We want you to enjoy living in your home, and a part of that is being able to easily find the answers to any questions you have. To help with that, we've pulled together some quick videos about aspects of your tenancy that you might need more information on. 

If you need more help with any of these topics, you can give our Hub a call on 0345 60 20 540.

Lodgers

We understand that sometimes family or friends need a helping hand and might need somewhere to live.

We'll usually let you have lodgers in your home, but this video will help you understand the criteria that needs to be met.

Mobility scooters

Mobility scooters and e-scooters can be key to getting around, but they can also present some hazards if left lying about.

This video will explain some of the do's and don'ts around storing your scooters in your home.

Running a business from home

Many of us are able to work from home now - and that might even include running a business from home.

This video will help to explain when we'll allow you to run a business from your home and when it could be a breach of tenancy. 

Communal keys and fobs

We know it can be a real pain if you suddenly find yourself unable to get into your house. That's why, when you move in we'll give you two sets of keys for your property.

Here's a video explaining what to do if you happen to break or lose your keys.

Gas service check

Every year, we need to come and do a gas check in your home. This is a legal requirement and something we take very seriously to make sure your home is safe.

Here's what you need to know when we come and visit. 

Fire or flood in the property

Accidents happen sometimes, but if you have a fire or floor in your home, we need you to report it as soon as possible so we can make sure you're ok and your home is safe.

Here's a video explaining what to do in an emergency and how we'll help. 

Roofing

We understand how frustrating it can be to have issues with your roof. If you report a roofing repair to us, we'll determine whether it's an emergency or a routine repair.

Here's how to tell the difference and the steps we'll take to resolve the problem.

Transcriptions for the videos above

Lodgers

Sometimes we need to help out family members or friends if they need somewhere to live. We understand this and will usually let you have lodgers as long as:

  • It won’t cause the house to be over-crowded
  • They have right to remain/right to rent
  • You’re prepared to be responsible for their behaviour
  • We don’t have any safeguarding concerns
  • You understand it might affect any benefits you receive
  • Your lodger knows they will have to move out of the property if you do

If you’re happy with all of these points, then you can contact our Hub on 0345 60 20 540 to chat about taking in a lodger

 

Mobility scooters

We know how important getting around is for our customers - and mobility scooters can often be key to this.

However there are a few dos and don’ts you should know about, in terms of storing your scooters in your Midland Heart property.

Do:

  • Keep your mobility scooter in your own property
  • Make sure you’ve got enough space to store it and it won’t obstruct you getting out of your property in an emergency
  • Get permission from us to store and charge scooters in your property
  • Make sure you have a valid insurance certificate that covers damage and injury

Don’t:

  • Store your scooter in communal areas - this includes gardens, corridors and landing spaces. It’s a health and safety risk and could impact fire evacuation procedures. If you’re already doing this, please remove your scooter immediately.
  • Build designated storage for your scooter without getting permission from us first - you can make a home improvement request on our website

If you want to talk to anyone about your mobility or e-scooter, you can contact your Scheme Manager or our Hub on 0345 60 20 540

 

Running a business from home

We know that lots more of us can work from home nowadays - and that might even include running your own business from home.

If that’s the case, you need to let us know so we can check it doesn’t breach your tenancy agreement.

We’ll only deny your request if:

  • You want to use communal areas
  • You don’t have the relevant insurance
  • It requires building adaptations
  • Your business will cause noise disruption
  • You’ll have visitors or deliveries that might cause a nuisance to the local community

If you want to get permissions to run your business from home, just give our Hub a call on 0345 60 20 540.

 

Communal keys and fobs

We know it can be a real pain if you suddenly find yourself unable to get into the house! That’s why, when you move in, we’ll give you 2 sets of keys for your property, as well as two fobs/keys for communal areas (if your building has them).

But there are a few things to remember if things do go wrong:

  • If you break or lose your house key, or it gets stolen, it’s your responsibility to replace it or get the locks changed
  • If you lose or break your communal key or fob, you’ll have to pay for a replacement from us
  • If any of your keys are faulty, we can replace them for free but you’ll need to send us back the faulty ones

If the locks of your communal area gets changed, you’ll be given replacement keys or fobs at no cost.

Always double check you’re given the right set of keys when you sign for your tenancy. If you only realise afterwards that you weren’t given the correct keys, you could be charged for new ones.

If you’re having problems with any of your keys or communal fobs, give our Hub a call on 0345 60 20 540.

 

Gas service check

Every year, we need to come and do a gas check in your home. This is a legal requirement and something we take very seriously, to make sure your home is safe. Did you know that each year more than 30 people are killed from faulty gas appliances? We’ll arrange the appointment and let you know when our contractors will be visiting you.

What we need from you is:

  • For someone over the age of 18 to be at home to let us in
  • If something comes up and nobody can be home, let us know that you need to change your appointment date

Not letting us in to do a gas check is a breach of your tenancy agreement, so it’s really important that you make sure someone is home or you reschedule your appointment.

If you have questions about your gas safety check, phone our Hub on 0345 60 20 540.

 

Fire or flood in the property

Accidents happen sometimes. If you have a fire or flood, we need you to report it as soon as possible so we can make sure you’re ok and your home is safe.

If you call us to report a fire or flood in your home, we’ll:

  • Ask you how severe the incident was and if you know how it started
  • Ask you to describe what you saw happen and if you think the structure of the house is still sound and get a surveyor out to your property as soon as possible to assess the damage.

Based on the surveyor’s feedback, we might have to temporarily re-home you if your property isn’t safe to stay in. Accidents happen and we understand that. We just ask that you keep your property safe by following the fire and water safety guidance on our website.

If you need to report a fire or flood in your home, please call our Hub on 0345 60 20 540 as soon as possible.

 

Roofing

We understand how frustrating it can be to have issues with your roof. If you report a roofing repair to us, we’ll determine whether it’s an emergency or routine repair.

We’ll class it as an emergency if:

  • Slates, tiles of chimney pots have become loose and could put people/property in danger
  • Debris is falling from the roof
  • There’s an uncontainable leak
  • Materials are overhanging

If this happens, we’ll send someone out within 24 hours to make it safe, as long as the weather is suitable. If there’s snow, ice and or high winds, it might not be safe for our partners to work on the roof.

If you report a minor leak or blocked gutters, it’s classed as a routine repair and will follow normal service standards.

Please note, it’s unusual for roofing repairs to be fixed on the first visit. Often, we’ll need to put up scaffolding to fix the problem and the repair could span over several visits.

If you want to report a roofing repair, call our Hub on 0345 60 20 540.