes you need to treat your neighbours with special consideration and respect and look after common areas.

Respecting your neighbours by:

• Keeping the volume of sound from stereos, radios, and televisions at reasonable levels
• Using the refuse collection areas properly and making sure surrounding areas are left tidy
• Not allowing anything to be thrown or dropped from balconies, windows, landings, or corridors
• Laying soundproof insulation if you fit a laminated floor rather than carpets

• Landings and stairs must be kept clear of obstructions. Don't leave or store anything outside your flat, for instance prams, bicycles, plants, or motorised scooters
• You must not use bottled gas, paraffin heaters or cookers
• Do not leave out food or waste where it can encourage rats, mice, and other pests

From 1 June 2020, there will be a new scheme. Under the new scheme, anyone aged 75 or over who receives Pension Credit will still be eligible for a free TV Licence. Households where there is no one aged 75 or over that receives Pension Credit will need to buy a licence if one is needed.

Some sheltered housing units have a communal service for television reception; therefore, individual terrestrial aerials and satellite dishes are not permitted. If you are having difficulties with your television, first check with a neighbour to see whether they are also having problems. It may just be your own television. Otherwise report the problem to our Repairs Contact Centre 01294 310000.

When using any of the common facilities, please be careful not to disturb or upset other users. They have equal rights to use the facilities and should not be made to feel excluded, unwelcome, or disturbed in a place where they normally enjoy quiet relaxation.

We want you to make good use of these rooms. Sit and talk here with friends, neighbours, and visitors whenever you want and make use of any library books, CDs, or games.

You can hold parties or special activities. In some units there is a kitchen available for making teas, coffees and serving refreshments.

When you use these rooms, please make sure you leave them as you found them:

• Clear away and wash up all cups, plates, and glasses
• Turn off all electrical appliances not being used, for example lights, TV, radio
• Put away games, magazines, and books

Some units have a guest room. This is for short visits only. Bookings can be made through the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership Care at Home Service Telephone 01294 310222. (You must have a relative in the sheltered housing complex in order to qualify to make a booking).

All rooms must be pre-booked and guests must pay for the use of them. The rooms are given on a first come first served basis. If the room is already reserved, we can sometimes offer the guest room at another nearby unit. Priority will be given to relatives or friends of a resident who is:

• Seriously ill
• Recuperating from a period of illness
• Frail and housebound so would be unable to frequently visit their relative

All shared areas within our sheltered units are maintained regularly.

Some sheltered housing complexes have a laundry room. Washing and drying machines are provided in a special area. The staff at your Area Housing Office will show you the location of the laundry room were provided and will sometimes establish a rota system to prevent queuing. To prevent noise and disturbance to nearby flats, the room may only be open certain hours. If you are unable to do your washing yourself, a carer or member of your family can use the laundry room to do it for you.

All entrances to the building have security doors. All residents have a key or fob to let themselves in. To ensure the safety of all residents please follow the basic rules on using the door entry system. See Security below.

All our Sheltered Housing complexes have CCTV cameras focussed on all entrances and around the building. These can be useful to police to identify anyone reported to them as suspicious.

The Tenancy Agreement states that tenants must not cause nuisance to their neighbours. Nuisance includes persistent noise which causes distress to others, for example, music, dogs, cars, etc.

When people live close together, they often do not realise they are disturbing others. You need to explain to them politely that they are causing a problem (only if you feel safe to do so).

If the problem persists, contact us. We will need evidence of the problem so you need to keep a diary of events. We will treat all information as confidential.

Many neighbour problems can be sorted out by talking and coming to an agreement. However, it can be difficult to do this without getting into a dispute.

• Control the volume of sound from radios, stereos, and TVs. Do not put these systems against shared walls. Place them on a rubber mat or carpet
• Keep the noise you make in or near your home at reasonable levels at all times. Make sure you do housework and decorating at reasonable times of the day
• If you have a dog, do not leave it barking constantly in the home or out in the garden, and clear up any mess it makes
• Warn neighbours when you are going to do something particularly noisy, like drilling, hammering, or having a party
• Make sure that any children visiting you think about how their playing habits might affect your neighbours

Very often people do not realise they are disturbing others. The first step is to try and explain the problem politely to your neighbour if you feel safe to do so. If the situation does not improve, contact us for advice. We will intervene if the situation is not resolved.

Neighbours are expected to exercise respect and tolerance. Noise can penetrate easily between floors and walls in adjoining properties. However, many tenants do not realise how much noise is heard elsewhere in the building.

Try to approach the neighbour and explain politely to them how much they are disturbing you. The earlier you do this the easier it is to solve the problem. However, if this does not work you should contact the Police and also let us know. We may be able to approach the individual to try and sort out the situation.

The Tenancy Agreement requires tenants to be considerate to neighbours and keep animals under control. If you are troubled by dogs contact the Dog Warden. See Council Contact Numbers below.

