Estate Management

Estate Management refers to the effective management of the environment around our properties and any common areas, to ensure that your neighbourhood is an attractive, well maintained, safe and secure place to live. An area which is well cared for will give residents a sense of pride in their neighbourhood and encourage new tenants to move into the area.

Our Estate Management Policy outlines the way in which we will carry out our estate management responsibilities.

Our main objectives are to:

Manage the environment around our properties and common areas effectively.
Ensure that all residents are aware of their respective responsibilities.
Place emphasis on preventative measures and also resolve issues/problems at an early stage. 
Seek to work in close co-operation with other organisations that provide services in the area (e.g. cleansing, street lighting, roads, police etc.).
Comply with legal duties, regulatory requirements and good practice requirements.
Carry out regular estate inspections and communicate effectively with other agencies/departments.
Carry out regular satisfaction surveys to ensure that our aims and objectives are meeting the expectations of our residents.

Information/Guidance Provided By Your Housing Officer

Your Housing Officer will ensure that all tenants are aware of their obligations and will seek to minimize problems when a tenancy is accepted by:

Explaining all tenancy obligations in detail when you accept a tenancy.
Ensuring that you receive a copy of the Tenants’ Handbook.
Ensuring that you are clear about your tenancy obligations at the settling in visit carried out shortly after you move in.
Providing you with contact details and information on services provided by Angus Housing Association and other appropriate external agencies.

Estate Management Inspections

Your Housing Officer or Housing Assistant will carry out regular and programmed estate, backcourt and stair/close inspections in order to record and monitor the condition of these areas and take any necessary remedial action.

Housing and Maintenance Officers will hold annual walkabouts which Residents are welcome to attend.

Common Areas

Inspections of common areas will be carried out on a regular basis.

The purpose of these inspections is to check on issues such as close/stair cleaning standards, dumping of rubbish/bulk items in communal areas, litter, graffiti, vandalism, untidy gardens, animal nuisance/dog fouling, illegal parking, abandoned vehicles and potentially abandoned properties, repairs and health and safety issues. If the inspections highlight any problems then the Housing/Maintenance Officer will begin immediate action to rectify.

Common Areas

Common areas include: entrance doorways; close area/stairs; bin stores; backcourts/drying areas; pathways and driveways/parking bays. If your home is within a common close you are required to keep the close and backcourt areas clean, clear, litter free and tidy on a weekly basis. Unless a stair cleaning service is provided by Angus Housing Association.

Your Housing Officer will take action against individuals who fail to do this. This may involve identifying and speaking to the individual(s) directly, issuing of warning letters and/or the introduction of a close cleaning rota where required. If there is no improvement we may consider carrying out any necessary work with the associated costs being recharged to each tenant on a proportionate basis.

Refuse Disposal / Bulk Items

You will be notified at the start of your tenancy of refuse disposal arrangements and scheduled days for uplift of refuse etc. Bin stores should be kept in a clean and tidy condition by residents and rubbish containers must be returned to the bin store as soon as the rubbish has been collected. 

You can report any bulky items you have to the appropriate Local Authority, who will charge for this service. Residents living in Ormiston should report all uplifts to the Dundee Office.

Any tenant who fails to do so is in breach of their tenancy conditions. Continued failure/refusal to arrange for the proper disposal of bulk items following warnings by the Housing Officer may result in the Association carrying out the necessary work and the associated costs being recharged to the tenant(s) involved.

Individual Gardens

If you have exclusive use of a garden you must take reasonable care to keep it from becoming overgrown or untidy. Your Housing Officer will take appropriate action against you if you fail to do this without good reason. This may include formal warnings and/or the Association carrying out any remedial work and recharging the costs to you.

Abandoned Cars

Abandoned Vehicles

A vehicle is generally considered to be abandoned if it meets the following criteria:

The vehicle structure/glass has been damaged by vandalism as opposed to damage caused by a road accident or
The vehicle has unsecured doors, boot open etc and is not road taxed or
The vehicle has been partially or fully burnt out.

Any suspected abandoned vehicle should be reported to the appropriate Local Authority. The following information should be supplied concerning the vehicle: make and model; colour; registration number; exact location and general condition.

In cases where an unroadworthy/untaxed vehicle is in your driveway or garden and you do not have permission from us, then you will be contacted by your Housing Officer to ask what your intentions are for the vehicle. If he/she is not satisfied with your response you may be asked to make arrangements to remove it.

Vandalism/Graffiti

Damage to, or the defacing of Association property due to wilful acts of graffiti, vandalism, neglect or abuse will be thoroughly investigated and attempts made to identify the person(s) responsible, who will be reported to the Police. Where an identified perpetrator is a tenant or a member of a tenant’s household, the tenant will be interviewed and a warning issued against their tenancy. He/she will also be held liable for the payment of the costs of the reinstatement/repair works.

CCTV/Ring Doorbells

CCTV

Tenants need to request permission before putting up CCTV outside their home. The rules surrounding this are complex and are covered by GDPR Regulations. The permission form can be found here:

Alterations and Improvements Application

The Association is aware that recording and surveillance can be a contentious issue and this leaflet outlines rights and responsibilities relating to this issue.

Ring Doorbells

Complaints about Estate Management Issues

Complaints About Estate Management Issues

You can report a problem with Estate Management to the Customer Services Team in person by calling at the office, by phone, by email or in writing. When you report it we will log it according to following categories:

Bins/Rubbish

Parking/Vehicles

Dog Foul

Private Garden Condition

Communal Area Condition

Pet Nuisance

Vandalism

CCTV

Garden Structure/ Boundary Issue

We aim to deal with these complaints within 14 days. We will investigate and take action as appropriate. We may have to come out to inspect the area causing concern. We will monitor and identify any areas where persistent problems occur and try to work with tenants and other agencies such as Environmental Health to try to resolve the problems.

Location

Hours

Estate Management