VAHT - FAQs

Who qualifies?

Most assured tenants who were AVDC tenants will qualify for the Right to Buy. Tenants who joined the Trust since the stock transfer in 2006 may be eligible for the Right to Acquire.

Contact the Right to Buy team on 01296 732738 to discuss your particular circumstances.

Why might you say that I do not have the Right to Buy even though I am a secure tenant?

If you:

Own another property
Have a possession order against you
Have rent arrears
Have been declared bankrupt
Have been engaged in anti-social behaviour

If the property is:

Used for temporary accommodation
Suitable for the elderly
Sheltered housing for people who are elderly,disabled or mentally ill
Due to be demolished

How much discount can I get?

The longer you have been a public sector tenant, the more discount you may be entitled to.

However the Government has set limits on the maximum discount entitlement across certain areas. The maximum discount you are entitled to in Aylesbury Vale is £38,000 for Preserved Right to Buy and £13,500 for the Right to Acquire.

How does the scheme work?

You will need to fill in an application form and return it to the Home Ownership team at Fairfax Housing, 69 Buckingham Street, Aylesbury HP20 2NJ. Please telephone us on 01296 732738 to request an application form and explanatory booklet.

You will receive notice back within four weeks confirming whether or not you have the Right to Buy/Acquire.

If you have the Right to Buy/Acquire, we will ask an independent valuer to value the property and we will send you a Section 125 Offer Notice within a further 8 weeks for a house, or 12 weeks for a flat or maisonette.

You then have a further 12 weeks to decide if you wish to go ahead with the Right to Buy/Acquire, ask for your valuation to be redetermined by the District Valuer, or withdraw your application.

Why is the Section 125 Landlord’s Offer Notice so important?

This notice provides you with many important details.

The purchase price
The discount amount
The proposed terms of sale
The estimated service charges and the likely cost of any major repairs or improvements you may be charged for in the first five years of the lease of flat or maisonette.

It is very important you understand this notice as it advises you of charges you may be liable for in the future. It is advisable that you request your solicitor to take you through this notice.

When do I need to sort out a mortgage or get a solicitor?

Once you decide to accept the Landlord’s offer, you will need to arrange finance (a mortgage) and appoint a solicitor or a licensed conveyancer to help you with the legal papers.

If I accept the offer and then realise I won’t be able to afford the purchase, can I withdraw?

Yes. Accepting the Landlord’s offer is not legally binding. You can withdraw at any point before the purchase date by writing to us. You can then apply again in the future if you wish by filling in a new application form.

Are there any time limits?

Yes there are statutory time limits which the Landlord and you as the potential purchaser must adhere to.

How much is my home worth?

For an approximate value, its a good idea to look in the local paper or estate agent for similar properties in your area.

If you apply and once we have accepted your application, we will arrange for a professional valuer to contact you to arrange to inspect your property and it will be valued as at the date of your application.

Please note that our valuer’s inspection and your mortgage lender’s valuation are not full surveys and they may not tell you about any structural faults in the property. If you want a more detailed survey you will need to arrange and pay for this.

Who pays for the property valuation?

Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust

What if I think the valuation is incorrect?

You have the right to ask for the District Valuer to carry out a redetermination of value of the property. You then have to accept the new valuation even if it is higher than the first, or you may withdraw your application.

My daughter does not live with me. Can she buy with me?

No. Some adult members of your family are allowed to buy with you, but they must have been living with you for at least 12 months before you apply to buy.

Do I need a deposit?

We do not require you to pay a deposit. However, if you apply for a mortgage, your lender may ask you to pay one.

What other costs are there when buying?

There are one off costs:

Solicitor’s fees
Stamp Duty
Land Registry fee
Mortgage fee
Survey fees

And there are regular costs:

Your mortgage
Life assurance
Mortgage payment protection insurance
Buildings insurance
Contents insurance
Repairs and maintenance
Service charges (for flats)
Bills for major repairs and improvements
Council tax
Water rates
Bills for utility services

If you are unsure of any of the above or require any further information then please contact the Right to Buy team on 01296 732738

Which is my boundary?

