What we do We deal with all housing tenures except properties pwned by the council's Housing department, where our involvement is restricted to making disability adaptations. The services we provide include:
If you are a private tenant and believe that your landlord should undertake some repairs, we would ask you to approach the landlord first with your request before asking for our assistance. For owner/occupiers, we are able to help when you are affected by a nuisance originating from another property but we are not resourced to provide advice on other more general building construction issues. In general, our response is limited to situations where we have enforcement powers. When we deal with privately rented properties we also check that the landlord complies with their responsibilities under Gas Safety legislation. This requires the landlord to undertake an annual check of all your gas appliances using a CORGI registered engineer and provide you with a copy of the certificate. For more information, please visit www.carbonmonoxidekills.org.uk. For enquiries and to make a service request please call 020 8871 6171.
Grants and loans
In general grants for owner/occupiers are limited to those on low income; you must also be aged 70 and over or have a disabled member of the household. The current grant maximum is £6,600. We operate two schemes in partnership with six other councils in South West London: they provide grants for heating/energy efficiency and renovating long-term empty homes. The energy grants are called 'Coldbusters' and our partners, Creative Environmental Networks, manage the project and can be contacted on 0800 358 6668. The empty property grants currently provide up to £15,000 for each dwelling in exchange for nomination rights of 3 years. We are also a partner in the Houseproud equity release scheme which enables older people to release money from the value of their home in order to carry out improvements. Our Home Improvement Agency will manage the process for you, arranging both a surveyor and approved builder. If you would like more information and a free DVD please call the Home Improvement Trust on 0800 783 7569 or visit their website at www.houseproud.org.uk Finally, the Disabled Facilities Grant is a mandatory grant with a current maximum of £30,000 and funds disability adaptations to the homes of disabled people. If you have a disability and have difficulty either accessing facilities within your home or getting in and out of the home then please contact the Occupational Therapy Service on 020 8871 6270. They are responsible for assessing whether any works are necessary and appropriate in the first instance. For enquiries about grants please call us on 020 8871 6171.
Empty homes Our officers attempt to work with owners of vacant properties and assist them by providing advice and grant aid. However, in some instances where owners are unable or unwilling to take action we pursue compulsory purchase action. In the last five years we have approved 10 such cases. We have prepared a leaflet which provides advice to owners on how to bring a property back into use and how to report an empty property to us; this is available below. If you are interested in obtaining a grant, the fact pack is attached below. You can report an empty property either by calling 020 8871 6171 or online at report an empty home.
You can download our latest newsletter. If you want to be included in the future distribution list please email us at esd@wandsworth.gov.uk
Energy efficiency The EEAC can also give information on renewable technologies such as fitting solar panels. Grants are available for renewable technology improvements visit www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk to find out how to apply. The Energy Saving Trust advice centre is funded by government to provide free, impartial advice to all Londoners about increasing energy efficiency in the home, installing renewable energy, reducing waste and water use, and low carbon transport. They can help identify the best options for you whether you want to take advantage of the latest insulation deals, find out more about renewable energy or save money on your food and fuel bills. You can also get a free home energy report by filling in a Home Energy Check questionnaire. The free personalised report shows how you can save around £270 on your fuel bills and help reduce your carbon dioxide emissions. There are a host of ways they can help you save – why not give them a call on the free-phone number 0800 512 012 or email at advice@est-london.org.uk. Alternatively, visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/london and register for the callback service where they can call you back between 9am and 5pm on a weekday.| Inspections for immigration purposes It is recommended that you contact an independent Environmental Health Officer, or Chartered Surveyor who can carry out the inspection for you. Details of independent Environmental Health Officers can be obtained from The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, Chadwick House, 15 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ (Tel: 020 7928 6006) http://services.ehn-online.com/finder or contact the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors www.rics.org or telephone 0870 333 1600. Links with other services The Housing Department operate a Housing Advice Centre which can help private tenants who may have disputes with their landlords. The Occupation Therapy service provide assessment and assistance for house-hold equipment for people with disabilities. Houseproud - www.hitrust.org - The Home Improvement Trust arranges low cost advances enabling Older People to live safely and independently in their own homes, helping to prevent poor health and reducing the need for residential care. The greener borough section of this site provides information on our environmental policy - including details of energy saving and green energy for the home. |
