Private Tenants

Tenancy Advice

A comprehensive housing advice service is provided by the Housing Needs Team. Advice is given on a range of tenancy issues, including harassment, illegal eviction, eligibility for benefits and rights and responsibilities.

Tenant responsibilities

Tenants should:

pay their rent on time
comply the terms of their tenancy agreement
take care not to damage the property or any contents provided by the landlord
give reasonable notice of leaving the property
keep the property reasonably tidy
respect the neighbours and keep noise to an acceptable level

Rent in Advance & Deposit Guarantee Schemes

For households who have a priority for accommodation under Homelessness legislation the Council funds the Rent in Advance and Deposit Guarantee Schemes.

To obtain tenancy advice or find out more about the above schemes and whether you (or your prospective tenant) qualify for this assistance please email housingadvice@tunbridgewells.gov.uk or call the Housing Needs Team on 01892 554157.

Advice and support on poor housing conditions

The Housing Renewal Team will give advice to tenants in response to complaints about the condition of their housing. Visits will be arranged and formal enforcement action taken under the Housing Act where appropriate

Grants

Grants are available to tenants who meet the eligibility criteria and where the landlord is unwilling to carry out the works and enforcement is not an option (for example, the provision of energy efficient heating systems or disabled adaptations).

If you are single and looking for a privately rented home, there are 2 schemes operating in the Tunbridge Wells area at the moment which you may be eligible for.

Tunbridge Wells and District Citizens Advice Bureau and Porchlight can provide assistance to single people aged between 25 and 34 find a privately rented home. They have been awarded £40,000 by the homelessness charity Crisis, to deliver the scheme. Crisis has more than a decade of experience in helping homeless people find new homes in the private rented sector.

The Citizens Advice Bureau has appointed a project worker who will liaise with landlords and tenants to help create sustainable tenancies for young single homeless people across the borough.

Kent-based homelessness charity Porchlight will be working closely with the Citizens Advice Bureau to source volunteer mentors and get the support networks in place for vulnerable people as quickly as possible.

You can obtain further information about the scheme by contacting any of the CAB offices in Tunbridge Wells. Please see contact details above.

West Kent YMCA have also received a similar amount to offer a similar service starting in April 2012 across West Kent, covering Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling and Tunbridge Wells. The YMCA is working closely with Tunbridge Wells CAB in order to co-ordinate their combined efforts to best effect. The YMCA scheme is available to single people aged 18 and over. Enquiries about the scheme can be made to the YMCA by telephoning 01892 518505.

These projects are two of over seventy new local projects funded by Crisis across England that will help single homeless people find new homes and lasting independence, to add to an existing 49 that have already helped over 1,000 homeless people into a home. Crisis has allocated £3 million in total, provided by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG).