As a BCHG tenant you have a number of important rights. These are included as part of your legally binding tenancy agreement but for the avoidance of doubt we have included the key ones here.
1. You have the right to live in a home that is decent. The government’s decent home standard is here and BCHG delivers this via its Asset Management Strategy and we will inspect the condition of your home against the decent homes standard at least every five years as well.
2. You have the right to live in a safe home. BCHG will always comply with or exceed our duties under Health and Safety Legislation to make sure your home is as safe as it can be. Key Policies here include:
a) Gas Safety
b) Fire Safety
c) Legionella
d) Electrical
e) Asbestos
f) Lifts and Lifting Equipment
g) Health and Safety Policy
3. You have the right to a home that is fit for human habitation. At BCHG we have a Quality Homes Standard that means your home must be decent, safe, healthy, and green. Our policy for Damp, Mould and Condensation is here. Details about the Housing Health and Safety Rating System are here, and the Homes, Fitness for Human Habitation Act are here.
4. You have the Right to Occupy. This means we will not interrupt or interfere with your peaceful right to occupy your home. This also means that you cannot be asked to leave your home without a court order and your family may have rights of succession to the tenancy in specific circumstances. Tenancy agreements may differ so please ask your Customer Relations Manager if you have any concern here.
5. You have the right to receive adequate notice before we can enter your home to carry out works or for any other reason. Unless in cases of emergency we will always give you choice and notice about when repairs works are scheduled within your home. Our Repairs Policy is here.
6. You have the right to be treated as a unique individual. BCHG will make reasonable adjustments to all of our services to take into account your needs. This is detailed in our Value Based Service Standards and our Adaptations Policy.
7. You have the right to make a complaint. If BCHG fails you at any point you have the right to complain about our service. Our Complaints Policy is here, and our Self Assessment against the Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code is here. The Housing Ombudsman website is here.
8. You have the right to feel safe. We are committed to tackling all ASB and hate incidents through a robust, victim-centred approach to promote safer neighbourhoods. Our ASB Policy is here.
9. You have the right to be informed about how your personal data will be collected, used and processed. This is covered in our Privacy Notice. As part of this you have the right to access your information and be informed if their information has been subject to any data breach.
If you are in any doubt about your rights as a tenant of BCHG please do not hesitate to contact us or if you prefer you have the right to seek your own legal advice.
