There's no place like home
Whether you rent or own your home, you’ll find all the information you need on this page. Scroll down to pay your rent, report a repair, find out more about being a leaseholder, and what to do if you want to move home.
If you can’t find what you are looking for please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Rent and service charges
Your rent goes towards providing, managing and maintaining your home. And your service charge is the cost to deliver communal and shared services to your building, and in some cases, surrounding estate.
If you are having problems paying your rent, the most important thing to do is to let us know as soon as possible. We're here to help.
Repairs
We know when something goes wrong in your home it’s important that it gets fixed. If you’re in an emergency, you can call us. We’re here to help.
Here you can find out about our annual compliance checks, learn how to tackle damp and see what we’re responsible for as your landlord, and that you’re responsible for as our resident.
Tenancy audits
Throughout 2023, we will be visiting 10% of our homes as part of the Tenancy Audit Process. This involves a member of our Neighbourhoods team visiting you in your home to review ID documents and completing a short questionnaire to make sure the details about you and your household are correct.
The Neighbourhood Officer will ask to look around your home to establish that it is not wholly let or sublet, and to ensure that it is being looked after in accordance with your Tenancy Agreement. For more information, click below.
Leaseholders
If you're a leaseholder you can find out everything you need to know about your service charges, repairs, subletting and safety checks on our dedicated page.
Moving home
Whether your living situation has changed, or you fancy a quieter life, there may come a time when your home is no longer suited to your needs.
If you'd like to move, we're on hand to help. Find out below how to swap your home, potentially buy it, or end your tenancy with us.
Our homes are allocated to people who have registered on the London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH) Housing Register, we do not have our own waiting list.
Swapping your home
Mutual Exchanges
You have the right to carry out a mutual exchange (swapping your home with another social housing resident) as long as the exchange is into an appropriately sized home, according to the age and size of your household.
If you are aged 60 or over and want to move out of London you can register for the Seaside & Country Homes scheme.
Right to Buy
Right to Buy or Acquire
You may be able to buy your home at a discount using the government's Right to Buy or Right to Aquire schemes. You could be eligable if:
- You are a council tenant OR you were a council tenant and were living in your home when it was transferred to your current housing association landlord
- The property is your only or main home
- You have been a public sector tenant for at least five years
- You don't live in sheltered housing or other housing particularly suitable for elderly or disabled people
- Your home is not due to be demolished
- You don't have any legal problems with debt
- You don't have any outstanding possession orders
- You may be able to acquire your home if it was built or bought by THCH after 31 March 1997
Ending your tenancy
Saying goodbye
If you want to end your tenancy, you'll need to give us four weeks notice in writing. You'll also need to:
- Contact us to get the forms you need
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Allow us access to inspect your home before your tenancy ends for any repairs and viewings
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Ensure your keys are returned to us on time (if not we may charge you for this)
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Make sure your rent account is paid up to the date when your tenancy ends
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Arrange removal of all your belongings and rubbish from the home and garden – if you do not do this we may charge you for it
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Repair or pay for any damages you have in any way caused
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Leave behind your gas or electricity key cards (if you have one)
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Tell the Post Office, the Council Tax office, and your gas, electricity, water and any benefit providers
Home contents insurance
Why do I need it?
If you are a tenant who rents, it is unlikely your landlord will cover your contents as part of the tenancy agreement. It’s a good idea to consider what a home contents insurance policy would cover you for in order to help you make an informed decision on whether you need one.
Contents insurance is designed to help protect your possessions. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a risk that your belongings could be broken, damaged or stolen.
To help you decide whether home contents insurance is right for you, we have teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks, and Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited who provide the My Home Contents Insurance Scheme, a Tenants Contents Insurance policy designed for tenants living in social housing.
The My Home Contents Insurance Scheme can offer you insurance for the contents of your home including cover for items such as furniture, carpets, curtains, clothes, bedding, electrical items, jewellery, pictures and ornaments.
How do you get further information?
- Call Thistle Tenant Risks on 0345 450 7288
- Alternatively, please visit the www.thistlemyhome.co.uk for more information or to request a call back.
You can also visit www.thistlemyhome.co.uk to find out more and to use their contents calculator to work out the value of your home contents.