If you, a member of your family, or a visitor, cause any nuisance to neighbour you are in breach of your Tenancy Agreement. If you do not respond to complaints, we will take up the matter. We will try to resolve the matter with you, but if the nuisance does not stop, we will take action against you.

We want you to feel safe and secure in your home and your community. If you are being affected by antisocial behaviour or harassment, get in touch with us. We have a specialist team who can help.

Antisocial behaviour is actions which harm the quality of life of residents in an area, and causes, or is likely to cause, distress or alarm to anyone not in the same household. It includes threats, drug dealing, excessive noise, and vandalism.

Every tenant is responsible for the behaviour of all the members of their household including any visitors. Causing alarm, distress, nuisance or annoyance to neighbours or anyone in the area around your home is a breach of the Tenancy Agreement.

Harassment is the deliberate interference with the peace, comfort, or safety of any person. Harassing anyone on grounds of race, colour, and religious or other belief, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, nationality or ethnic origin is a breach of your Tenancy Agreement and it can be a criminal offence. This includes graffiti, damage to property, abuse, and threats.

We will take action against antisocial behaviour. We consider this a high priority but it can take time to follow the proper process to protect everyone’s rights. We work with other services and agencies, including the Police, to deal with such behaviour.

If you have a complaint about a neighbour, any member of their household or a visitor, you should contact your Area Housing Office who will investigate and try to sort out the problem. If this is not possible, they will pass the case to the Council’s Antisocial Behaviour Investigation Team. They can take other actions to try to stop the antisocial behaviour but if this is not successful, they can apply for an Antisocial Behaviour Order or an Eviction Order.

If you are frightened because of offensive or abusive behaviour towards you, please get in touch with the Police or your Area Housing Office. We will advise you on what to do. We will need details of the problem, so you should keep a diary of events. You can take private action against the person but you will need to contact a solicitor to do this. You can report suspected drug dealing and other crimes anonymously to Crime stoppers. See Useful Contact Numbers below.

All of our tenants are responsible for the behaviour of the members of their household, including any visitors. By signing the Tenancy Agreement, they agree to behave in a responsible way in and around their home. If a problem is between neighbouring tenants and involves a breach of the Tenancy Agreement, we can take legal action against the offending tenant. If the problem is with a private household, you should contact the Council’s Antisocial Behaviour Investigation Team for advice on what you can do.

We will not normally rehouse you but will try to sort the problem out. However, if there is clear evidence that you or a member of your family are in danger, we may be able to help you transfer to another property.

If you think a neighbour is having difficulties (for example being harassed) and is in need of help, we may be able to approach them and discuss their needs. We will treat whatever you tell us as confidential.

Be considerate to your neighbours when parking. Make sure you do not block other cars. This also applies to your visitors.

We have a number of lockups across the area. We also have garage sites where you can put up your own garage.

If you would like to rent a lock-up or garage site, contact your Area Housing Office. We keep a waiting list for lock-up and garage sites. People who are not tenants can also rent lockups and garage sites. A rent charge is made for all our garage sites.

• You must only park in designated parking areas. No parking area can be reserved by a particular household
• You and your visitors must never park in spaces reserved for emergency vehicles. You may only park in spaces reserved for disabled drivers if you have a disabled persons badge (blue badge). If spaces are limited you should ask your visitors to park somewhere else when they come to see you.
• You must only park a car, motorised scooter, or motorbike in sheltered housing parking spaces. You must ask our permission if you or a visitor want to park any other type of vehicle
• Your car may be removed if you park illegally on pavements, footpaths or verges or the car is causing a danger or an obstruction
• You must not use car parking area or any area near your home to carry out repairs to any vehicle except your own.

Lock-ups and garages are for the sole purpose of storing a car, van, or motorbike. However, you are free to put in additional items but you should make sure that they are secure and covered by your content’s insurance against damage or theft. You must not store any dangerous items, for instance petrol, bottled gas, or other flammable items.

If you are worried about a vehicle that has been parked in the same spot for some time and you think that no one in the area owns it or someone has abandoned it, please report this to the Police, your Area Housing Office or the Contact Centre, see Council Contact Numbers below.

If you are thinking of getting an Electric Scooter you should discuss the matter with your Area Housing Office staff. See our Powered Mobility Equipment policy for information.

For health and safety reasons electric scooters cannot be stored within the communal areas of the unit.

In some units there will be a storage area for electric scooters to be charged and stored, however not all units will have this facility.

If your unit does not have a scooter store you will need to store and recharge your scooter within your own home, so it is important before you get one that you find out whether you can get it in and out of your home easily through your own personal door.

You can use a wheelchair within the common areas of the sheltered unit. However, you will have to store it within your home when it is not in use.

There are no extra storage facilities outside your own home. If you need to store some of your belongings somewhere else for a while we suggest that you ask family or friends for assistance or hire a self-storage unit at a storage warehouse. You can hire different sizes of unit to suit what you need. You will pay a weekly fee and will be able to take items in and out whenever you want.

We have an improvement programme that ensures that our homes meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing. You can ask us for details of what we plan for your area.

