Current Tenants
Homeswapper
As long as you have a clear rent account and you are not an introductory tenant you may be able to find a more suitable home by exchanging your home with another tenant. It is down to you to market you home and to attract interest. This can be done easily by simply decluttering and touching up the décor within your home. The interest your home will attract on the website will be dependent on how you present it to other tenants. We would recommend that you check the website on a regular basis to see what properties have been added to the site so that an opportunity is not missed. This option would also provide you with the ability to move outside of Reading to other areas if this is something you can consider while retaining your security of tenure. In some areas over 80% of all social housing moves are facilitated via this scheme.
Visit the Homeswapper website to register and search for a match. Registration is FREE for Reading Borough Council tenants – if you are a registered provider tenant you may have to pay a small fee.
Tenant Incentive Scheme - under occupation
It is more important than ever, due to the shortage of available social housing, for Reading Borough Council to ensure the best use of our stock. There are a number of tenants who are residing in homes larger than they need. Reading Borough Council offers incentives for those who are under occupying their homes and who would like to consider a more suitably sized property along with a tailored support service for each household. The incentive on offer to all under occupiers residing in a Reading Borough Council property is £1,000 plus other payments towards removals and essential items. If you are interested in moving to more suitably sized accommodation and would like to discuss this in more detail you can contact the Under Occupation Officer on 01189 372192. If you are unsure if this is something you would be interested in please call so that we can discuss how we can support you with this.
If you are a tenant of a Registered Provider and you are under occupying contact your landlord to find out what incentive they are able to offer.
Key Workers
Reading Borough Council supports providing the opportunity for our key workers to access affordable accommodation. The Council’s allocation scheme defines a key worker as someone who:
is employed by the public sector or is delivering a public sector duty (Reading Borough Council, Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust, Reading Primary Care Trust, Thames Valley Police, Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service, Reading Buses),
A percentage of properties are advertised for key workers each year to ensure that affordable accommodation is available. An application to join Homechoice at Reading will be assessed in line with the allocations scheme and you will need to check the text in the advert to determine which properties are advertised for key workers only.
If you think you qualify as a key worker, and have a housing need, please complete a form to join HomeChoice at Reading: Register for housing - Reading Borough Council
If you are already registered on Homechoice at Reading and have not notified us that you are a key worker please contact us to update your application: allocations@reading.gov.uk or 0118 937 2172
Repairs and Condensation
If you find a repair in your property you must address it immediately, ignoring a repair issue can cause it to worsen would could cause further damage to the property or a risk to you and your family.
Reading Borough Council has a landlord duty to repair your heating, plumbing and any structural defects.
Not reporting or addressing a repair is a breach of your tenancy.
To report a repair please call:
- Monday to Friday 9am-5pm 0800 318 296
- Monday to Friday 4pm-9am and anytime at weekends
- For emergencies only please call 0118 937 3737
For more information please see the How to ‘Report a Repair’ factsheet.
Damp, condensation and mould are common problems in many properties. Damp or mouldy environments may cause respiratory health problems to worsen. It is important that you take steps to reduce damp and mould in your property, please follow this link to find out more about types of mould and what you can do to reduce this in your home:
Rent payments
You can pay your rent weekly, fortnightly, monthly or four-weekly, as long as you pay in advance. It is easiest to pay by Direct Debit.
Arrears
Contact us as soon as possible if you fall into arrears. We will need details of your income and outgoings to create a plan you can stick to.
If you do not contact us, we will take action to recover the money - we will add any court fees to the money you already owe. You should also contact us if are in arrears when you move out - you will still have to pay them.
If you are fall into arrears with your rent and you do not make any effort to address this you will not be able to be considered for a move via Homechoice at Reading.
Rent-free weeks
There are three rent-free weeks in a year except for those on licence agreements. Rent-free weeks fall on bank holidays. If you are in arrears, you will have to pay through these weeks.
Customer Online Services (COS)
If you are a council tenant, you can now access your rent account on line via the Customer Online Services (COS). This will allow you to view your weekly charges and any payments made, make a payment onto your account, update your telephone number and suggest a repayment plan if you are in arrears.
