Contents

Introduction

The Housing Advice Unit at Waltham Forest Housing Services gives free advice on housing matters to all residents within the borough.

If you are experiencing problems you should get advice. You can do this by contacting the Housing Advice Unit, Citizens Advice Bureau or a solicitor specialising in housing.

When you seek advice, you should take any documentation that is relevant to your case. For example, your original tenancy agreement, court papers, correspondence from your landlord, housing benefit, or solicitor. Even if you do not have any papers, you should still get advice.

When reading this information, it is important to remember that the laws concerning housing and welfare rights are very complicated. The information here cannot explain everything; it is intended to provide a guide to enable you to exercise your rights.

Who we work with

We give advice on housing and related problems to people who live, or want to live, in Waltham Forest and are:

  • Leaseholders
  • Private tenants
  • Housing association tenants
  • Home owners
  • Homeless or likely to become homeless

Advice areas

Advice and information is available on:

  • Emergency accommodation for single homeless people (hostels and other temporary accommodation)
  • Private rented housing (finding accommodation, types of tenancies)
  • Council and housing association rented housing
  • Shared housing projects for single people
  • Sheltered housing for elderly people
  • Shared ownership schemes
  • Paying for new accommodation
  • Benefit claims
  • Homeless prevention - Rent Deposit Scheme/Landlord mediation
  • Custody support - for those going into prison on remand
  • Fast tracking of Housing Benefit
  • Mental Health and Housing Issues

Worried about losing your home

Advice and information on:

  • Relationship breakdown
  • Landlord telling you to leave?
  • Friends or relatives want you to move out?
  • Landlord not paying the mortgage on your home?
  • Rent problems?
  • Possession proceedings - what to do if you receive a Notice to Quit, Court Summons, Court Order, Bailiffs Warrant?
  • Mortgage problems?
  • Forced to sell your home?
  • Leaseholder enquiries
  • Tenancy deposit legislation

Waltham Forest Churches provide a day centre and a night shelter for the homeless on Forest Road in Walthamstow. For more information about Branches Day Centre and Night Shelter please visit their website or contact them on 020 8521 7773.

Money problems and housing

Advice and information on:

  • Rent arrears
  • Mortgage arrears
  • Service charges
  • Repair bills
  • Welfare Benefits and other ways to increase your income

Problems with your landlord

Advice and information on:

  • Repair problems
  • Privacy - landlord coming into your home uninvited
  • Rent problems - rent books, rent disputes, rent increases etc.
  • Landlord difficult to contact
  • Disputes between landlord and managing agents
  • Landlord refusing to accept rent
  • Nothing in writing? - Your rights if you have no written tenancy agreement
  • Harassment and illegal eviction
  • Problems with other tenants
  • Overcrowding and shared facilities

Unsafe in your home

Advice and information on:

  • Floods, fires and emergency repairs
  • Harassment
  • Fire safety precautions
  • Gas safety - leaks and carbon monoxide fumes

Problems with your partner or ex-partner

Advice and information on:

  • Your rights to your present home or your ex-partners home
  • Domestic violence - emergency advice
  • Money problems - how to negotiate with a former partner
  • Legal options - Court orders, injunctions, property transfer; avoiding unnecessary legal costs
  • Responsibility for children - how to sort out benefits, housing, contact / access arrangements

Landlords: problems with your tenants

Advice and information on:

  • Tenancy advice and information
  • Rent arrears
  • Damage to your property
  • Legal procedures for gaining possession
  • Disputes with managing agents
  • Access to your property for inspection and repairs
  • Tenancy deposit legislation - Your obligations

How you can help us to help you

At busy times we may only be able to give you brief initial advice when you first contact us. If your problem is urgent please try and contact us early in the morning.

The Housing Advice Unit cannot usually give detailed advice to  Waltham Forest Council tenants as this is provided by Housing Officers based at 1 Wood Street, E17.

We can give you advice about Council and Housing Association rented accommodation but there is a severe shortage of these types of housing. This means that we also give advice about finding private accommodation, or about improving conditions in your present home.

Once you have had your application registered, depending on your circumstances you may be eligible to bid for vacant Council Housing Association Properties. More information about this can be obtained from the Housing Registration Team 020 8496 5422.

Get advice early - many people lose their homes, or rights to be re-housed by the Council, because they wait too long before getting advice.

The more information you give us, the quicker we are able to give you proper advice. Please let us see any useful documents as soon as you can. The first tenancy agreement your landlord gave you, any letters from a landlord, friend or relative who wants you to leave, proof of your income, including any benefits you are getting, rent book or other record of rent paid, proof of your previous and present addresses etc. may all help process your application.

Leaflets online

The above leaflets are all available free of charge, by downloading from this web site, by post or in person from our office.

The text for this web page has been adapted from the Housing Advice Unit leaflet.

Housing Advice Unit leaflet

Click here to download the Housing Advice Unit leaflet as an Adobe Acrobat pdf file (1.23MB).

How to contact us

If you have any comments and suggestions regarding this information, please contact:

Housing Services

Cedar Wood House
2d Fulbourne Road
Walthamstow  E17 4GG  (map)


Tel 020 8496 3000
Fax 020 8496 5431
Email housing.advice@walthamforest.gov.uk

Our office is located on Fulbourne Road.

Open to personal callers: Monday-Thursday, 9am-4.30pm; Fridays 10am-4.30pm

Telephone enquiries: 020 8496 5575, Monday-Thursday 9am-5.15pm; Friday 9am-5pm