We will consult with you, well ahead of time, about any work we plan to do in your home. We will also appoint a Customer Liaison Officer who will handle all your queries while the work is carried out.

You may carry out improvements to your home, provided that you do not remove any special safety features or adaptions already installed as part of all our sheltered homes. You should discuss your plans with us first and then complete a permissions request form, available from your Area Housing Office, giving us full details of what you plan to do. We will write back to you with an answer within one month. If we do not reply, you can go ahead as if we had agreed.

We have the right to insist that the work is done in a certain way, and to inspect it at certain stages.

At the end of your tenancy, you may get compensation for certain improvements you have done. We can give you a list of what kinds of improvements these are.

Compensation can only be paid when you leave your home. The amount paid will be based on the original cost of the improvement and how long it has been in use. No compensation will be paid if:

• You did not get our written permission to do the work
• We have had to evict you because you broke the tenancy conditions
• The compensation to be paid is less than £100
• The improvement was done before 1 April 1994. (See Tenants’ Rights above).

You should check whether you also need planning permission or a building warrant before starting any work, see council contact numbers.

You can carry out alterations or improvements to your home provided you have our permission. This covers any changes you want to make to the inside of your home, decorating the outside, or putting up any structures outside. You will need to let us have full details of the work and who will carry it out. You may also need planning permission and to comply with building regulations. (See Improvements you can make above). You do not have to ask for our permission to carry out minor decoration to your home.

If you remove any fixtures or fittings or carry out any alterations without permission, we may ask you to put back or restore them to the original condition. We will tell you this when we inspect your home before you leave. If we have to do this after you have left, we will charge you for the costs involved.

Your home has already been fitted with certain features such as non- slip flooring in your bathroom. If you need further fittings, such as extra handrails, you should contact your Health and Social Care

Partnership local Office, see Council Contact Numbers below. An Occupational Therapist will visit you to discuss what can be done.

By taking a few simple precautions, you can prevent damage to your home or distress to your family.

• Keep rooms well ventilated and make sure vents in walls or windows are not blocked or closed
• Buy gas appliances marked with the British Standard Kite Mark and use a Gas Safe registered gas installer to connect and service them
• We service and repair appliances we installed
• We also carry out a gas safety check once a year. You must, by law allow us into your home
• If there is a gas fire in a room you must not use this room as a bedroom
• Do not paint any gas appliance
• Do not remove a hearth from beneath a gas fire

• Open doors and windows to get rid of gas
• Check your cooker or fire to see if the gas has been left on unlit or if the pilot light has gone out
• Turn off the gas at the mains
• Do not use your community alarm system or switch any electrical fitting or appliance on or off (for example lights) or use a telephone or handheld appliance. This could cause an explosion
• Don’t smoke or use naked flames
• Call Scotland Gas Networks - 0800 111 999 from outside your home
• Let the Call Monitoring & Receiving Centre know what has happened. Do not use the community alarm system in your home to do this – go to a different part of the building

• Unplug appliances when not in use
• Isolate any faulty switch or socket. Turn off that circuit at the consumer unit (fuse box).
• Unplug appliances and telephone us on the Repairs Contact Centre Number 01294 310000
• Don’t touch bare wires or switches or sockets that may be wet. Turn off the supply to that circuit at the consumer unit and don’t use the fitting again until it is completely dry
• Don’t overload sockets. Avoid using double adaptors
• Don’t carry out any electrical work at all without our permission and advice
• Report any fault to us immediately

Some of our properties contain asbestos. Asbestos materials are not dangerous if they are in good condition and left undisturbed.

If you want to carry out DIY, such as drilling boards to fix shelves, removing ducts or bath panels and you are unsure about what type of board or wall it is, you must contact the Repairs Contact Centre on 01294 310000 to arrange for a surveyor to visit you. Please ask us for a leaflet if you would like to know more about asbestos in buildings.

Home fire safety visits can be carried out by Scottish Fire & Rescue free of charge. See Useful Contact Numbers below.

• Make sure all cigarettes are properly put out
• Don’t dry clothes over heating appliances
• Don’t use chip pans. We suggest you eat oven chips instead, they’re safer to cook and lower in fat too.

When you first move into your home the Area Housing Office staff for your unit will explain the fire procedures including our stay put policy.

It is important to find out and remember:

• Where the nearest break-glass alarm is
• Where the nearest fire exits are
• Where the fire assembly point is, both inside and outside the building
• What to do if you are not able to walk out in an emergency.

If a smoke alarm is sounding in a communal area or you smell smoke call Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

• Stay In your flat and keep the front door closed
• Pack a towel or sheets around the bottom of the front door to stop smoke getting in
• Go to an open window and wait for the arrival of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

Your smoke detector can go off if:

• You burn toast
• You have a lot of steam or cooking fumes coming from your cooking pans, oven, or microwave
• You use sprays or powder near the detector

To prevent this happening use the fan in your kitchen or open your windows when cooking. Your smoke detector is linked directly to the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre. If it goes off, staff at the Centre will take action unless you contact them to say it is a false alarm.