If you are interested in using this service please contact the Rents Helpline on 0118 937 2784 for further details. If you already received your user name and password, you can access COS here - https://housing.reading.gov.uk/housingportal/
Disabled Facility Grant
You may be eligible for help if you - or someone you live with - cannot use essential parts of your home because of a disability. Contact our Access Team to arrange an appointment with an occupational therapist. They will assess your needs and see if you need extra equipment.
The grant could help you:
- install a stairlift
- build ramps or widen doors
- adapt your kitchen or bathroom
Disabled Facility Grants cannot be paid for work already started or completed. We have produced a guide to adapting your home to help with the process.
http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/1506/Adapting-Your-Home-with-a-Disabled-Facilities-Grant/pdf/Adapting-your-own-home.pdf
If your home needs minor repairs or adaptations to make it ready for someone to be discharged from hospital you may be eligible for a hospital discharge grant.
http://www.reading.gov.uk/media/1507/Hospital-Discharge-Grant-factsheet/pdf/Hospital-discharge-grant.pdf
Homefinder
Homefinder UK is an easy to use online service that helps to match applicants with properties belonging to other local authorities and Registered Providers throughout the UK giving you more choice over where you live how much rent you pay and access to employment. It may be easier to access social homes outside of the South East if this is a priority for you.
Who can join
Homefinder is open to all households in housing need.
How it works
Properties are advertised on the Homefinder website, once you have completed the online registration form it is sent to Reading Borough Council to confirm the details you gave. Once approved you will be provided with log in details and will be able to bid for homes.
How to join
Apply online - Homefinder UK | Homefinder
As at 7 December 2022, 35 Reading Borough residents have accessed homes via HomeFinder UK - here are some of the outcomes:
Customer was living in temporary accommodation prior to their move with Homefinder UK. They secured a 2 bedroom flat in Watford.
Customer was privately renting prior to the move. After her landlord sold the property, Ms was faced with the prospect of homelessness as she could not afford to pay a deposit or upfront rent to find a new privately rented accommodation. She had been working with Homefinder UK for over a year but was reluctant to move too far out of Reading; eventually a property was found 2 hours outside of the area which matched her bedroom needs and she was put forward for it, later viewing and accepting the property. She has expressed her gratitude for the move, particularly the additional space that comes with having 3 bedrooms instead of 2, and is particularly grateful for the work Amne has done with her. They secured a 3 bedroom property in Salisbury.
Customer was living in private accommodation with her daughter which was providing too expensive, despite the fact that they were both in employment. We were able to put them forward for a property in an area where they could continue working. Regarding the move, Ms said: ‘I am overwhelmed by all that Brenda has done to find my daughter and me somewhere affordable to live. The property is lovely, and the kitchen is spacious, which is important because my daughter loves baking. I thank God for using Brenda in the way that he has done. I will never forget her kindness and persistence in securing a home for us.’ They secured a 2 bedroom property in Cirencester, Gloucestershire.
Customer needed to leave Reading for personal reasons. Eventually, after being in touch with a number of housing associations, we were able to match her with a property which was suitable for her bedroom needs which Ms was happy to accept. Regarding the move, Ms said: ‘Thank you Brenda for helping me and my children to move to a nice house. My children are very excited because they have their own rooms. We are all looking forward to a new beginning and new opportunities.’ They secured a 4 bedroom home in Leicestershire.
Customer in temporary accommodation prior to the move. They secured a 1 bed over 55’s property in Woolwich.
Useful Numbers
Council Services Telephone Numbers
- Tenant Services 0118 937 2161
- Housing Support 0118 937 2161
- Rents Team 0118 937 2784
- Repairs Team 0118 937 3757 (Mon - Fri 8am - 6pm)
- Repairs Out of hours 0118 937 3737 Emergencies only
- Anti-Social Behaviour Team 0118 937 2147
- Homechoice 0118 937 2172
- Housing Advice 0118 937 2165
- Rent Guarantee Scheme 0118 937 2233
- Housing Benefit 0118 937 3707
- Council Tax 0118 937 3727
- Environmental Issues 0118 937 3787 (block cleaning, rubbish, graffiti, pest control)
All details of services provided by Reading Borough Council can be found on the website.