Housing News July - September 2025

St Albans City and District Council sent this bulletin at 09-07-2025 02:03 PM BST

Housing News - St Albans City and District Council

July - September 2025

🗣️ Have Your Say – Join the Forum

We're inviting more tenants and leaseholders to join our Tenant & Leaseholder Forum — a welcoming, supportive group working with the Council to improve housing services across St Albans.

Can you spare 1 hour 30 minutes a month?

Why join?

✅ Help shape key services like repairs, complaints and estate standards
✅ Speak directly with decision-makers and Council staff
✅ Take part in surveys, inspections and mystery shopping
✅ Get support, training and travel reimbursement
✅ Attend as often or as little as you like

"The Forum has helped me feel more informed and listened to." – Forum Member, 2025

"Since joining the Forum, I've noticed a more helpful and polite approach when reporting repairs." – Forum Member, 2025

No experience needed — just an interest in improving housing services.

📩 Get Involved: Email residentengagement@stalbans.gov.uk or speak to your Housing Officer.

👋 Meet Your Housing Team

Every tenant and leaseholder has a dedicated team to support them. Whether it’s help with your rent, repairs or managing your tenancy, your team is here to assist.

Check the team photo in the newsletter to see who's who:

Neighbourhood Housing Officers are shown in yellow
Income (Rent) Officers are shown in blue

Neighbourhood Officers can help with:

Starting or ending your tenancy
Settling-in visits and tenancy checks
Changes to your tenancy
Tackling anti-social behaviour
Estate inspections

Income Officers can help with:

Rent payments and balance queries
Budgeting and setting up payment plans
Accessing benefits advice
Preventing rent arrears

Not sure who your officer is? Visit MyStAlbans or email us at housingmanagement@stalbans.gov.uk

🛍️ Protect Your Belongings

The Council insures the structure of your home – but not your contents. Replacing furniture, clothing or appliances after a fire, flood or theft would be your responsibility.

We recommend that all residents consider arranging contents insurance.

One option available is the Crystal Insurance Scheme from Thistle Tenant Risks – designed specifically for tenants in social housing.

Please note: This is not an endorsement. The Council does not recommend any specific provider.

Typical cover includes:

Furniture, electronics and white goods
Clothing and personal items
Accidental damage and theft
Sheds and outbuildings

To find out more:

📞 Call 0345 450 7286
🔍 Visit https://www.crystal-insurance.co.uk/
📄 Request a paper form from your Housing Officer

🧹 Litter Pick Success at Cotlandswick

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our most recent litter pick at Cotlandswick.

Local residents, Council officers, and partners came together to help clean up the area – and thanks to their fantastic efforts, we collected over 50 bags of rubbish in just one afternoon.

We’d also like to thank Veolia for their help on the day — it was greatly appreciated.

This event shows what we can achieve when we work together. Community action really does make a difference.

📍 Know a park, estate or pathway that could use a tidy-up?

Let us know! Email residentengagement@stalbans.gov.uk and help shape our next community clean-up.

We’re already planning the next one – and we’d love you to be part of it.

🏠 Smarter Insulation = Warmer Homes

As part of our ongoing commitment to improving council homes, we’ve made an important change to how we insulate sloped ceilings — particularly in homes with vaulted eaves (the angled space between walls and ceilings).

In the past, insulating these spaces often meant coming inside the home, removing decorations, moving furniture, or even blocking windows — a method that could be messy, disruptive and time-consuming.

That’s why we’ve introduced a new approach.

Where possible, our contractors now install rigid insulation boards from the loft space instead. This smarter method is quicker, cleaner, and causes far less disruption for residents.

✅ Benefits of the new method:

Less disruption to your home and décor
Higher insulation performance than traditional methods
Helps reduce condensation and mould risks
Saves time and cost
Keeps your home warmer and more energy efficient
You don’t need to do anything – if your home is due for insulation work, we’ll contact you in advance with all the details.

This is one of several small changes we're making to improve comfort, safety and energy efficiency for residents across the district.

🎉 Community Day – You’re Invited!

Join us at one of our free Community Day events this summer. All local residents are welcome – drop by, meet your Housing team, get support from local services, and enjoy free activities for all ages.

📍 London Colney
Thursday 17 July 2025, 3–6pm
Outside Caledon Community Centre, Caledon Road, AL2 1PU

📍 Redbourn
Thursday 18 September 2025, 3–6pm
Redbourn Common, AL3 7ND

👋 What to Expect
✔️ Speak with your Housing Officer and Council Housing Team
✔️ Get help from Citizens Advice with money, benefits and legal issues
✔️ Chat with the Police and Fire Service about safety and concerns
✔️ Connect with Social Services and local charities
✔️ Children’s outdoor games and activities with Playing Out
🍭 Free ice lollies and goodie bags – while stocks last
🎁 Free prize draw on the day – just for attending!

📝 RSVP
It only takes 30 seconds and helps us shape the day.
📱 Scan the QR code in banner above or RSVP online: COMMUNITY DAY

📩 Questions? Email residentengagement@stalbans.gov.uk

We’d love to see you there!