• Activate your nearest alarm point
• Go to your nearest external assembly point
• Close all doors behind you
• Do not use lifts
• Do not stop to collect personal belongings. Do not return to investigate or fight the fire.

• Go to the nearest external assembly point
• Close all the doors behind you
• Do not use lifts
• Do not stop to collect personal belongings
• Do not re-enter other parts of the building until you are told you can by Scottish Fire and Rescue Service

• If you have a door viewer (spy hole), check to see who is calling before opening the door. If you do not know them and they do not have an appointment, do not open the door
• If you are expecting a caller, always ask to see some form of identification. Check it carefully. If you are unsure, ask the caller to wait outside while you telephone the organisation they claim to represent
• When you go out in the evening, draw the curtains, and leave a light on in a main room
• Arrange with a neighbour to keep an eye on each other’s homes
• Let the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre know if you are going to be away overnight or longer
• Keep your doors locked, including the door of your home leading to the common corridors

• Don’t keep more cash than you need at home
• Put extra money in a bank or building society account
• Don’t leave money or valuables lying around
• Don’t talk too publicly about what savings or possessions you have
• Mark your television etc. with your postcode and house number, or keep a note of serial numbers

No Cold Calling Zones have been set up in all our sheltered units. This means that if someone calls uninvited, you should report them immediately to Police.

All residents will have the number to call and it is shown on notices around the area. For more information, contact the Council’s Trading Standards Section.

This is provided to keep all residents safe. To maintain security:

• Make sure that the door locks behind you
• Never leave the entrance door wedged open
• Try not to allow people who do not live in the block to follow you in even if they appear genuine – they should press the button for the flat they are visiting
• Report any faults to the repairs line
• If you lose your key or fob you need to contact your Area Housing Office for advice on what to do
• When you go out always take your keys with you and do not mark them with your address. If they are lost or stolen a stranger could gain access to the building
• Any visitors must follow this advice
• If you are contacted via the intercom, do not allow access to anyone you do not know or are not expecting to visit.

There are CCTV cameras positioned at key positions all around our sheltered units. These are not monitored but they are recording activity around the units 24 hours a day.

If there is an incident, the Police will be able to use the recordings to help them with their investigations.

We want to help any tenants who need support and assistance to maintain an independent lifestyle.

Help to live more easily in your home

You may be able to have certain fittings put in such as extra handrails. You should

contact North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership and an Occupational Therapist will visit you to discuss what can be done.

We have a special alarm service for elderly or disabled tenants which links your telephone to a central Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre. The centre has staff on duty 24 hours a day to provide you with help, reassurance, and assistance when you need it.

Telecare uses a range of sensors, such as fall detectors, flood detectors and bed exit sensors to enable you to live safely and securely at home. The sensors can be linked to the Community Alarm Service that is used to summon help.

North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership may be able to provide help for you to live in your home more comfortably, for example visits from a Care at Home Assistant.

Our service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can help with daily tasks such as:

• getting dressed
• maintaining personal hygiene
• taking medication
• getting out of and into bed

Services may be provided by our care at home assistants or through one of our approved partners in the independent sector. Regardless of who provides your care you can expect to receive the same standards of service.

The Community Alarm Team carry out regular visits to each resident (See Weekly visits below). They also respond to emergencies when you use the community alarm system.

If you are going to be out or on holiday, please contact the Call Monitoring and Receiving centre (by using the community alarm system) to let them know.

We will respect your wishes. You can ask us not to visit but we will ask you to sign a disclaimer form. Even if you do this, you can change your mind at any time. The Community Alarm Team will always respond to any call you make through the community alarm system.

The Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre is always available. It is open all day and night every day of the year. When you contact the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre from your own home, the Operator:

• will know who you are and where you live
• has immediate access to the names of close relatives or friends, your Doctor’s details, and your medical history
• can advise you or call for assistance in an emergency situation
• knows who holds keys to your home if someone needs to get in

Each flat, house or bungalow is linked to the community alarm system. This means you can contact the monitoring centre by using your speech unit, pulling one of the cords or pushing the button on your pendant. You can do this at any time of the day or night.

If you are in trouble or have an emergency, use your community alarm system. The Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre will respond to your call. Your call is automatically transferred to the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre.

Press the speech button or Pull the cord or press the pendant button.

The monitoring service is available every day of the year, 24 hours a day. If you need emergency help, the monitoring centre will always respond to your call.

Speech button – press this once for two-way conversation with the monitoring centre

Press the large button on the speech unit or pull the cord or press the button on your pendant. An operator will answer through the speaker. If you cannot talk, they will still take action to help you.

Only one person can speak at a time so wait a few seconds before you answer. When the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre contact you, a loud ‘beep’ will be heard.

You have a privacy button on your speech unit. If this is ‘on’ then the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre can only hear you if you make contact with them. You do not have to use the privacy button unless you wish to. In an emergency you can override your privacy button and talk to the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre by pulling the cord or pressing your pendant button.

