If your housing association is causing you problems

An Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) with a housing association gives you a legal right to live in accommodation for a specific period of time. But you can still have problems with it. You may have been sent an eviction notice, but have no clear idea what rights you have to stay put. Or the property could be in disrepair, yet your appeals to get repairs done go unanswered. When you’re dealing with an organisation, rather than an individual, it can be hard to make your voice heard.

Your rights are set out in law 

A housing association AST can offer you a great deal of security. Housing associations must give you notice and get a court order if they want to end your tenancy and evict you. They usually have to prove you’ve broken the rules of your tenancy – you didn’t pay your rent on time for instance, or you were involved in criminal or antisocial activity. If they want to increase your rent, they normally have to give you one month’s notice in writing when rent is paid weekly or monthly.

How we can help

Our experts can help you understand your rights to remain in the property. They’ll give you practical advice on how to deal with an eviction notice, or help you explore how to make the housing association live up to their responsibility to keep a property in good repair. If the problem isn’t sorted out, we can explain how to escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. We’ll:

• listen to what the situation is
• give you clear guidance on your rights and obligations
• tell you what your options are