Tenancy conditions

Tenancy visits and audits

Your housing officer will visit you at your home. They will do this from time to time to check that everything is alright. They will visit you in your home within six weeks of the start of your tenancy.

The purpose of the visit is to:

  • make sure you have settled into your new home
  • discuss any problems or concerns you may have since moving in
  • discuss your rent and any financial problems
  • ensure you understand the terms of your tenancy.

Tenancy audits

We carry out checks during your time as a tenant. This is to make sure that our properties are looked after. We call these tenancy audits.

The main purpose of the tenancy audit is to ensure that:

  • the correct person (the tenant) is living in the property
  • there are no breaches of conditions (such as sub-letting)
  • we have up-to-date information about you
  • you receive important information about housing services
  • you can raise concerns or ask questions about services.

What happens on an audit?

When the housing officer arrives they should be wearing their ID card. This is to confirm who they are and that they work for London Borough of Harrow.

We aim to visit all our tenants at least once every three years. We may also carry out unannounced visits. We will carry out a brief inspection inside and outside your property. We may also ask questions, make notes and/or take photos.

We may ask you for two forms of identification as proof that you are the legal tenant.

One item must be a document with your photograph such as:

  • your current passport
  • your photo driving licence
  • your Freedom pass.

The other item will need to be proof that you currently live at the property, for example:

  • a recent bank statement
  • a recent utility bill
  • benefit or tax letters.

We may take a photo of you if we do not have one on file. It will be saved on a secure system and only used for identification purposes.

I've already given some of this information, why do I need to do so again?

We want to make sure that the information we hold about you is accurate and up-to-date.

What will you do with my information?

Examples of how we use tenant information include, finding out if:

  • you need information in a different language or format
  • someone in your household has a disability
  • we need to update your family or household details
  • there are any barriers making it hard for the LGBTQ+ to reach our services
  • You have difficulty with reading or writing.

 

Who will have access to my details?

Only our council staff can access our computer records. They are responsible for entering and managing the data on our systems. We may share information about you with our contractors. They carry out repairs for us. We will not share your personal information with parties outside of our department. This is unless required to do so by law.

How can I check the identity or status of a council employee?

To check the identity of one of our staff members please contact security on 07926 072 895.