If you need help and cannot reach the speech unit, pull the cord and this will notify the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre that you require assistance. Never tie it up. You may fall and not be able to reach

Wear it around your neck or wrist. If you have a fall or cannot reach the speech unit, press the button on your pendant and this will notify the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre.

In some sheltered units there are motion sensors that allow the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre to be alerted if there has been no movement in your home at a set time in the day. If there has been an alert raised that there has been no movement in your home at a set time(please note each sheltered housing unit has individual times programmed), the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre will contact you to check on your wellbeing.

Yes. Any information held about you is kept confidential. Under General Data Protection Regulation guidance and the Council Code of Conduct a member of staff can only share this information with people who are directly concerned with giving you assistance. Always keep the Call Monitoring and Receiving Centre up to date with medical conditions and emergency contact names. You can pass this information to the Community Alarm Team when they visit you.

If you have any particular problems or needs contact North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership or your Area Housing Office. They may be able to help. See Council Contact Numbers below.

Telephone our Repairs Contact Centre number 01294 310000 at any time. The Repairs Contact Centre is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Try and give us as much information as possible.

We are responsible for the outside of your property, the main structure and any fittings and appliances we have provided. We are also responsible for maintenance of common areas. You are responsible for taking care of the inside of your property and for certain repairs. See Repair Responsibilities below.

When you report a repair to us, we assess the nature of the problem and the circumstances and then put it into one of the following categories:

For situations where there is real danger to life or limb, major damage to the property, flooding, or the home is insecure.

For situations that are causing serious inconvenience or where there is a health or security risk or a risk of damage to the property.

For situations that do not cause immediate inconvenience or where there is no danger to people’s lives.

In order to provide a repairs service with maximum convenience to our tenants we encourage all repairs, other than emergency, to be made by appointment. Where we cannot arrange a repair by appointment, the repair will be carried out within the timescales set out under ‘Our response times.’

We will need to inspect some repairs before we can decide what work we need to do. We will arrange an appointment with you.

Our staff work between 8am and 4.30pm (3pm on Fridays). For Emergency repairs they may call at any time. For all other repairs we will usually have agreed a morning (before 12 noon) or afternoon (after 12.30pm) appointment on a date that suits you and staff will call or text you the night before to remind you of your appointment.

Under the Right to Repair Scheme, we must complete certain repairs within set time limits. These are repairs which, if not carried out on time, could affect your health or safety. They are called qualifying repairs.

If the member of staff calls and you are not in, a card will be left asking you to telephone the Repairs Contact Centre number 01294 310000, to discuss when the contractor should call again. If you do not respond the job may be cancelled. If you fail to keep an agreed appointment your repair will be cancelled and you will have to report it again.

When you report a repair, we will put the work into a response time category before passing it to the contractor. Each category has a maximum time allowed for the work to be done. See our response times and Working hours and appointments on page 108. If necessary, the work will be inspected first. (Also see Tenants’ Right to Repair above).

We repair and maintain the structure of the property you live in. This includes all the outside parts and any fixtures and fittings inside your home that we provide. It also covers pipes, wiring, and fittings for your heating system, drains, power and lighting, any smoke detectors we have installed and servicing any appliances we own.

We are normally responsible for any walls and fences outside your home which separate our land from lanes and public areas, and any steps and paths leading from the property boundary to your entrance doors. We also maintain garages that are part of the building, and any common facilities or open areas.

By law, we must carry out a gas safety check every year and, under your tenancy agreement, you must let us into your home to carry out these checks.

You must keep the inside of your property clean and properly decorated, heat and ventilate the home, and maintain the garden. You also have responsibility for certain repairs and or maintenance as follows:

• Maintaining fittings that you have installed
• Floor coverings supplied by the Council in bathrooms and kitchens should be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidance
• Fitting and or maintaining any additional door locks
• Replacing lost keys and changing locks if you are locked out
• Maintaining doorbells not installed by the Council
• Bleeding radiators (where appropriate) - if you are in doubt as to how to do this, you should call the Repairs Contact Centre 01294 310000
• Resetting tripped switches, replacing fuses and fluorescent tubes, starters, and light bulbs (not communal stair lighting)
• Replacement or repairing small fixtures and fittings such as coat hooks, plugs, and chains for sinks
• Regular testing of smoke detectors, replacing batteries where appropriate
• Repairing doors and fixtures inside your home (this includes making adjustments for floor coverings)
• Trying to clear blocked wastepipes or toilets. (See Handy Hints: Clearing Blockages below).
• Filling minor cracks or holes in wall plaster
• Putting up any television aerials or satellite dishes (you will need our permission for satellite dishes)
• Taking action to prevent pipes freezing. (See Handy Hints: Cold Weather below)
• Maintaining any fences you or a previous tenant have put up
• Uplift and relay of laminate floors or floor coverings for access required by North Ayrshire Council
• All internal decoration, including tiles
• Repair and or renewal of toilet seat

If you have a repair which is needed because of damage done by you or someone in your home (even a visitor), we expect you to repair it or arrange and pay for it to be done. We will always do emergency work to make your home and family safe but we will charge for this. You will be asked to sign a form agreeing to pay for the work. If your home is damaged by a break-in or vandalism, you must report the problem to us immediately and we will carry out the repair if you get a crime incident number from the Police.

