Tenants
Renting Is a Two-Way Contract
The minimum stay is a 6 month tenancy, but at the end of the 6 months this automatically becomes a rolling tenancy and you can stay until you or the landlord give notice to quit. Some tenants have been in the same property for ten years and more.
Renting a property is a two-way contract. Your landlord provides a property that will be your own home while you live there. You have to pay the rent, pay the rates and utility bills and be responsible for your bins, keep the back yard tidy and generally look after the property and keep it decent. You must not disturb the neighbours or cause a nuisance, and you must not break the law, and you must not damage the property.
In return, the landlord is responsible for the gas safety certificate and basic structural repairs. If you have any repair issues while you are in the property, you must contact RPC who will report this to the landlord and arrange work needed through the landlord.
We Require References
We do require references and checks on your previous residence. We cannot let any property until we have met you and you have viewed the house. There are no tenant administration fees, but deposits of one month’s rent are required on all properties. This deposit will be lodged in The Deposit Protection Scheme and you will be given full information about it and about how to reclaim your deposit at the end of the tenancy. Some properties also require rent in advance. You must have a good character reference to qualify for any property with RPC.
What We Offer
- Good properties available in a wide area of East Lancashire
- Tenants on benefits welcome
- Repairs done promptly
- 24/7 Emergency callout
- We help you sort your paperwork and claims
- Pets and smoking are allowed in some properties
Universal Credit
We still have tenants in receipt of Housing Benefits administered by the Local Authority, but these are gradually being migrated to Universal Credit. Most tenants on benefits now receive Universal Credit from the Department of Works and Pensions.
Universal Credit is being rolled out across the UK, and here in the North West we have been dealing with it for 5 years. RPC works very closely with both the DWP and our Local Authorities to do what we can to ensure our tenants apply for and receive the housing benefits they are entitled to, and our landlords receive the rent due to them.
In many cases we have been successful in applying for the housing benefit element of Universal Credit to be paid directly to us rather than to the tenant. This makes things better for both parties, as the tenant is not tempted to spend this allowance on other expenses, and we are notified or become aware at an early stage if the benefit has dropped or has been stopped.
We encourage our tenants to continue receiving benefits by notifying the DWP regarding any change in their circumstances and keeping up to date with information required by the DWP.
Tenants
If you have any queries about your online application or need help with providing the DWP with the information required, please ask us and we will do what we can to explain what they require and help you find what you need to supply to them.
When you take on a tenancy, we ask you tell the DWP that you have given us permission to ask them about your benefits and to share that information with us. This helps us keep your housing benefits coming in on time and stops you from getting into arrears and risk losing your home.
RPC welcomes tenants on benefits, and we are here to help if we can.
Landlords
If your tenant falls into arrears we will ask the DWP for additional payments to gradually catch up and have been successful in collecting rent arrears in many cases. We have a dedicated secure email connection with the Universal Credit department giving us the advantage of quick and confidential notification of payments and exchange of information.
RPC welcomes Landlords with properties in all areas, including the Compulsory Landlord Licencing areas. No area is “difficult to manage” for RPC, and we strive to do the best we can for both our Landlords and our Tenants.
