Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

How do I pay my rent?

You must pay your rent each week in advance at the Post Office using your Giro payment card. For lost payment cards contact our Finance staff or your Housing Officer who will ensure a new one is ordered for you. You will be charged a fee for the replacement card to cover the cost of the card and administration.

Why should I contact Housing Benefit regarding my rent?

You are responsible for paying your rent and not the Housing Benefit department. You must therefore make sure that you complete and return any benefit application forms by the deadlines required otherwise you will lose Housing Benefit and your rent account may fall into arrears. Inquilab Housing Association will take appropriate action (including eviction) against those tenants who fail to pay their rent.

How are rents set?

Rent based on the Housing Corporation's rent restructuring formula which aims to achieve convergence by March, 2012

When does the service charge review occur?

Once a year in April if you are on a fixed service charge or in accordance with the provisions of the tenancy agreement if your charges are variable.

Can I buy the property I currently live in?

Inquilab Housing Association operates the Right To Acquire scheme. This is a Government funded programme which enables tenants to buy their homes at a discount. To qualify under the scheme you must meet the eligibility criteria and your home must also qualify under the rules set by the Government. Contact your Housing Officer for further details.

Is Inquilab Housing Association the same as the council?

No we are an independent 'Social Landlord', but we do work closely with councils to help house those who need an affordable home. Inquilab, like other social landlords, has to obey government rules on housing through the Housing Corporation.

How do I apply for a transfer if I already live in an Inquilab home?

You contact your housing officer at the office. You will need to complete a form and say where you would like to transfer to. We have tried to give you more choice about where you transfer to and make it faster to move. You can read about this in the 'Moving Home' section of this website under transfers. Remember you cannot transfer if you owe rent.

Applying for a home

How do I apply for an Inquilab Housing Association home?

You need to register with your local council who will hold a list of those in need of housing. We cannot take direct applications for our homes. Your local council will contact us when we have some empty homes to fill. At least two thirds of new tenants come to Inquilab this way. Another 20% of tenants have transferred from other Inquilab homes. A very few get referred to us by approved referral agencies.

Whereabouts are Inquilab homes?

Inquilab homes are located over most of London and the South East region. The boroughs where we own most homes are the London Boroughs of Ealing, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Brent, Harrow, Richmond, Slough Borough & Elmbridge. Click here for a map.

Do you have any homes for sale?

Yes, Contact your Housing Officer  directly or phone 020 8843 1263. The shared ownership homes are reserved for council tenants, housing association tenants, essential workers, those on a council list and still waiting for a home or first time buyers. Inquilab can give you clear and honest advice on whether you can afford to buy or part-buy their homes.

Resident Involvement

How can I get involved?

There are so many ways that our residents can be involved in having a say in the way we deliver our services. You could be part of one of service reviews, become an estate inspector, join part of the editorial panel for the Inquilab Voice (Residents Newsletter) and many other ways too.

If you are interested in any of the above or would like to suggest ideas please contact Masood Hussein by emailing him on masoodh@inquilabha.org

Residents Association

Is there a tenants' or residents' association near me?

You can check on the section of this site about residents' associations. The Senior Housing Officer can help on this. If you want to find out about setting up a residents' association in your area, the Senior Housing Officer can help.

Repairs

Why should tenants pay for some repairs?

Some maintenance jobs are the responsibility of the tenants as clearly stated in the tenancy agreement.
These are referred to as 'rechargeable repairs'.

How do I report a repair?

You have a choice. As you are online now you can try reporting a repair through this website (unless it is an emergency.) Our easy online reporting system helps you identify the repair exactly and should help us speed up the work.

Alternatively you can call our repairs service on the following phone numbers:

All general repairs directly to Mears on free phone 0800 055 6895

For gas and central heating repairs please call  Mears on 0208 561 9641

What is an emergency repair?

An emergency repair is one that causes an immediate risk to your safety or to your home if it is not dealt with. These include water leaks and electrical failure. These are highest priority repairs and Inquilab aims to get a contractor out to you within 24 hours of your telephone report of the problem. Do not use online repair reporting for emergencies. Phone us straightway on 020 8843 1263. For more details, see our repairs and services section.

How long do I wait for other repairs?

All repairs are put in order of priority. When you report a repair you will be given a target time for it to be completed

How can I check where my repair is up to?

Please contact Mears directly on 0800 055 6895.

Complaints

What happens if I have a complaint?

It depends what it is about. It's best to read the section on this website on how to make a complaint and there's an online form too. Inquilab aims to learn from complaints and improve services as a result.

Shared Ownership

How do I apply for a shared ownership home?

Please contact us either by phone on 020 8842 1263 or by email at enquiries@inquilabha.org