Accessing our Services

We want our tenants and residents to be able to access our services easily and in a way that suits them.

As well as providing freephone telephone access and offering services from our Head Office and City Centre Office. CGA also believes in taking the service to our customers rather than asking our customers to come to us.

All our staff are happy to carry out home visits to discuss any issues you may have. If you would like us to carry out a home visit simply ask or email us, letting us know what topic you would like to discuss so we can make sure we get the right person to visit you.

We also hold monthly surgeries in each LCA where staff from many departments within CGA are available to discuss any issues you may have. To see who attends these surgeries and their dates and times, click here.

Starting a new tenancy

The Community Gateway Association (CGA) wants to provide the best possible service to all its tenants. When someone moves into a CGA home, their home will have been checked against the following standards:

• All repairs required by law, or affecting their health and safety, will have been completed
• All rubbish will have been removed from the inside and outside of the property
• All floors will be swept and clean
• All cupboards and kitchen units will be clean
• All bathroom and toilet fittings will be clean and free from cracks
• An electrical safety test will have been done
• A gas safety test will have been done, and the tenant will be given a copy of the landlord safety certificate
• If there is solid fuel heating, the chimneys will have been swept
• Light bulbs will have been fitted throughout the property
• Wooden curtain battens will have been fitted above all windows
• Air fresheners will have been left inside the property.

When a new tenant accepts their home, the CGA will explain how the association works and explain the tenant's rights and responsibilities. The CGA will also provide a welcome pack, giving details of local services and groups and contact information to help the tenant settle in.

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Rights and responsibilities

When a new CGA tenant signs their tenancy agreement, they are agreeing to a legal contract with the association. By signing the tenancy agreement, tenants are accepting certain rights and responsibilities. Responsibilities for all tenants include:

• Paying their rent on time
• Reporting repairs and faults to the CGA that are the CGA's responsibility to deal with
• Allowing the CGA access to carry out repairs and servicing work
• Not behaving in an abusive, aggressive or threatening way to any of the CGA's staff or contractors
• Not harassing or causing a nuisance to neighbours or other residents
• Living in their home as their main or only home, and not using it (or allowing it to be used) for any illegal activity
• Not using their home as a base for running a business, without the CGA's written permission
• Writing to let the CGA know if the tenant is going to be away from their home for more than 28 days
• Taking care of their home by keeping it clean, tidy and reasonably decorated
• Carrying out minor repairs that are the tenant's responsibility (see Whose responsibility? download for guidance)
• Paying for chargeable repairs
• Looking after their garden, including hedges
• Being a good neighbour and considering other residents
• Making sure that anyone living in or visiting the tenancy does not cause nuisance, annoyance, anti-social behaviour or violence to anyone else
• Not using the tenancy for illegal or immoral purposes
• Keeping pets under control
• Parking so as not to restrict access to other people's homes.

If a tenant doesn't keep to the responsibilities listed in their tenancy agreement, they have broken their contract with the CGA. This could lead to the CGA taking action against the tenant.  

With very serious problems, this could lead to the CGA taking legal action and asking the court for possession of the tenancy. Where there are minor problems (such as an untidy garden), the CGA will work with tenants to try and sort things out.

The CGA has three main types of tenancy agreement - transferring tenants, starter tenants, and new tenants. Tenants' rights vary depending on which agreement they have signed with the CGA.

The transferring tenancy agreement is for people who transferred to the CGA from Preston City Council. By law it is an 'assured tenancy'. This gives tenants protected rights - some covered by law, and some covered by contract. Assured tenants have the legal right to stay in their tenancy provided they keep to the terms of their agreement.

The starter tenancy agreement is for people who became CGA tenants for the first time after the association was set up. Starter tenancies are offered for an initial trial period of one year. They give new tenants a probationary period to show that they can manage their tenancy properly. Starter tenants can become new tenants (see below) as long as they have kept to their starter tenancy agreement.

The new tenancy agreement is for people who become full CGA tenants at the end of their starter tenancy, or tenants of other housing associations who transfer to the CGA.  

Tenants wanting further information about their rights and responsibilities can download sections of the CGA's tenant handbook.

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Ending a tenancy

Any tenant who wants to end their tenancy must:

• Give the CGA at least 28 days' notice in writing
• Vacate their home and return all keys to the CGA by noon on the Monday when their notice period ended (until all keys are handed in, the tenant is responsible for the security of the property)
• Remove all furniture, possessions and rubbish from inside and outside of the property (as the CGA may charge for the removal of anything left behind)
• Leave their home in good repair, reasonable decorative order and in a clean condition
• Tell all suppliers (gas, electricity, water, phone) of their new address
• Tell the CGA who the suppliers are for the property
• Tell Preston City Council (Council Tax section) their new address
• Make sure the rent is paid up-to-date.

The CGA will contact everyone ending their tenancy, to find out why they are moving on and check if the CGA could improve its service in any way.

If a tenant has died, their next of kin or appointed trustee should get in touch with the Information and Advice Team .

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