Housing Advice Charter
The Housing Advice Charter explains the advice you will receive and explains the standards that we aim to adhere to.
Charter
Warwick District Council works hard to meet the housing needs of the district. The Housing Advice staff are trained and will listen and respond to those with housing difficulties. Appointments to discuss problems need to be made to prevent people having to wait a long time.
Housing Advice
In this service we can:
- offer interviews to people who want to discuss their housing problems
- provide advice and counselling on ways of solving the problems, or direct them to someone else who can help
- give details of other agencies who will offer specialist advice
- offer the addresses of the other housing providers in the area such as Housing Associations
- intervene and negotiate on behalf of the customer to the building society, lender or landlord
- explain how the HomeChoice Scheme works
Homelessness
This service is provided under the Housing Act 1996 Part VII, and in many ways is regulated by law, a code of guidance and decisions of the Courts. In addition to the service we can:
- explain how homeless law affects you
- try to prevent people becoming homeless by talking to their landlord, building society or other lender
- provide advice and assistance if there are difficulties between a landlord and a tenant
- explain about the availability of welfare benefits and how they can help make your housing secure
- deal with your application for housing on the grounds of homelessness in an efficient but caring manner
Customer Care
In our work we aim to:
- offer private interviews within 5 working days. If your housing problem is urgent, we will try and see you on the same day
- offer to help people with special needs. For example, interpreters for people whose preferred language is not English
- reply to letters within 7 working days in plain English
- offer a home visit within 5 working days if people are unable to come to the office
- see customers within 15 minutes of their appointments
- follow the law and have regard for the Code of Guidance and Good Practice
- operate an Appeals Procedure which customers may use to appeal against decisions
If you require any further advice on HomeChoice, Private Sector Tenancies / Harassment, Homelessness or Sheltered Accommodation, please telephone or download the Housing advice - request for information (30kb, PDF) and send it to the Housing Advice Team.
Contact Details: Housing Advice
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