We strongly advise that you take out home contents insurance against loss or damage to your own belongings. We have identified an insurance policy which you can pay for along with your rent. (See Moving In above). You can get details from your Area Housing Office or our website.

If any of our employees or contractors cause damage to your property which could have been avoided, you may be able to apply for compensation against the party who caused the damage.

As a tenant you should also:

• Report repairs to the Council to allow us as landlords to ensure that property standards are maintained
• Report criminal damage to the Police and get an incident number
• Report any gas leak immediately to National Grid (Transco) on 0800 111 9999
• Clear minor pest infestations e.g. ants, silverfish, cat fleas etc.
• Take action to avoid condensation, treat and ventilate your home
• Allow us access to your home to carry out safety checks required by law
• Repair any damage that you, your family, or any visitors have caused, other than through fair wear and tear. If we put right the damage you will be responsible for the associated costs

• Report repairs to the Council to allow us as landlords to ensure that property standards are maintained
• Report criminal damage to the Police and get an incident number
• Report any gas leak immediately to National Grid (Transco) on 0800 111 9999
• Clear minor pest infestations e.g. ants, silverfish, cat fleas etc.
• Take action to avoid condensation, treat and ventilate your home
• Allow us access to your home to carry out safety checks required by law
• Repair any damage that you, your family, or any visitors have caused, other than through fair wear and tear. If we put right the damage you will be responsible for the associated costs

You may need to make certain arrangements and prepare for our staff visit.

• Staff cannot be left alone in homes. If you leave your home the staff member will have to leave the property too.
• You should not leave your key hidden somewhere for staff to pick up and let themselves into your home.
• In bad weather conditions staff cannot, for their own safety, work at height, for instance on ladders or on the roof.
• You are expected to allow staff to get on with their work by keeping children and pets out of their way and away from builder’s tools, materials, rubbish, or skips.
• If furniture or carpets need to be moved before repair work is done, you should get this done before our staff arrive.

Our staff will deal with you in a professional way. You can expect them to:

• Introduce themselves and show you proof of identity before entering your home
• Explain what they are going to do and discuss how this will affect you
• Protect your belongings, furnishings and floor coverings from damage, dust, and paint
• Keep your home secure at all times
• Make sure materials and tools do not cause danger to you or your visitors
• Clear up rubbish and leave the area tidy at the end of each working day
• Make sure essential services (water, electricity and so on) are connected at the end of the day and when they have finished the repair
• Be polite to you at all times

• Play radios in your home or garden
• Use your telephone or make/take private calls on their mobile telephones
• Use your power supply or other facilities

We will respond to repair problems in an efficient and helpful way. Most repairs are carried out by our own workforce. For certain types of work, we use sub-contractors who have been selected carefully. All staff and sub-contractors must follow certain rules of behaviour when working in or around your home. However, we expect you to make it possible for them to work efficiently. (See Repair Standards above).

If you have a complaint, please telephone our Repairs Contact Centre 01294 310000 or complete one of our customer complaint forms. We will look into your complaint. If we need to do any work to put the problem right, we will make sure it is carried out to a good standard as soon as possible. If you are still unhappy, you should follow our formal complaints procedure. (See Complaints above).

We carry out regular quality control visits to make sure that our staff and sub-contractors are working to high standards. We also do random checks on what you think of our service. We may telephone you or send you a questionnaire or we may arrange for a Customer Liaison Officer to interview you in your home.

We carry out regular quality control visits to make sure that our staff and sub-contractors are working to high standards. We also do random checks on what you think of our service. We may telephone you or send you a questionnaire or we may arrange for a Customer Liaison Officer to interview you in your home.

• Blockages are usually caused by the build-up of waste: fat, tea leaves, hair, etcetera in the trap. It is a good idea to clear wastepipes and traps regularly, preferably with a suitable product available from DIY stores
• The trap is under the fitting (bath, basin, or sink). It always holds some water in it which stops smells coming up the drain. However, waste can build up and become stuck in it
• If more than one fitting (bath, basin etcetera) is blocked, the blockage may be in the soil stack or main drain. This will need to be cleared by a plumber. If this is the case, please contact us

• If the pan is already full, remove some of the water into a bucket using a scoop, for example a jug or bowl
• Push the brush or plunger to the bottom of the pan
• Pump it up and down strongly about 10 times. This creates pressure which may shift the blockage
• Flush the toilet to see whether the blockage has gone
• You may need to repeat this process several times before the toilet flushes normally. If there is no improvement after a couple of attempts, please contact us
• When you have finished thoroughly wash your hands and any equipment