There is no definite rule as to which side is your boundary, but unless there is proof to the contrary it is usually (but not always) the one on the left, when looking at the front of your house from the road. If you and your neighbour cannot agree please contact the property officer on 01296-732738.

Where exactly is my boundary?

The fence is usually on the boundary but in some situations it may not be. If there is no fence, there is usually some form of demarcation such as a hedge, a row of plants or a footpath. If you have any uncertainty about where your boundary is, please contact the property officer on 01296 732738.

Who has to erect a fence?

You are not obliged to erect a fence on your boundary and your neighbour may erect one if you have no objections. Likewise you may erect one on their boundary if they have no objections. Whoever erects the fence is responsible for maintaining it to a reasonable standard. It does not have to be beautiful but it must be safe – ie it should not have any exposed nails and it should not be dangerously flimsy.

My neighbour has a dog but refuses to allow a fence on his boundary. What can I do?

Whoever owns a dog is responsible for ensuring it is restrained and safe, regardless of boundary responsibilities. If he refuses to erect a fence, he must restrain the dog in some other way such as with an enclosure or leash.

I’d like a fence but my neighbour refuses to allow one on his boundary. What can I do?

You may erect a fence a short distance (6-12 inches) to your side of the boundary.

My neighbour’s kids play football against my fence. Can I ask them not to?

Yes you can. Playing football against a fence is not considered reasonable usage. Leaning a bicycle against it would be considered reasonable.

What can I fix to the fence?

If the fence is yours, you can fix anything you like to it so long as it does not become dangerous to others. If the fence is not yours, you should ask the permission of your neighbour before fixing anything to it on your side – even hanging plants.

My neighbour wants to come into my garden to install fence posts. Is he allowed to?

Yes. You should allow him to take reasonable access in order to erect his fence. He should not cause any damage and if he does, he should put it right afterwards.

My neighbour and I share a driveway. Who can park on it?

Technically, neither of you at any time – it’s entire width is a right of way and should not be blocked by anything, just as you are not allowed to block a public road. Neighbours are free to come to any arrangement they like, however there must be agreement.

If your question is not listed here please contact the property officer on 01296 732738.

What are Service Charges?

Service Charges are your share of the cost of services provided by the Trust. They are in addition to the Ground Rent of £10.00 pa for the land that your flat is built on and your buildings insurance premium.

As Leaseholders you pay service charges for: Services to the building and or estate
Routine repairs and maintenance
Management and Administration fees

How are estimated service charges calculated?

We calculate your share of the cost of services to your building by using the service charge fraction set out in your lease.

Other central administration costs such as management and administration fees are calculated equally against the number of properties that they apply to.

Why is it important for Leaseholder to pay their Service Charges?

When leaseholders fall into arrears with the payment of their service charges it puts a strain on the services we provide.

How can I pay my service charge?

The Trust offers various ways of paying your service charge:-

• Direct Debt
• Trust Home owners payment card sent to all residents*
• Cheque

* Lost your payment card? Please call the Home owners unit on 01296 732600 or email homeowners@vaht.co.uk

What should I do if I can’t pay the charge?

Depending on your personal circumstances, you may be entitled to benefit towards paying your services.

If you are having trouble paying your service charge, please contact us as soon as possible and we will try and help you manage the situation.

If you fail to pay your service charge, the Trust will pursue the collection of this money and has an external team of solicitors to pursue non-payers. If you don’t pay it can cost you more in the long run because of the addition of legal fees. Legal action can affect your credit status and your ability to obtain credit in the future.

Leaseholders should be aware that in some circumstances non-payment of service charge and / or ground rent can as a last resort lead to the forfeiture of the lease.

Who is responsible for building Insurance?

The Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust is responsible for arranging the building insurance of your block, including your flat, and will invoice you as part of your annual service charge, in accordance with the terms of your lease.

How do I report a communal repair?

Just ring Freephone 0800 183 1120, or you can e-mail us on homeowners@vaht.co.uk

Our repairs customer services team is available from 08:45 am to 5:15 pm Monday to Thursday (4:45 pm on Fridays). However, you can also report emergency out-of-hours repairs at any time (24 hours) using the same number.

What counts as a complaint?

We define a complaint as any expression of dissatisfaction about the standard of our services, about a member of staff or lack of action by the Trust.

For example, you can complain if:

•    You think we have failed to carry out repairs to a satisfactory standard
•    You feel that a member of staff or a contractor has not behaved properly towards you
•    You feel that we have not taken appropriate action to an issue that you have raised or we have ignored it

Who can complain?

•   Any resident
•   Any leaseholder
•   Any of our suppliers
•   Any member of the public directly affected by the services we provide

When should I complain?

The sooner you tell us about any problem, the earlier we can try and put things right. You should therefore complain to us as soon as possible after you have experienced a problem with our services.

Please note that we cannot deal with new complaints that relate to something that happened more than three months ago.

Will you really do anything?

Yes. We take all complaints very seriously.

We want to learn from our mistakes so that all our services are of the same high standard. We can only do this by listening to what our customers tell us about their experiences of our services.

Will you hold it against me if I complain?

No, not at all.

Making a complaint will not harm your future relations with the Trust. We promise that we will handle your complaint in confidence and do everything in our power to resolve it.

What happens if I complain?

The Trust has a three stage complaints procedure:

Stage 1

Once you have complained and given us the details, we will write to you normally within 1 working day to acknowledge your complaint.

At the same time, we will ask a senior officer to start investigating your complaint. This person will respond to you within 10 working days, hopefully resolving your complaint at this point.

Stage 2

If you are still dissatisfied and have valid reasons for being so, you can ask for your complaint to be referred to the Head of Service responsible for the service that you are complaining about.

The head of Service will carry out an independent investigation and write to you within 10 working days. If the investigation is likely to take longer than this, you will be kept informed.

Stage 3

If you have exhausted all the possible solutions on offer, you have the right to appeal to the Trust’s Board of Management. This involves an appeals hearing where you can put your complaint to Board Members personally.

Full details of the policy and procedure are available by clicking on this link http://www.vaht.co.uk/complaints-policy.html

What happens if I am still not satisfied after my complaint has gone through The Trust's process?

If you are still not happy with our response after stage 3, then you can seek assistance from the Independent Housing Ombudsman. More information about this service can be found by clicking on the following link www.ihos.org.uk

How do I make a complaint?

A complaint can be made in writing, by phone, in person, by e-mailing complaintsgeneral@vaht.co.uk, or by completing the on-line complaints form located here http://www.vaht.co.uk/complaints.html

What can the Trust do to help older and more vulnerable people?

The Trust offers specialist sheltered housing for those who want to move to somewhere they can live more independently as well as a ‘Lifeline’ emergency alarm system for anyone who feels that the extra peace of mind the system provides, will enable them to feel more secure in their home.

The Trust also has well trained staff who can help to identify other ways to support older and more vulnerable people. They can give advice and guidance and will work with our partnership agencies when needed.

To find out more please contact Supported Housing on 01296 732600.

What is supported housing and what does it offer?

Our aim is to provide residents with security, independence, dignity and choice of where they can live their lives to the full.

Currently the Trust has 16 supported housing schemes which provide this opportunity. For more details please contact Supported Housing on 01296 732600 and ask for a copy of our “home for life" leaflet.

Can I get some help to pay for supported housing?

All new residents are given help by our Supported Housing Officer who will make sure that you are getting all the benefits that you are entitled to.

I need something that will give me and my family some peace of mind that I can get help when I need. What can the Trust do to help?

The Trust provides a “lifeline emergency alarm” service. Our equipment can be easily installed in your home and once fitted means that help can be called at the push of a button.

