Throughout each year, our Housing & Support Officers visit every tenant in their home a minimum of four times.
The purpose of these visits is to check and physically inspect every property to ensure that they are safe and in a good state of repair, whilst taking the opportunity to catch up with our tenants and their support staff.
“Our tenants and their support workers are always very good at telling us when something isn’t working or broken and is in need of repair” says John Holmes, our Asset & Compliance Manager.
“But there are things that they might not notice, so having these regular visits means we can spot anything that needs attention before it gets worse and decide what maintenance or repairs need to be done.”
“We always give tenants plenty of notice when we’ll be coming to see them so it’s not a surprise when we knock on their door, and this also gives them a chance to think of anything else they might want to tell us about.”
With over 110 tenants located across the North of England in Cumbria, North Lancashire, County Durham and Northumberland, it proves to be quite an undertaking but is one that Fairoak is steadfastly committed to.
There is no specific statutory requirement to visit every property, outside of specific checks such as gas safety, and Fairoak’s approach to do this quarterly is very unusual, even in the supported housing sector, given it is quite a lengthy process.
The obvious question would therefore be, ‘why make such frequent visits if it’s not a legal requirement?’
“This has been embedded in Fairoak’s operational practices since before I joined in 2022 and should there ever be any question about why we do it then the recent publication of Awaab’s Law serves as a timely reminder.”
Awaab’s Law was entered into the Social Housing (Regulation) Act in July 2023, a statute which requires social landlords to promptly address hazards – such as mould and damp – in their properties within a specified timeframe.
Consultation on the specific details of Awaab’s law is currently underway and was instigated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) following the tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak following prolonged exposure to mould in his home.
John explains that “Fairoak’s properties range in size, shape, construction methods and materials so it’s very difficult to make assumptions about all our homes ’s and it is surprising just how quickly damp and mould can develop.”
“By visiting our tenant’s homes and making these frequent inspections we can see what condition the properties are in during each season, and quickly identify and address any hazards before they have an adverse effect.”
“We take the responsibilities that we have to our tenants as their landlord very seriously and ensuring their safety and wellbeing is at the core of these visits.”
“Aside from the main purpose, it is always lovely for us to have a catch up with the tenants in person, hear what they have been up to and generally enjoy these keeping in touch visits.”