Renting from Notting Hill Genesis

Last updated: 07/12/2021 11.55am

On 31 March 2021 we issued you a formal notice to end the tenancy on your home on the estate. From that date, you will have up to six months to continue working with us to find a new home before your tenancy ends. We hope that giving you a firm deadline will help you to focus on working with us to find a new home as you might not have been able to previously.

We will continue to pay your hotel or interim accommodation costs until you have found a new home or your tenancy ends, whichever is sooner. Once your tenancy ends, Notting Hill Genesis is no longer responsible for supporting you, so please let us help you by working with us now to find a new home ahead of that.

In this section you'll find information on:

> Arrangements after 31 March 
> Home loss payments
> Deposits and other extra payments
> Legal arrangements when the notice period ends
> New home options
     > Other NHG options
     > Other private rent options
> Removals

Arrangements after 31 March

We issued you with a formal notice to end your tenancy on the Paragon estate on 31 March 2021. From that date, you will have six months to continue working with us to find a new home before your tenancy ends. There will be no change to your current interim accommodation or payment arrangements until your tenancy ends, whether you are in hotel accommodation, an apartment at Greenford Quay or Grand Plaza or have made your own arrangements that we are subsidising.

Issuing you with a formal notice is within the law. Much of the support we are providing is in addition to what we are legally required to do, but we felt it was right to offer extra help as a responsible landlord and given the difficult circumstances. Similarly, we have no legal obligation to find you alternative accommodation once your tenancy ends, but are keen to support you to find you a new home so that you can move on and put this difficult period behind you.

Home loss payments

We are offering you a one-off home loss payment of £6,500 once you have found suitable longer-term accommodation so that you can surrender your tenancy and move to your new home. We will also cover reasonable removal and reconnection costs.

To further facilitate your move, we can release your deposit on your property at Paragon early. Alternatively, we can provide a deposit for your long-term accommodation which would be deducted from your home loss payment.

If you have rent arrears at the time of your surrender this may be deducted from your home loss payment or the return of your deposit.

Please talk to your caseworker if you would like to take up this offer.

Deposits and other extra payments

We appreciate that these are unusual circumstances and that many of you feel under pressure due to the disruption. For that reason, we will return your deposit on your Paragon flat to help you with any unforeseen additional costs. Returning your deposit has no legal or other implications and does not affect your tenancy or payments for your temporary accommodation and subsistence costs.

We have also agreed to pay you an extra £275 when you surrender your tenancy. This payment is in addition to your £6,500 homeloss payment and is designed to support you with utility bills you might need to pay when you move to a new home.

If you move to a Notting Hill Genesis property which needs decorating, we’ll pay a further £180 towards decoration costs. Our intermediate market rent properties usually meet the same standard of decoration as our market rent homes so it’s unusual for extra decoration to be needed. Sometimes, our social rent units do require further decoration to meet the expected standard.

Legal arrangements when the notice period ends

When the six-month notice period on your tenancy comes to an end, we are legally allowed to end your tenancy and take possession of your property. We will talk to you about this and take action through the courts if necessary in line with the proper legal process. When your tenancy ends, you will no longer have to pay rent to us. Any arrangements you have in place through us will finish and we will have no further legal responsibilities towards you.

We’ll pay you a £6,500 discretionary home loss payment when your tenancy ends, as well as £275 to support you with utility bills.

New home options

This section shows some alternative tenure options that could be suitable for you as a longer-term home.

Notting Hill Genesis options

SimpliCity

SimpliCity is a service offered by Notting Hill Genesis for working households who cannot easily access social housing, but are also unable to afford to rent or buy at market rates, or participate in shared ownership schemes.

You'll need to meet a range of criteria to be eligible for one of our SimpliCity homes. These are listed in adverts for each property, which are posted on Rightmove.

Please take a look and register your interest directly using the contact details in the advert if you’d like to be considered for one of these homes. Please note that bills and utilities are not included in the rent.

All the simpliCity properties are available at intermediate market rent and you will pay the same for the first year as you do currently at Paragon. For future years, rent is likely to increase, but any increases would be capped to keep your costs manageable.

London Living Rent

The London Living Rent (LLR) scheme was set up by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and offers the opportunity to pay a lower rent and save a deposit to buy a new home. There are certain criteria you have to meet to be eligible for an LLR home and these can be different depending on the housing provider. Generally, you must be renting in London, have a maximum household income of £60,000 and be currently unable to buy a home (including through shared ownership) in your local area.

We are now able to offer units at Brent House charged at LLR. We also have availability at our Gallions Reach scheme in Newham.

There are other properties in the LLR scheme managed by other housing providers that may be suitable for you. You can do a search on the Homes for Londoners website to see what’s available and check the criteria for each development.

It’s worth noting that if there is no interest from people who fit all the criteria for certain properties, the eligibility rules can often be relaxed and properties will be offered to others who didn’t immediately fit all the criteria.

Social Housing

Social housing, known as general needs housing, is a product offered by Notting Hill Genesis and other housing associations. It's for households who are unable to afford to rent or buy at market rates or participate in shared ownership schemes. You’ll need to meet a range of criteria and be verified to be eligible for a social housing home. Social housing properties come with a different specification to intermediate market rent homes.

If you would like to find out more about whether social housing would be applicable to you please speak to your caseworker.

Independent Living for 55+

These are Notting Hill Genesis homes that are tailored for residents who are 55+ years old and want to live independently but without the worries that often come with owning and maintaining a home. Also known as sheltered housing, our homes for independent living are one or two-bedroom self-contained apartments for individuals or couples, in buildings that offer a safe and secure environment. Talk to your caseworker if you would like to discuss this option further.

Private rent options

We've listed below some properties currently available on the open market at rents close to what you pay now for your Paragon flat. Your caseworker can help you navigate the private rental sector. We will update this list once a week on a Tuesday.