Great links; housing and associated.

[Joa]

I thought it may be useful to gather many of the links we frequently use or recommend in one thread.

I would start from Shelter: Advice and support and Shelter: Advice services directory Shelter provides housing advice and can help to locate a local advice centre

 

Shelter: Repossession by a landlord's lender

 

Next, the excellent LandlordZONE Forums - Residential Letting Questions and Articles on Property and Rental Property - LandlordZONE Landlordzone is a well established website mainly for property professionals but is helpful and welcoming to any tenants with queries.

 

 

Electrical Safety in Rental Property - LandlordZONE What are the landlords' responsibilities with regards to electrical safety.

 

ARLA (the Association of Residential Letting Agents ) deals very well with issues surrounding the deposit and "fair wear & tear"

Dealing with disputes, damages and deposits

 

Set of helpful leaflets: Renting and letting - Housing - Communities and Local Government

 

All around advice : Community Legal Service Direct and their The Directory

Automatic benefits calculator: entitledto

 

Also an excellent Advicenow: independent law and rights advice, legal service providers, advice service alliance, UK - Default website- highly recommended

 

 

OFT Guidance on unfair terms in tenancy agreements:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/unfair_contract_terms/oft356.pdf full version

and short version for consumers:

http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/consumer_leaflets/general/oft381.pdf

 

http://www.nus.org.uk/PageFiles/3080/Deposit_Recovery_Pack.pdf

Step by Step tenancy deposit protection enforcement pack

 

Tenancy Deposit Protection - Housing - Communities and Local Government

and

Private renting and letting - Housing - Communities and Local Government

from Communities and Local Government's website- quite good actually.

 

Housing Ombudsman Service: Dealing with disputes and complaints against landlords and housing agents, and other housing disputes - for complainants which exhausted all other internal complaint routes.

For the geeks and hard nuts: DWP - Resource centre - Information for local authorities - Publications - Guidance and manuals - Housing Benefit Guidance Manual

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/housingbenefit/manuals/overpay/op-guide-amd2.pdf

DWP - Corporate Medical Group - Medical conditions A to Z

 

I am sure there are more fab links. Please add more.

Edited December 13, 2008 by Joa

[Joa]

C'mon ladies and gentlemen! I want to stick this thread up, so it can accessed quickly by many. So add your treasured bookmarks, your precious findings and your jealously guarded favourites!

[caro]

Charter for Housing Association Applicants and Residents

 

http://www.housingcorp.gov.uk/upload/pdf/Charter_for_HA_applicants_residents_20071003112048.pdf

[Redmax]

Gas Safety for Tenants

 

Link to HSE website (includes template letter to landlord requesting to see gas safety check record)

 

http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/domestic/faqtenant.htm

[CASA]

Fantastic

[jqinfo]

Not a link but a book that is usually in the library and can be purchased directly from CPAG (Child Poverty Action Group) for benefits and tax credits - The Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook. Gives lots of advice for all age groups and scenarios. It is the CAB Benefit Bible, so it must be good!

 

JQ

[trudd]

Just wondering what relevance the list of medical conditions is with regards to housing? Just that I have 2 on their list.

[lastattemptbutone]

(edit)

Site for rating your current and past landlords' performance.

 

I tried posting this link on another thread but it was "un-approved". Not sure why; I thought it was a great idea. Apologies if i'm doing something wrong by recommending it.

Edited December 10, 2009 by freakyleaky
Unauthorised link removed. Again.

[stu007]

Hi got these links

 

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/09/15485/11211

Right to Repair Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

 

http://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/shr_homepage.hcsp

TheScottish Housing Regulator (SHR) regulates registered social landlords and thelandlord and homelessness services of local authorities.

http://www.oscr.org.uk/

TheOffice of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) became a Non Ministerial Departmentand part of the Scottish Administration following implementation of theCharities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005

are the independentregulator and registrar for Scottish charities. We regulate over 23,000 Scottish charities, including: community groups,religious charities, schools, universities, grant giving charities and majorcare providers.

http://www.spso.org.uk/

The Scottish Public Services Ombusman are the final stage for handling complaints about public services in Scotland.

Wedeal with complaints about councils, the National Health Service, housingassociations, the Scottish Government and its agencies and departments,colleges and universities, prisons, and most Scottish public bodies.

We normally look atcomplaints after they have been through the formal complaints process of theorganisation concerned.

http://www.tpasscotland.org.uk/ - This is also in England just remove (scotland) from the link

Tenant Participation Advisery Serviceexists to promote and support tenant participation.

TheTenant Participation Advisory Service (Scotland) is a national membershiporganisation for landlords, tenants and other related organisations. We are anot-for-profit Social Enterprise registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee.

TPAS typically works withtenants organisations, housing associations and local authorities. Contact TPASto find out how we can help you ensure that tenants continue to influenceimprovements in housing service

 

http://www.cas.org.uk/

Citizens Advice Bureau Scotland

 

http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/

Shelteris a charity that works to alleviate the distress caused by homelessness andbad housing.

We do this by givingadvice, information and advocacy to people in housing need, and by campaigningfor lasting political change to end the housing crisis for good.

Hope these links are of some use