These policies set out our position on specific areas of tenancy management. By implementing them we are seeking to ensure fairness and objectivity to all our tenants, leaseholders and residents who receive our service. We review our policies every three years. We also update them in response to legislative changes and best practice requirements.
Policies which we have developed in partnership with South Cambridgeshire District Council are published as annexes with the Greater Cambridge Housing Strategy.
Policies
Abandonment and Long-Term Absence Policy
This policy outlines the measures we take to ensure that tenants are not misusing their social housing property, and how we will investigate suspected cases of abandonment.
Access Licence Policy
Our Access Licence Policy sets out our position on the granting of access licences across land owned by Housing Services.
Adaptations for Tenants with Disabilities Policy
This policy outlines the approach we take to support tenants with disabilities with their housing needs and improve the overall wellbeing of people with disabilities who live in a council-owned property.
Assignment Policy
Our Assignment Policy sets out our position on the assignment of tenancies.
Antisocial Behaviour Policy
Our Antisocial Behaviour Policy sets out how we deal with antisocial behaviour (ASB). It says what we want our services to achieve for people experiencing ASB and what level and quality of service we aim to provide.
Business Use Policy
Our Business Use Policy sets out our position on tenants using their home for business purposes.
Damp, Condensation and Mould Policy
Our Damp, Condensation and Mould Policy sets out how we manage and respond to tenants’ and leaseholders’ repair requests in relation to damp and mould.
Decant Policy
Our Decant Policy covers circumstances where a tenant is required to leave their property because it needs urgent or major repairs. This policy does not cover redevelopment schemes or major planned works – those are covered by our Home Loss Policy.
Fencing Policy
Our Fencing Policy covers our approach to installing new and replacement fencing on our land and boundaries. It includes allocation of resources, minimum requirements, response times and specifications for materials.
Fire Safety in Communal Areas Policy
Our Fire Safety in Communal Areas Policy sets out how we manage safety in communal areas. It makes specific reference to minimising fire risks and prioritising resident safety.
Garage Use and Arrears Policy
We own a number of garage sites and parking spaces across the city. The letting of garages and parking spaces is administered by City Homes. Our Garage Use and Arrears Policy sets out our position on prioritisation, rent collection and repossession of garages and parking spaces.
Hoarding Policy
Our Hoarding Policy sets out our position on working with tenants who exhibit hoarding behaviours. We are a signatory of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Multi-Agency Protocol for Working with People with Hoarding Behaviours (2016) and are committed to upholding its approaches.
Housing Related Debt Policy
Our Housing Related Debt Policy is concerned with how we respond to our customers requesting a service from us, and who owe us, or other social landlords (local housing authorities or Private Registered Providers) a form of housing related debt. This policy does not apply to debts that are not recoverable, although debts that are statute barred are still taken into consideration.
Lettings Policy
Our Lettings Policy sets out how we, in partnership with registered providers with properties in the district, allocate our properties through the Home-Link scheme.
Local Lettings Policy
Our Local Lettings Policy sets out our position on the management of our own social housing stock through the utilisation of Local Lettings Plans.
Mutual Exchange Policy
Mutual exchanges can take place between two or more Cambridge City Council tenants or between any other secure/fixed term or assured tenant provided that written permission is obtained from all landlords. Our Mutual Exchange Policy sets out our position on mutual exchanges, including eligibility and grounds for refusal.
Reasonable Adjustment Policy
We are committed to making sure that people are not disadvantaged when getting access to or using our services. For this reason, we will make ‘reasonable adjustments’ for people with disabilities or additional needs.
Rechargeable Works Policy
Our Rechargeable Works Policy sets out our position on rechargeable repair works. A rechargeable repair is a repair that is the result of damage or negligence to a City Homes property or its fixtures and fittings, internally or externally by a tenant or leaseholder, a member of the tenant or leaseholder’s household or visitor.
Regeneration Policy
This policy explains our approach to engaging with local residents and stakeholders when council tenants, leaseholders or freeholders are required to move from their home or are losing a property due to a redevelopment scheme, both in the period before we approve a scheme for development and during the development process. This policy should be read together with the approved Local Lettings Policy.
Subletting and Fraud Prevention Policy
Our Subletting and Fraud Prevention Policy sets out our position on sub-letting and our approach to actively investigating all reports of unauthorised subletting and fraud.
Shared Ownership Policy
Our Shared Ownership Policy outlines how we manage shared ownership properties.
Succession Policy
Succession is the legal right of a qualifying person to take over the tenancy on the death of the current tenant. We will allow one succession in the lifetime of a secure tenancy. Our Succession Policy sets out our position on succession, including eligibility and grounds for refusal.
Tenancy Changes Policy (Sole to Joint / Joint to Sole)
Our Tenancy Changes Policy (Sole to Joint / Joint to Sole) sets out our position on changes to tenancies, for example following a relationship breakdown.
Tenancy Policy
As a Registered Provider of social housing, we are required to publish policies which have regard to the requirements set out in our Tenancy Strategy (2020). Our Tenancy Policy identifies and summarises the documents that underpin our approach to the provision of social housing.
Tenant and Leasehold Alterations and Improvements Policy
We acknowledge that secure tenants and leaseholders have a legal right to make alterations and improvements to their homes provided that they obtain written permission before they carry out any works. The objective of our Tenant and Leasehold Alterations and Improvements Policy is to ensure that all requests for improvements or alterations are treated fairly and consistently.
Voids Management Policy and Re-Let Standard
This policy outlines our approach to managing and repairing empty properties that have been handed back to us. The Re-Let Standard is the standard a new tenant moving into a property can expect.