• Scoop out most of the water with a jug or cup
• Hold the rag or dishcloth tightly over the overflow opening
• Place the plunger over the plug hole and pump it up and down rapidly. This usually releases the blockage
• After clearing the blockage unscrew the trap and clean it out
• When you have finished, thoroughly wash your hands and any equipment

• Bowl
• Rag or dishcloth
• Rubber gloves
• Plunger
• Jug or cup

Modern electric circuits are fitted with circuit breakers called trip switches. If a fault develops, a switch is tripped and the circuit is broken. The trip switches are at the consumer unit (fuse box). The consumer unit (fuse box) may be next to the electricity meter (unless the meter is in an outside cupboard)

Trip switches usually operate because:

• There are too many fittings or appliances on a circuit and it has been overloaded
• An appliance has been misused or has developed a fault
• A lead to an appliance such as a TV, hair drier or kettle has come loose or is badly connected
• Water has leaked into a circuit
• A light bulb has blown

If an appliance has developed a fault, leave it unplugged and get a qualified electrician or service engineer to check it.

Make sure your hands are dry when you touch electrical fittings.

• Open the cover on the consumer unit to show the trip switches
• Check which switches have tripped to the off position
• Put these switches back to the on position

It is probably being caused by a fault in an appliance. You need to identify which circuit is being affected and which appliance on that circuit is causing the problem.

• Check all the rooms in the house and note which set of lights or sockets are not working
• Unplug all appliances on that problem circuit and switch off the immersion heater
• Switch the ‘tripped’ switch to the on position
• Plug in the appliances one at a time until the trip goes again. (Do not use double adaptors when doing this)
• When you have found the ‘problem’ appliance, unplug it
• Reset the ‘tripped switch’ to the on position
• Plug the appliance into a different socket
• If the trip goes again the problem is with the appliance - you need to get it repaired
• If the trip doesn’t go off – the problem is with the first socket - don’t use it and telephone the Repairs Contact Centre on 01294 310000

The council regularly posts up-to-date winter information on our website, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter).

• Make sure pipes and tanks in your roof space are lagged. Never insulate beneath the water tank in the loft. It needs some heat to penetrate from below
• If you are going away for some weeks during the winter, leave the heating on all the time on a very low heat
• In very cold weather keep your heating on all the time on a very low heat. You may want to open the loft hatch to allow heat into the loft. This will help prevent pipes from freezing
• Know where your stop tap is. It is where the water pipe enters the house, usually under the kitchen sink or in the bathroom
• Know where the stop valves for the hot and cold-water tanks are. They are usually by the hot water and cold-water tanks
• Make sure that you can easily turn all taps and valves

• Turn off the water at the main stop tap
• Turn off any water heaters
• Turn on all taps to drain water from the system. This may take about 15 minutes
• When the water stops running, turn all taps off
• If electrics are getting wet, do not touch. Turn off electricity at the consumer unit (fuse box)

• Turn off the water at the main stop tap
• You are probably best to leave the pipes frozen but you may try to thaw them using hot water bottles
• If the hot water system is frozen, turn off the water heater

If you want to apply to move house you need to apply to the North Ayrshire Housing Register (NAHR). This is a common housing register for North Ayrshire. The North Ayrshire Housing Register landlords are North Ayrshire Council, Cunninghame Housing Association, Riverside Scotland, Trust and Cairn. By filling in one application form you can be considered for housing by all the landlords. Your housing needs will be assessed in line with the North Ayrshire Housing Allocation Policy. The policy is a ‘group plus points’ policy. You can read about how the ‘group plus points’ system works in the North Ayrshire Housing Allocation Policy.

To apply for housing, you can contact one of our offices and request an Application for Housing pack, or on our Apply for a house page.

The pack contains an application form, application guide and a summary of the North Ayrshire housing allocation policy. When you submit your application for housing, we will assess your level of housing need in line with the policy and write to you to confirm your group and points award.

It will depend on a number of factors. You can read about this in more detail in the Housing Application Guide. For more information on your prospects of being rehoused, ask your local housing office for a housing options interview.

If a suitable property becomes available, we will contact you to let you know and then visit you to check your application details and identify any repairs you need to do before you move out. We will also check if you have outstanding tenancy debt, such as rent arrears or recharges for repairs you are responsible for but we have carried out on your behalf.

Each category of need has a level of points that are awarded. Points are given for things like overcrowding and accessible housing needs. The summary of the North Ayrshire Housing Allocation Policy tells you what we award points for.

If you (or someone in your household) are having difficulty in your current home because of a health condition or disability, you can apply for an Accessible Housing Assessment. The assessment is carried out by a qualified Occupational Therapist and focuses on the person’s ability to perform essential day to day tasks within their home. If this applies to you, you can request an Application for Accessible Housing form from any local housing office or download a copy from North Ayrshire Housing Register

You will need to apply to the council or housing associations in the area you want to move to. They may or may not have a common housing register in operation, you should check this when you apply. Your Area Housing Office may be able to help you find out the details of these organisations. You can also mutual exchange to anywhere in the UK. See Other Ways to Move below.