Our control centre will answer your call 24 hours a day, every day. Relatives, friends or next of kin or emergency services can then be contacted if they are needed. The Trust can also install a key safe for you so that access can be made in an emergency. Other specialist equipment can be linked to the alarm to monitor for falls, smoke detection or floods.

For further details please contact Supported Housing on 01296 732600 and ask for our leaflet “feeling safer”. You do not have to be a Trust resident to have a lifeline alarm.

How do I report a repair?

You can report repairs in any of the following ways.

By phone: Phone our freephone repairs line on 08001831120. It is open from 8.45 am to 5.15 pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.45 am to 4.45 pm on Fridays.

The same number should be used for reporting out-of hours emergency repairs.

By post: Write to us at:

Housing Maintenance
Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust
Fairfax House
69 Buckingham Street
Aylesbury
Buckinghamshire
HP20 2NJ

In person: Visit our offices at Fairfax House between 8.45am and 5.15pm Monday to Thursday or between 8.45am and 4.45pm on Fridays.

By email: Report repairs by email to HousingMaintenanceCSA’s@vaht.co.uk

Via the website: Report repairs via the website - click here

Please note that it will help staff if you provide as much information as possible when reporting the repair including:
• Your name, address (including postcode) and phone number
• When someone will be at home so the repair can be inspected or carried out
• As much detailed information about the repair as possible.

In return we will explain the target timescales for completing the repair and arrange access at your convenience. When possible emergency repairs should be reported by phone or in person as soon as possible.

How do I pay my rent?

There are several ways in which you can pay your rent. Choose the most convenient way for you.

Direct Debit- this is the most popular and efficient way to pay your rent. You must have a bank or Building Society account. Once set up, your rent will be deducted automatically from your account each month. You can request an application form in person at Fairfax House, by phoning our Contact Centre on 01296732600, or via our website www.vaht.co.uk or info@vaht.co.uk.

By phone- You can use debit or credit cards to pay over the phone. Simply contact our All-Pay Client Care 0870 243 3434 and follow the voice prompts. This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Internet- Visit our website at www.vaht.co.uk and follow the simple steps to set up on-line payments.

Text- You may pay by text, but your mobile must be registered with Allpay first. Log on to www.allpayments.net/textpay/registration1.aspx and follow the instructions.

Standing order- If you have a bank account, a simple way of paying your rent is by standing order either every week or every month. You can request an application form in person at Fairfax House, by phoning our Contact Centre on 01296732600, or via our website www.vaht.co.uk or info@vaht.co.uk.

Post office and retail outlets- You may pay by cash or debit card, and at Post Offices you may also pay by cheque. Please ensure that you have your rent Card with you as you cannot make a payment without it. A rent card is a card issued to you by the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust. The card will contain your rent account number and the necessary information to ensure that your payment is credited to your rent account. You can request an rent card in person at Fairfax House, by phoning our Contact Centre on 01296732600, or via our website www.vaht.co.uk or info@vaht.co.uk.

Unfortunately, we are no longer able to accept payments at our offices.

What can I do if I’m in rent arrears?

If at any time you cannot pay your rent, you must let the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust know immediately. You can speak to your rent advisor or a customer advisor by calling 01296732600. Do not ignore your rent arrears as they can easily build up to a large amount and become very difficult to pay off. We will help you in managing your account.

We will not immediately take legal action leading to eviction. We will offer you confidential help and advice to assist you in solving the problem, or we will put you in contact with specialist agencies if you prefer.

Please remember that if you continue to fail to pay your rent, we will start legal action through the courts to evict you and repossess your home. So, do not let your arrears get out of hand. Speak to us about your problem as soon as you find that you are having difficulty paying your rent. There are solutions and we can assist you.

If you have other financial problems or feel that you may not be receiving the benefits that you are entitled to please contact your Rent Advisor, the Citizens Advice Bureau or Aylesbury Val District Council’s Budget Advice Officers who my be able to help. There is a section on our website with lots of information on financial advice:
www.vaht.co.uk/financial-advice.html

What do I do about my neighbours making lots of noise?

