Tenants

If you are a tenant living in social housing in Hackney, you might also want to visit:

Tenancy guide

The advice in this booklet will help you get the most of your new home. With links to helpful websites and guidance on the first steps to take when you move in.

The information in this booklet should also be read alongside your tenancy agreement, which is the legal document that covers the terms and conditions of your tenancy. Keep this booklet somewhere safe as it will come in handy. If you have any questions, get in touch with us.

Your new council home – what you can expect when you move in

See your new council home letting standards (PDF 1mb)

It’s your home and you will want to make it comfortable, decorate and furnish it as your own. To help you do this we want to ensure you have a good start to your tenancy.

Every council property should be clean and in a good state of repair when you move in. We have developed this lettable standard to be clear about the condition your property should be in when you move in.

Please use this leaflet to check that your home meets this standard. When you view the property there may be repairs that are outstanding, these will be completed before you move in. If you have any issues please speak to the voids co-ordinator, this is the person who showed you the property.

Advice on money matters and finding work

We want to make sure that if you have debt or work worries, you and your family can access the right support and advice at the right time. If you are a council tenant, you might find useful information below about:

Switching to a water meter

Have you considered having a water meter installed at your property? Having a water meter means you are charged for the amount of water you use rather than being charged a fixed tariff.

Find more information about water meters here

WaterSure Plus

If you’re struggling to pay your bills, you might be able to get help from Thames Water’s WaterSure Plus scheme. If you pay the water charges along with your rent, we will reduce your charges once your application has been successfully processed by Thames Water.

Find out about the WaterSure Plus scheme here

Tenant and leaseholder STAR survey

Kwest Research have carried out an independent tenant and leaseholder satisfaction survey on behalf of us since 2016.

We carried out in-house analysis and reporting in 2016 to 2017 and 2017 to 2018. From 2019 to 2020 onwards, Kwest Research took over analysis and reporting.

This series of research projects aims to identify how residents’ perceptions and satisfaction with services are changing, and how we can continue to make improvements.

See all reports: