My home

As long as you have been a secure tenant for at least five years, you may have the right to buy your home. If you are a secure tenant, but have been a tenant for less than this time, you can still apply for the Discretionary Scheme. Your family members may be able to share in the purchase. There is also another option available, Flexible Ownership, allowing you to buy a share of your home and pay rent on the remaining share. For more information please contact Lessee Services Group, 21 Grosvenor Place, London SW1X 7EA or, 0207 245 2106, Email: lesseefrontline@cwh.org.uk

Blockages are caused by residents putting things other than water and washing-up-liquid down the sink. It is important to prevent this problem from happening in the first place: In the kitchen scrape and wipe plates into the bin first. In the bathroom keep an eye on the plug holes for any excess hair. Do not dispose of your waste by flushing it down the toilet. If your sink is blocked you could try using a plunger and if the problem persists, contact the estate team and they will arrange for a specialist contractor to clear the blockage. The estate team can also send block letters to remind all residents not to misuse the drainage systems.

Please ask your neighbour to stop doing this and remind him or her that it may cause blockages for everyone in the block. When oil or clarified butter are poured down the drains they cool, solidify and cause blockages. Unfortunately, pouring hot water down the sink afterwards will not help. You should allow the oil or butter to cool and solidify and then either arrange for it to be collected or dispose of it in the rubbish bin. This problem is so serious that if your neighbour persists in doing this, please report it to the estate team and they will arrange to visit.

It may be that there is insufficient ventilation in your home. In the first instance you should check that any trickle vents are open and that there is a gap between your furniture and the wall. If your home is insufficiently ventilated any excess moisture will settle on the coldest surface and if this is not removed it can result in mould growth. Mould growth associated with condensation is likely to be found in the corners of rooms, especially on external walls, and on north-facing walls. When you have a shower or bath and when cooking, ensure there is adequate ventilation. You should use your extractor fan or open a window. Use an antibacterial cleaner to remove the bacteria and mould. If the problem persists, contact the estate team who will arrange for a surveyor to carry out an inspection.

Most properties show signs of condensation at some time in the form of moisture seen on the windows or walls when taking a bath or washing clothes, but this is not usually a problem. Damp, however, is caused by water penetrating the walls and is likely to affect only a specific area. You may also notice tide marks around the edge of the water staining. You do not get tide marks if the problem is associated with condensation. There are different types of damp. For example, rising damp only affects ground floor properties. If you have checked that there is sufficient ventilation in your home and the problem persists you should contact your estate team for advice.

In some cases, if a secure tenant dies, their tenancy can be passed onto a married partner, registered civil partner or another family member (non-married partners or a same sex couple living together as civil partners are included as family members). This is called succession. Only one succession is allowed to a tenancy. The successor will have the same tenancy conditions you had.

There are some rules we have to follow when someone wants to succeed to the tenancy.

• If you are a joint tenant, any surviving joint tenant will succeed to the tenancy and can stay in the same property.


• If a sole tenant dies any married partner or registered civil partner can succeed to the tenancy and can stay in the same property if is their sole or principal home.


• Co-habiting couples (including those in a same sex relationship) and qualifying family members can succeed to the tenancy if they can prove that they have lived at the property as their sole or principal home for the 12 months before the death of the tenant. The successor tenant will be required to move to smaller accommodation if the property is larger than they reasonably need.


• If there are two or more family members who can succeed, they must decide between themselves who will take over the tenancy. If they cannot agree, we will decide.


• If the accommodation is too large for your needs and you refuse to move voluntarily, we will take legal action to seek possession of the property and enforce the move.