Private Housing Service Charter

What the Environmental Health Private Sector Housing Service does:

One of the areas of activity within the Environmental Health Service is the safety and repair of privately-owned housing, where we will:

• advise about aspects of housing which relate to health and safety, overcrowding and repair
• inspect homes, including caravans, to ensure they are safe to live in
• investigate complaints about housing conditions
• take action against offenders where other action is unsuccessful
• give grants where applicable to cover a wide range of improvements and alterations to people’s homes including those for making them safe to live in, adaptations to help disabled occupants, minor works of repair, improvement or energy efficiency for those on a financially-assessed benefit (all of which supports Hart Council’s commitment to the principles of Care in the Community).

See also the separate Service Charter for Housing Grants.

Our Standards

We undertake to:

• respond to complaints about the standard of premises within three working days, or immediately if it is agreed that there is imminent danger to personal safety
• respond within three working days of receipt of other requests for service, although for letters, which often contain more complex requests, we will respond within a maximum of ten working days
• inspect all multiple caravan sites at least once a year
• regularly monitor the housing stock within the district
• listen to your problem and explain the possible courses of action. An appropriate course will be agreed with you.
• ensure that all complaints are, unless otherwise agreed, treated in confidence
• keep you informed about the progress of the investigation
• advise you of the outcome of the investigation and any action taken to resolve your request
• try to advise you of the options available to you if we’re unable to help with your enquiry
• carry out surveys to discover the underlying needs of our customers

We strive always to provide a quality service.

For advice on private sector housing matters please contact the Environmental Health residential team.