Your Responsibilities

You have a legal responsibility to pay your rent and other charges.

If you are struggling to pay your rent you should talk to the Rents Team as soon as possible. They can assist you to get support to manage your debts and talk to you about making an affordable payment arrangement.

If you do not pay your rent, the Rents Team will take legal action which could incur more costs and could lead to you losing your home. The sooner you contact the Rents Team, the easier it is to get you back on track with your payments.

If you claim Universal Credit or Housing Benefit to pay your rent (in whole or part) it is your responsibility to notify the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) or Blackpool Council’s Benefits department of any changes in your income or household size.

It is your responsibility to allow BCH staff or contractors representing BCH access to your home.

We will always give you notice that we intend to visit you and give you the opportunity to rearrange your appointment.

We may need access to your home to carry out essential repairs, improvements to your home or to carry out safety checks to your gas and electrical supplies.

If you do not allow us access to your home, this could affect your safety or the safety of your neighbours and legal action could be taken which may result in you losing your home. 

It is your responsibility to keep your home clean and tidy and make sure the decoration in your home is in good condition.

You are also responsible for ensuring that your garden is clean, free from rubbish and maintained to a reasonable standard.

If you are unable to decorate or keep your garden tidy due to a health condition we may be able to refer you to organisations who can offer support to meet this responsibility. 

There are a number of clauses in the Tenancy Agreement that refer to repairing your home.

You have a responsibility to repair, renew or replace any items that are damaged by you or anyone else living in or visiting your home.

You also have a responsibility to report any repairs we are responsible for. More information about what you are responsible for and what BCH is responsible for can be found at www.bch.co.uk/repairs/repair-responsibilities.