🏠 Extra Support When You Need It

Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn – and that’s when a little extra support can make all the difference. Our Tenancy Sustainment Team is here to help tenants and leaseholders who may be struggling to manage their tenancy because of personal, financial, or health-related challenges.

We offer short-term, practical help tailored to your needs. This might include:

Managing utility bills, benefits, or setting up your home
Advice and referrals for financial hardship, health, or safety concerns
Help applying for grants or emergency support
Budgeting and benefit checks to make sure you’re receiving what you’re entitled to
Guidance through the rent arrears process to avoid eviction
Support accessing local services, work, training, or volunteering opportunities

One tenant recently received help after reporting unusually high electricity bills. She was sitting in the dark to save money and had been told by her supplier there was no issue. Our officer investigated and found her meter was faulty. It’s now been replaced, and she’s gone from being in debt to £271 in credit. She told us she feels “greatly relieved and no longer worried” about her bills.

If you or someone you know might benefit from this kind of support, please speak to your Neighbourhood or Income Officer, who can make a referral.

📩 Or email the team directly at tenancysustainment@stalbans.gov.uk

Watch out for more helpful tips from the team in future newsletters.

💬 You Said, We Did

We’ve been listening to your feedback — through surveys, events and the Tenant & Leaseholder Forum — and using it to make improvements that matter to you.

👤 You said:
“It’s not always clear who to contact about problems with my home.”
✅ We did:
We’ve created a clear new team picture for the newsletter and website, showing who your Housing and Rent Officers are.

🗣️ You said:
“I want to feel listened to.”
✅ We did:
Forum members told us:

“The Forum has helped me feel more informed and listened to.”
“Since joining the Forum, I’ve noticed a more helpful and polite approach when reporting repairs.”

🔧 You said:
“Communication after repairs needs to be clearer.”
✅ We did:
Customer Service and Housing staff have received refresher training on how to explain next steps and expected timeframes after you report a repair.

🚶 You said:
“Estate inspections aren’t always visible — we don’t know when they’re happening.”
✅ We did:
Housing Officers now wear high-vis vests on estate walks so it’s clear who they are — and how to stop them for a chat.

📦 You said:
“We’re worried about cold spots, mould and the mess caused by insulation works. Can it be done with less disruption?”
✅ We did:
We’ve changed how insulation is installed in homes with sloping ceilings. Contractors now work from the loft space where possible — it’s quicker, cleaner and far less disruptive for you.

💡 Keep sharing your views — your feedback really does shape the services you receive.

🛠️ We’re Updating the Repairs Handbook

Our current Housing Repairs Handbook was last updated in April 2019, coinciding with the start of our five‑year contract with Morgan Sindall Property Services. Since then, we’ve made changes to improve reporting, accountability, and service standards — so it’s time for a refresh.

What you’ll find in the new handbook:

Which repairs are the Council’s responsibility
Your responsibilities (e.g. granting access, keeping pets away)
Expected timeframes and response levels
Our rechargeable repairs policy
How to use MyStAlbans to report and track repairs

The existing 2019 edition is available here for reference:
Housing Repairs Handbook (2019) – stalbans.gov.uk PDF

The updated version will be available both online and in print soon.

📩 Got feedback? Email us at residentengagement@stalbans.gov.uk — your insights will help shape the handbook.

🚪 Missed Repairs - Tell Us Why

Did you know that around 1 in 4 repair visits are recorded as “no access” — meaning the contractor attended but couldn’t complete the repair?

We understand this doesn’t always mean no one was home. There are many reasons a visit might not go ahead — from missed calls or unclear timings to access issues or communication breakdowns.

That’s why we’re reviewing the process — with your help. We want to better understand what’s happening and how we can improve.

Over the coming months, the Council will be contacting some residents who’ve recently had a missed appointment. We’ll ask about what happened, how we communicated with you, and what could help in future.

Your feedback will help us:

✅ Understand the main reasons for missed visits
✅ Improve appointment reminders and flexibility
✅ Reduce wasted trips and speed up repairs for all residents

If you're contacted, please consider taking part — your insights will help us shape a fairer and more reliable repairs service.

📩 Got something to share already?
Email residentengagement@stalbans.gov.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

Together, we can make the repairs service work better for everyone.

🌐 Getting Online with MyStAlbans

Did you know you can manage many of your Council services quickly and easily online using MyStAlbans?

Whether you want to check your rent balance, report a repair, see your bin collection dates or view your Council Tax account, MyStAlbans brings it all together in one secure place — available 24/7.

What can tenants do on MyStAlbans?
✅ Report and track housing repairs
✅ Check your rent balance and recent payments
✅ View Council Tax and set up paperless billing
✅ Request bin collections or replacements
✅ Contact your Housing Officer
✅ Link your tenancy to get a full view of your account

Need help getting started?
Your Housing Officer can guide you through the registration process or provide a printed step-by-step guide if you prefer. All you need is an email address and your tenancy or Council Tax number.

“It’s easy to use – I checked my rent account and booked a repair in under five minutes.” – Tenant, 2025

Ready to register?

Visit: MyStAlbans

Or ask your Housing Officer for help getting started.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com.

This service is provided to you at no charge by St Albans City and District Council.