Introducing our Income Maximisation Policy
17 July 2020
As part of our drive to improve trust and transparency, we are publishing relevant policies online for our residents. The first of these is our Income Maximisation Policy, which demonstrates our approach to rent collection, prevention and recovery of current rent arrears, and service charges. It applies to all our tenancy types.
It outlines a number of commitments that Network Homes aims to deliver:
Preventing and reducing arrears
- We recognise that preventing arrears is vital in managing and reducing arrears and our staff are committed to helping our tenants do this.
- Network Homes will use data to identify tenants who are at risk of falling into rent arrears.
- Tenants will be advised on the various payment options available to them, however we will encourage all new tenants and leaseholders to set up direct debits with us.
- Network Homes recognises that some tenants are financially vulnerable or disadvantaged, and we will identify these tenants as early as possible.
Recovery on rent arrears
- Outstanding debts will be collected with sensitivity to individual hardships and financial difficulty.
- All action to recover rent arrears will be prompt and in line with pre-court protocol.
Advice and support for tenants
- Tenants will be provided with support in applying for housing benefit/Universal Credit, where appropriate, and we will notify tenants of any debt advice agencies.
- Network Homes will ensure that customer-friendly information is available to all our tenants. We will provide assistance on paying rent and general financial advice, as well as support for tenants on how they can reduce their rent arrears. We will also offer incentives to tenants who pay their rent on time.
Training for our staff
- Our staff will have access to support, resources and training to aid them in effectively dealing with the recovery on rent arrears and income maximisation. Network Homes staff will have specific training on Universal Credit, housing and welfare benefits and basic debt advice.
Network Homes is committed to sustaining tenancies and maximising our ability to continue to protect the level of service we provide.
We'll be publishing more of our policies in the coming weeks so keep an eye on the website.
