No Access

All customers living in Regenda Homes properties are required to provide access to their homes, to enable us as the landlord, to maintain and improve the property and undertake regular servicing of key components to ensure it remains safe and secure for occupation.

This requirement is set out in your Regenda Tenancy Agreement, this states you must allow us, our staff and contractors access to your home to:

  • Inspect the condition or use of your home,
  • Carry out repair, service or improvement work to your home or to a neighbouring property,
  • Inspect service or repair any gas, electrical and water appliances in your home,
  • Check on your well being,
  • Provide support services to you.

Under Section 11 (6) of the Landlord and Tenant Act, a landlord is permitted to enter a tenant’s property to view the condition and state of repair, provided that the occupier is given at least 24 hours written notice - unless there is a threat to safety.  Wherever possible, we will give you at least 24 hours notice if we require access to your property, but this isn’t always possible in emergency situations. If you do not give immediate access or you are not at home in an emergency, we may enter your home.

 

What are Essential Works?

If the required works present a risk to the health of the customer or the integrity of the building (Essential Works), Regenda will let the customer know we will need to take legal action to gain access to the property and complete the required works. This will be done in writing and they will confirm the legal basis of the action needed.

Examples of Essential Works

Essential Works are defined as work that must be done to protect the health and wellbeing of customers and the fabric of the building. This includes but is not limited to:
•    Mandatory health and safety inspections,
•    Any remedial works from mandatory health and safety inspections,
•    Any remedial works to correct a Category 1 or 2 Housing Health and Safety
 Rating System (HHSRS) risk,
•    Any remedial works to rectify a defect resulting in water ingress to the
 building fabric (external leak),
•    Any remedial works to rectify a defect resulting in water damage being
 caused to the dwelling or neighbouring dwellings (internal leak),
•    Any remedial works to rectify a structural defect,
•    Any works required to ensure the property remains wind and weather tight,
•    Any works required to ensure the property remains secure,
•    Any works required to ensure a property is adequately heated,
•    Any works related to Fire safety or arising from a fire risk assessment including fire alarms and compartmentation, 
•    Installation of a central heating system where no other form of heating is present,
•    Rewiring,
•    Significant roofing works,
•    Preventative or remedial damp and mould works,
•    Renewal of windows and doors,
•    Asbestos removal or encapsulation,
•    Gas and electric testing,
•    Fire Door related works (including Leaseholders),
•    Asbestos Surveys,
•    Where a Refurbishment and Demolition, or Management Survey is required prior to works taking place, these are also considered to be “Essential works” and the same process of gaining access to the property will be followed.

No Access Process

When essential works are required (see above) then the following access process will be followed in accordance with Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act.
1.    Regenda (and/or their nominated contractor) will send a first appointment letter.
2.    Following a No Access, Regenda (and/or their nominated contractor) will send a second appointment letter.
3.    If no access is gained on the second appointment, Regenda will send a third appointment to the customer via a letter from our solicitors detailing our intention to gain access and that further refusal may result in legal escalation.
4.    If there is still no response from the customer, we will involve our Neighbourhood Team to visit the property and it will then be considered a legal case.
5.    Regenda will continue, for a reasonable time, to contact the customer via all means available, such as phone and email.
6.    Once all contact attempts have been exhausted, Regenda will compile a timeline of access events, including (where available) the tenancy agreement and send this to our solicitor to begin injunction proceedings.
7.    Once obtained, the customer will have 7 days after the issue to allow access. If this is not permitted, then Regenda will continue to seek possession of the property to ensure that essential works are carried out.