If one of your neighbours is often disturbing you with noise, you should take the following steps to try to stop it:

1.   Try discussing your concerns with the neighbour making the noise. Your neighbour may not have realised that they are causing a problem. A friendly word with them may be enough . Being able to calmly discuss each other’s needs and being willing to compromise could stop a minor inconvenience turning into a major dispute.
2.   If the noise continues, you should contact the Contact Centre on 01296732600 and advise them who is causing the noise, what sort of noise it is, and how often it happens. The Contact Centre advisor will send out anti social behaviour report forms and diary sheets for you to begin recording the incidents. They will also notify your Customer Relationship Manager of your concerns.
3.   Your Customer Relationship Manager will then investigate your complaint and may write to and visit the tenant from whose property the noise is coming. They will ask them to reduce the volume or stop the activity that is causing it. They will also ask you to keep a diary of the incident on Anti-Social behaviour report forms.
4.   If the problem persists, you could contact the Council’s Environmental Health Service for advise. Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the Council must take all reasonable steps to investigate your complaint. An officer from Environmental Health will normally carry out a preliminary investigation and discuss the matter with you. If they believe a statutory nuisance is occurring or likely to occur or recur, they must take action.
5.   In certain extreme cases we may take out an injunction or start proceedings to repossess the property. If a case has to go to court, you must be prepared to go to confirm the record of the dates and times in your diary when you were disturbed.

How do I report an emergency repair?

You can report emergency repairs in any of the following ways.

By phone
Phone our freephone repairs line on 08001831120. It is open from 8.45 am to 5.15 pm, Monday to Thursday and 8.45 am to 4.45 pm on Fridays.

The same number should be used for reporting out-of hours emergency repairs.

In person
Visit our offices at Fairfax House between 8.45am and 5.15pm Monday to Thursday or between 8.45am and 4.45pm on Fridays.

By email:
Report repairs by email to HousingMaintenanceCSA’s@vaht.co.uk . If contacting by email please indicate that the repair is an emergency.

Please note that it will help staff if you provide as much information as possible when reporting the repair including:
•   Your name, address (including postcode) and phone number
•   When someone will be at home so the repair can be inspected or carried out
•   As much detailed information about the repair as possible.

What is an emergency repair?

Emergency repairs are works that need to be done to prevent danger or severe discomfort to our tenants and others in their home, or to prevent sever damage to a property.
Once reported an emergency repair will be responded to within 4 hours and made safe within 24 hours. An after hours service is in place in the event that an emergency repair occurs after office hours. The response time is the same for after hours emergencies.
Examples of emergency repairs:
•   Burst pipes
•   Gas leaks
•   Serious electrical faults
•   Dangerous structures
•   Blocked toilet (where there is only one toilet in the house)
•   Faulty front or back door locks making the property insecure
•   Total loss of heating in winter (October to March)

How long do I have to wait for a repair to be carried out?

The timescale for repairs will depend on the severity of the repair needed.

Emergency repairs will be responded to within 4 hours and will be made safe within 24 hours. This category includes work which needs to be done to prevent danger or severe discomfort to you and others in your home or to prevent severe damage to a property.

Urgent repairs will be responded to within 5 working days. These are repairs which are not an emergency but which result in the loss of a basic facility, or where further damage will be caused if the problem is not dealt with urgently.

Routine repairs will be responded to within 20 working days. These are repairs that can wait without causing major inconvenience to you.

Am I getting a new bathroom / kitchen on the improvement programme?

We are committed to provide quality homes that exceed the Government’s Decent Homes Standard. As part of this we are carrying out a major works improvement programme in accordance with the priorities and needs of the housing stock.

To enquire as to what works your home will be receiving, please contact the Contact Centre on 01296 732600. The customer advisor will be able to advise you what works are planned and the related timescale.

Do you offer a grass cutting service?

You are responsible for the upkeep of your garden and hedges (as stated in the tenants handbook).