Before going ahead, the tenants involved need to apply in writing to their landlord(s) to get approval. Exchanging a tenancy is not quite the same as transferring to another tenancy from the waiting list. You need to be sure that you are happy to exchange. It is very important that you arrange to look over the other property before you make a decision to move.

Yes. This is called a ‘mutual exchange

A mutual exchange is when two or more tenants exchange homes.

You can exchange with:

• another North Ayrshire Council tenant
• a tenant of a housing association
• a tenant of another council

If you exchange, you must accept the other property in the condition in which it is left. You take responsibility for any alterations or improvements made by your exchange partner.

"We can help you find out who to contact".

If you can, travel to the area you want to move to. You can look out for notices in local shop windows or newspapers or you could put up notices yourself. You can also register with agencies and companies on the internet. They may charge you for this service.

You can register your property online on the North Ayrshire Housing Register website.

This will describe your property and can include photographs. This process will be approved by us. Others who are interested in exchanging will do the same. You will be given a registration number that allows you to check online, as often as you wish, for properties that are a suitable match. If you are interested in a property, you register an interest online. If the tenant in a property you have registered an interest in agrees that they would like to exchange with you, you need to get approval from your landlord.

Each of the exchanging tenants must get written approval from their landlord before going ahead with the exchange. Approval will not be given if:

• One or other of the properties is substantially larger than necessary for the incoming family or is not big enough and would create overcrowding
• Either tenant is in breach of their tenancy agreement such as being behind with rent payments and a Notice for Recovery of the property has been served on the tenant
• One of the homes has been adapted for a disabled person and the new tenant does not need these special facilities
• The new tenant(s) who will be moving into your home is not eligible for sheltered housing
• Either landlord has applied for a court order to make their tenant leave their home

You are required to give 4 weeks notice in accordance with your Tenancy Agreement. We will agree with you, the date and time for you to return your keys to your local Housing Office.

You must allow us to show new tenants around your home and to carry out any minor repairs before you leave.

You must carry out any work which is your responsibility before you move out.

We will inspect your home and discuss these with you before you move out. We will charge you for any work you should have done that we have to do after you have left.

You must remove all your belongings and leave the home and garden clear. We will charge you for any clearance or cleaning we have to do.

Before handing in the keys, make sure that:

• You have paid any rent or charges you owe us or alternatively contact us to make a repayment arrangement.
• The property is clean and you have wiped down all worktops, sills, kitchen units and floor tiles
• All your furniture, carpets and belongings have been removed, including from huts and lofts, and no rubbish is left in the house or garden
• You have completed any repairs or redecoration that are your responsibility
• You have contacted the gas, electricity, and telephone companies. Keep a note of meter readings to check your final bills
• Let the Council Tax Department know that you are moving
• You have arranged for any gas appliances you are moving, including cookers, to be disconnected
• You have arranged for your post to be redirected

If you have carpets or blinds that you don’t want to take with you and we think that the next tenant might want them, we may agree to you leaving them. If we haven’t agreed to you leaving goods, you must remove all your furniture, personal possessions, and any rubbish before you leave. We will normally charge you for the removal of any items left in the property. You should telephone the Customer Contact Centre to get them to collect any unwanted items to be picked up before you leave (there is a charge for this service. See Council Contact Numbers below.

Alternatively, you can contact Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company or local charities who may be able to assist with any unwanted items. See Useful Contact Numbers below.

If you have removed any of our fixtures or fittings you must put them back, unless we agreed that this was not necessary when you got permission to do the work. If you do not put things back the way they were we will charge you for the cost of doing it ourselves, and also for any fixtures and fittings you have damaged.

When you leave your home, you can claim compensation for certain types of improvements you have carried out provided we agreed to these improvements at the time you did them. (See Compensation for Improvements above).

There are 33 elected Councillors who represent 10 multi-member wards. Please check the website for current information.

Councillors hold surgeries where members of the public can talk to them on a variety of issues.

You can find out who your local Councillor is and how to contact them by using the ‘About Your Area’ section on our website or by telephoning your Area Housing Office, Customer Service Centre on 01294 310000 or local library.

• Dalry and Beith Housing Office: 01294 310000
• Irvine Housing Office: 01294 310000
• Kilbirnie Housing Office: 01294 310000
• Kilwinning Housing Office: 01294 310000
• Largs Housing Office: 01294 310000
• Three Towns Housing Office: 01294 310000

• Repairs Contact Centre: 01294 310000
• Antisocial Behaviour Investigation Team: 01294 314640
• Housing Support Team: 01294 317370
• Major Works Project Line: 01294 310000
• Tenant Participation Team: 01294 324869
• Welfare Reform Team: 0300 999 4606

You can call at any time but out with office hours (including weekends) we will only respond to emergency repairs.

For the following service enquires:

Roads & Street Lighting Repairs, Grounds Maintenance, Bereavement/Cemeteries Enquires, Litter/Recycling Enquiries, Special Uplifts, Report fly tipping, graffiti, general litter.

Customer Service Contact Centre 01294 310000.