FAQ

Fire Safety policy for DWP Housing properties.

Following consultation with Dorset & Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, DWP Housing operate a ‘stay put’ or ‘delayed evacuation’ policy within most of their flats. The properties have all been built or converted to the most current Building Regulations and have one hour fire compartmentation between flats and between floors. All the properties have a safe communal means of escape by which to evacuate if deemed necessary. To maintain safety tenants must ensure that self-closing devices remain fitted to flat doors and that they close the door fully to latch. Do not wedge open fire doors or store any items in these communal areas, do not tamper with or damage any fire safety provisions.

Contravention of any of this may put other tenants’ lives in jeopardy.

There are alarm systems and detection installed to provide early warning in the event of a fire. The communal alarms, along with the emergency lights, are tested on a regular basis by DWP Housing staff to ensure they work. If you have smoke detection in your flat you should periodically test it as per your tenancy agreement….

Your Safety is Important to us!

– TEST YOUR ALARM EVERY WEEK
– CHANGE THE BATTERY ONCE A YEAR*
– DO NOT REMOVE THE ALARMS OR BATTERIES
– IF THE ALARM IS BROKEN INFORM THE OFFICE IMMEDIATELY
* Any tenants who cannot physically change the batteries themselves please contact DWP Housing Maintenance Dept. Tel: 01202 301244

For any further information about fire safety please email us at info@dwphousing.co.uk and we will ensure our Fire Safety Officer will get back to you.

Your deposit is held and protected with www.mydeposits.co.uk in accordance with the law.

• Completed Tenancy Reference document. Collect this from the office or download here
• A guarantor if your circumstances require. Find out what it means to be a guarantor here

• If you are locked out during office hours (Monday to Friday 8am – 5.30pm / Saturday 9am – 1pm) and need a key replacement you can pick one up from the office for £2 per key – PLEASE NOTE YOU WILL NEED TO SHOW ID. 
• Outside of office hours you will need to use a Locksmith our recommendation for this service is: Lynx Locks. Tel. 01202 525926 Mobile. 07866 116482. Available 24 hours.

The simple answer to this question is no, unless you have been given written permission by us.

Cats and Dogs – Are not allowed (unless its a support animal, see below). Please understand if you are found to have a furry friend living with you we will ask you to re-home it.

Support Animals – Should you need a service animal for medical reasons, you will be asked to show paperwork proving you are in need of a support animal. We review on a case by case basis so please do not assume it will be OK, it really is best to talk to our customer services to find out the requirements before committing to a home with us, email info@dwphousing.co.uk or call and speak to customer services on 01202 301244 for further information. It is important to note extra deposits are generally required under these circumstances.

Small caged animals or birds – If you want to keep a hamster, fish, small bird or similar size animal you will need written permission from DWP Housing in order to do so. If you receive permission these animals are not to be kept in communal gardens or areas. Once again decisions are made on a case to case basis, so it is best to find out from our customer services whether or not written permission will be granted. Customer service contact info@dwphousing.co.uk or call on 01202 301244

A non-refundable holding deposit will always be required to reserve a property with us. Once the holding deposit is paid it will mean the property is reserved for you and will be removed from any further marketing, a holding deposit will only be taken once all reference checks and (if, applicable) guarantor checks have been processed and passed. The amount paid for a holding deposit will be deducted from the remaining balance that will need to be paid prior to moving into your new home.

If you do experience any problems that could affect you moving in then please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our housing advisers info@dwphousing.co.uk who will be happy to assist, or alternatively visit our office.

Typically, a friend or family member of the tenant who has agreed to vouch for the tenant and accept the liabilities on behalf of the tenant. For full information regarding the position of a guarantor please read our Guarantor Information Sheet

You will require a guarantor if you are aged under 25 or you have no previous history of renting property.

Our properties are mainly found across Dorset with some in Hampshire.

The best way to find out the balance on your account is to download our App where you can also pay your rent.

Download and install the App from either;

Google Play >>
Apple App Store >>

Alternatively you can call the office on 01202 301244.

If you find yourself facing redundancy and haven’t got another job to go to, you may find yourself in a difficult financial situation. Please let us know immediately we can review your situation with you and assist by advising what benefit options are available to you. Learn more about our Debt Management Services

If you find you are having financial difficulities which will affect your monthly rent payments, do not bury your head in the sand and think the problem will go away. Ignoring this problem may result in the loss of your home, so contact us immediately to arrange a meeting. Further information about debt management and how we want to help you sustain your tenancy can be found here

We do consider Housing Benefit.

If you are already a tenant of DWP Housing and have been notified that your benefits will be changing to Universal Credit, the first thing you should do is contact our in-house Support Officer, on 01202 301244 or email housing@dwphousing.co.uk – changing to Universal Credit may cause a delay with your Rent Payments causing you to fall into arrears. It is important to address the issue immediately by contacting us. If you are having problems with a Universal Credit claim, please arrange an appointment to come into the office, where we can talk to the Council on your behalf and sort everything out. It is important to note you must be present in the DWP Housing office when the phone call to the Council is made.

DWP Housing is now a member of the NRLA, Tenancy Redress Service which is available to help tenants resolve complaints they may have with their Landlord. This service is Quick, Easy and Free.

A guide to the Tenancy Redress Service is available to download as a PDF here >>

Alternatively you can visit the Tenancy Redress website for further information >>

The telephone number is the same whatever time of day you are calling, 01202 301244. You can use this number if you have a maintenance emergency, for more information about reporting maintenance issues visit our maintenance page

It stands for Anti Social Behaviour, we have an in-house ASB team who are dedicated to assisting with any ASB issues. We offer a comprehensive overview of what is and is not deemed as ASB find out full details here

Should you wish to vacate your property, we need to receive 4 weeks’ notice in writing. Visit the office with your written request and whilst at the office you will be asked to sign a Termination of Tenancy form. Once you have signed this form you will be notified of when a pre-inspection of the property will be carried out, please try and attend the inspection. The reason for the inspection is to assess what work (if any) is needed before the next person moves in, we will let you know if there is anything you need to do before returning the keys to us. Charges for vacating a property if it is not left in a good state of repair can be found here

As a general rule, if the property is returned in a good state of repair and you are not in rent arrears there is no reason why you shouldn’t receive the full deposit.

We always consider these opportunities. Our aim is to work with organisations who can provide a sustainable business or an idea that creates positive change. Why not contact us with your idea partnerships@dwphousing.co.uk