If you are OAP or have a disability and have difficulty looking after your garden for health reasons you can contact your Customer Relationship Manager or the Contact Centre on 01296732600. We run a limited gardening scheme for tenants who are elderly or registered disabled, and cannot maintain their gardens, and have no friends or relatives who would be able to assist them maintain the garden.

How can I apply for the lifeline system?

The lifeline system can be applied for by visiting our offices at Fairfax House or by contacting us on 01296732600 and speaking to one of our Supported Housing Officers. The Supported Housing Officers will be happy to visit you in your home to demonstrate the lifeline system

The lifeline alarm service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and provides a reassuring link to the control centre for help.

The lifeline emergency alarm uses the existing phone line to create an automatic connection to the control centre once the emergency button is pressed. Tenants can then talk to the staff who will assess what help they need. This can include contacting relatives, a doctor or emergency services. All calls made to the control centre are recorded.

A charge is made for this service which we review each year however grants may be available to help towards costs.

How do I make a complaint?

We aim to provide to provide services which meet or exceed your needs and expectations, but realise there may be times when you feel we have not done this. If this happens, we would like to hear about it so we can learn form any mistakes we make and get better at what we do.

You can make a complaint by:

•   Telephoning 01296 732600
•   By requesting a complainant form be mailed to you
•   By writing to us at our offices at Fairfax House
•   Via our website – www.vaht.co.uk
•   By speaking to one of our staff

If you would like help filling in a complaint form, please contact us on
01296 732600. Alternatively you may wish to contact the Citizens Advice Bureau for assistance.

How do I apply for a transfer?

If you are an assured tenant, (once you have completed the 12 months as a starter tenant) you can apply for a transfer to another property. This can be done through our Choice Based Lettings program. You can access and register at www.buckshomechoice.gov.uk. You can also request that an application be sent to you by calling the Contact Centre on 01296732600. If you have questions or would like help registering please come by our offices at Fairfax House or call the Contact Centre. We will be happy to assist you.

I you apply for a transfer, please remember that we will only consider your application if:
•   The property you are leaving is left full vacant (that is, all your household is moving with you)
•   the property you are leaving is in a good state of decoration inside and is suitable for another tenant to move into immediately (if you are elderly and living alone, you will not normally have to meet this condition.)
•   your rent is paid up to date
•   you have not broken your tenancy agreement in any other way.

How do I apply for a property?

This can be done through our Choice Based Lettings program. You can access and register at www.buckshomechoice.gov.uk. You can also request that an application be sent to you by calling the Contact Centre on 01296732600. If you have questions or would like help registering please come by our offices at Fairfax House or call the Contact Centre. We will be happy to assist you.

Once you have registered you will be placed in a band (either A, B, C, D). You will be able to view the properties available by signing into the www.buckshomechoice.gov.uk website. You will be able to apply for 3 properties each fortnight when the new listings are made available.
Your application can be made over the phone by contacting the Contact Centre at 012967326000, via the www.buckshomechoice.gov.uk website, or by returning the yellow interest logs that you will be provided.

If successful in your bid you will be notified. If unsuccessful you can check online to determine why or call the Contact Centre who will be happy to assist you.

My only toilet is blocked

If you have only one toilet in the property, we will treat it as an emergency repair and will arrange a visit within 4 hours. Please call the Repairs Hotline 0800 183 1120 at any time

If there is a second toilet in the property, the report will be attended to as an urgent repair and will be completed within 5 working days.

My drain is blocked

Please check and let us know the location of the manhole. If you can, please check to see what type of drain it is, i.e. rain water or sewage.

However, if there is a trend of blocked drains on your property, and the blockage is found to be your fault, you could incur charges.

I have no electric power or my lights won’t work

Please check your electrical appliances to decide if a fault in one is tripping the power – if it is an appliance, it’s your responsibility to repair the fuse or the appliance. If in any doubt, please contact a qualified repairs company.

If it is not a specific appliance that’s responsible, please contact the Repairs Hotline 0800 183 1120 at any time so that we can come arrange a repair appointment

I’m locked out of my house

The safe keeping of keys for locks to windows or doors are your responsibility
The Trust does not hold spare keys for any of our properties.

If we have to change the lock to gain entry, you will be recharged for the cost of the work + 20% admin charge + VAT (approx £140). Please call the Repairs Hotline 0800 183 1120 at any time

I have a leak through my ceiling

Please locate the exact location of the leak and tell us when you call us, i.e. what room is above where the leak is coming from.
Try to contain the leak by turning the water off at your stopcock.

I have a leak under my kitchen sink

If the leak is bad, turn the water off at the stopcock. You can find the likely location of your stopcock in the Repairs Handbook. Try to minimise the affect of the leak until the plumber can attend by using containers to catch the water and moving furniture or carpets if possible. Please call the Repairs Hotline 0800 183 1120 at any time

My fence is broken

Please let us know what type of fencing you have, i.e. wooden panel, closed board or chain link fencing and how it became broken.
Also please let us know if there is any immediate danger to anyone, i.e. risk of fencing falling on people, children or pets escaping.

I can smell gas

Turn off all gas appliances, turn gas off at the main stopcock (meter) open windows to ventilate your home and ring Transco immediately – 0800 111 999
Do not switch on lights, smoke or use naked flames.

I have damp in my property

Before you contact us, please try to see if the problem relates to condensation.
You can get information on condensation from our leaflet Controlling Condensation and Mould click here.
If you still believe that your property has damp from other sources, please get in touch with us and we will arrange for an inspection of your property.

Can I have permission to make alterations to my home, eg fitting of satellite Dish / Aerial, erecting a fence, installation of a shed, etc?

Please write to us to request permission. We may need to arrange an inspection by a Property Inspector prior to the works and again once the works have been completed.

My central heating is less than one year old and hot water does not work.

Please contact the heating contractors designated to your postal area
Quality Heating (North) – 0800 138 3744
TSG (South) - 0800 111 4044

My central heating is more than one year old and hot water does not work.

Please call the Repairs Hotline 0800 183 1120

I am disabled, and my toilet is blocked. The one upstairs does work, but I can’t get to it quick enough. Can you come out to fix it today?

Yes.
We will make you a priority case if you are elderly or disabled and we will treat your report as an emergency.

Can I have disabled adaptations done to my home?

Please ring the AVDC Occupational Therapist department on (01296) 504790 and they will arrange for an occupational therapist to assess your specific needs.

Can I have a room in my property decorated? If I have had work done on the Trust’s Decent Homes Improvement Programme am I entitled to some redecoration vouchers?

Residents over the age of 60 or any one who is receiving disability living allowance will qualify to have a room of your choice decorated per year.
Yes. If your home has had a complete rewire or central heating fitted you may be entitled to up to £200 in B&Q vouchers to be used for paint and materials.

My child has accidentally broken a window who will repair it?

We can arrange to board up the window to make your property safe. However, you are responsible for the repair. If we make the repair, the work will be recharged to you.

What happens if I accidentally break a fixture or fitting in my property?

We’ll attend to make safe the damage, but repair/replacement works will be recharged.

Where can I buy a Carbon Monoxide Alarm?

Customer Service Centre at Fairfax House, at a cost of £20 per alarm

Can I have my lawn mowed / trees cut / lopped?

This is normally your responsibility, however the Trust Caretaking service will trim hedges and cut grass for residents over 65 or those less able, if they have no friends or relatives living nearby who can help out.

I am elderly and I feel very unsafe in my bungalow.

Contact The handyman home service @ AVDC 01296 585605 who offer a free security check for the over 60’s. This includes free door/window locks & supply & installation of smoke alarms.
Thames Valley Police also a service along with AVDC on 01296 585100

Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust

FAQs

Right to Buy

Boundaries

Leaseholder Service Charges

Making a complaint

Supported Housing

General enquiries

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