Frequently asked questions

You can find everything you need to know about what we do to protect your home from fire on our fire safety webpages.

This includes how to arrange for a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) and how to report a fire safety concern in your home or building to us.

If you have mobility or other health issues that would prevent or make it difficult to get out safely in the event of fire, please let us know:

• either complete a form on MyHARCA
• email buildingsafety@poplarharca.co.uk
• call 0800 035 1991

A member of our team will then contact you to discuss this and if you wish, prepare a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) with you.

• Fill in a form on our building safety webpage or you can fill a form in via your MyHARCA account
• Email us buildingsafety@poplarharca.co.uk
• Call us on 0800 035 1991

In an emergency, always ring 999.

Every year we carry out a wide range of safety checks in the shared areas of your buildings and inside your rented homes.

You can find detail about how to report a safety issue to us and what we do to keep your home and building safe on our building safety webpage.

The Law Society provides useful fire safety guidance with information to consider before purchasing a flat.

Right to Buy 

Please complete the forms below. Some of them require you to log into MyHARCA:

• Right to Buy application form: download, print and complete this form and send it to Poplar HARCA, 155 East India Dock Road, E14 6DA
• Supplementary application form: complete online to verify your eligibility for the scheme
• Resident profile form: complete online so we understand your relationship with us
• Insolvency declaration form: complete online so we understand your financial situation

Right to Acquire

Please complete the forms below. Some of them require you to log into MyHARCA:

• Right to Acquire application form: download, print and complete this form and send it to Poplar HARCA, 155 East India Dock Road, E14 6DA
• Supplementary application form: complete online to verify your eligibility for the scheme
• Resident profile form: complete online so we understand your relationship with us
• Insolvency declaration form: complete online so we understand your financial situation

There are two possible options for tenants to buy their home:

1. the Right to Buy scheme
2. the Right to Acquire scheme

Our step-by-step timeline outlines the process of the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes.

If you are using a mortgage to help purchase your home, your lender will have processes they need to complete. Your solicitor or conveyancer should usually do a number of searches for other information about the property, mainly from the local council. The speed at which these searches take place is not under our control.

Stage one: Admitting or denying your application

After you have completed your application, we will get back to you within four to eight weeks to let you know if you qualify for either the Right to Buy or Acquire your home.

Stage two: Telling you how much we will sell you your home for

If you do have the Right to Buy or Acquire your home, we will value your home within twelve weeks and tell you how much we will sell it to you for. This is called the Section 125 Offer Notice.

Stage three: You decide

Once you receive this notice, you have twelve weeks to let us know if:

• you want to buy your home at the price offered
• you aren’t happy with the price and would like to have your home revalued

If you ask to have your home revalued, you will receive a new offer notice. The first offer notice and information you receive will explain the revaluation process in more detail.

Once you receive the new offer notice you have another twelve weeks to let us know if you want to buy your home at the new price.

Stage four: Drawing up the plans and lease

Once you let us know that you want to buy your home, we will draw up the plans and lease as quickly as possible.

Stage five: Completing the purchase

You must complete the purchase as quickly as possible.

Stage six: Landlord’s prior notice to complete

We will issue a landlord’s prior notice to complete and you will have 56 days to complete the purchase of your home.

Stage seven: Landlord’s final notice to complete

If you haven’t bought your home after the prior notice runs out, we will issue a landlord’s final notice to complete and you will have a final 56 days to complete the purchase of your home.

Stage eight: Closing your application

If you still haven’t bought your home after the final notice runs out, we will close your application and you will have to apply again.

Please bear in mind that other factors outside our control may affect the speed of the process.

Right to Acquire is a scheme that allows people to buy their rented housing association home at a discount. This applies to tenants who signed up to a tenancy with us and have been a social tenant for three years or more. Like many other housing associations, we offer Right to Acquire with a maximum discount of £16,000.

The Government’s website provides a useful overview of who is eligible for the Right to Acquire scheme.

Right to Buy is a scheme that allows council tenants to buy their council home at a discount.

This applies only to tenants who were living in their home when the property was transferred from the council to Poplar HARCA. The current maximum capped discount is £16,000 in inner London.

The Government’s website provides a useful overview of who is eligible for the Right to Buy scheme.

Consider the following when setting up your system: 

• can you position the cameras to avoid capturing your neighbours’ property or shared/public spaces? 

• do you need to record images, or is a live feed enough? 

• does your system have an audio recording feature? Audio recording is generally more intrusive, so it’s best to not use it unless necessary 

• can you turn off motion recording? Many video doorbells allow you to record only when someone rings the doorbell, which helps maintain privacy 

By following these guidelines, you can install your CCTV or smart doorbell while respecting others’ privacy and complying with the law.  

If you have any questions, please contact us at info@poplarharca.co.uk.

If your CCTV or doorbell captures images beyond your own property, you will need to follow guidance from the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.  

This includes: 

• putting up signs to indicate that recording is happening 

• providing recorded footage to individuals whose image has been captured, if they request it 

• regularly deleting footage or setting it to delete automatically, especially upon request from someone whose image has been recorded 

• stopping the recording of a person if they object to it, when possible. For example, by pointing the camera in a different direction 

• ensuring the system can’t be misused by anyone in your household or visitors 

When setting up your CCTV or smart doorbell, make sure it only captures images on your own property. We understand this might be challenging if your property entrance or boundary shares a communal area with others. If your system captures images of people in a shared space or on the street, you must comply with UK Data Protection Law.

If you’d like to install a CCTV system or a smart doorbell at your home, you’ll need to get our permission first. To do that, email us at info@poplarharca.co.uk with: 

• your name 

• address 

• a description of the system you’d like to install 

Once you have permission, make sure the CCTV system is installed within your property’s boundaries and doesn’t cause any damage to the building’s structure. You also need to respect people’s privacy and comply with UK Data Protection Law.

If you have pests in your property, such as mice or insects, please contact Tower Hamlets Customer Contact Centre on 020 7364 5007 or pest.control@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

Details of Tower Hamlets’ pest control service can be found here.

If your URS bin is full, or overflowing, please contact the London Borough of Tower Hamlets team.

For more information on how to use your URS bin, check out our how to guide.

You can reduce your waste by making use of Tower Hamlets Council‘s recycling facilities. Their website includes information on recycling bags and purple recycling bins, and collections for food, garden, commercial and bulky waste.

For information on the collection of household waste please visit the Tower Hamlets website.

There are lots of ways to get rid of large items of furniture or other bulk rubbish:

• Tower Hamlets Streetline service will collect large items for free. Call 020 7364 5004 for more information.

• Emmaus East London take good quality furniture to upcycle and sell at low cost in their charity shops. Call them on 020 7538 1132.

• You can drop off items at licensed sites like Tower Hamlets Reuse and Recycling Centre at Yabsley Street, London, E14 9RG

Do not leave bulky waste on the estate area unless a collection has been arranged with Tower Hamlets’ Streetline service. Unauthorised bulky waste found on the estate is classed as fly-tipping and will be investigated. Removal costs will be charged to those responsible.

Depending on whether you have dumped rubbish before, and depending on the amount of rubbish you have dumped, we will either recharge you for the removal or we will send you a warning letter. Usually a warning letter will be sent for the first instance of a few black bags or less being dumped.

All recharges will be subject to the current VAT rate and a £25 admin fee. Recharge amounts are dependent on external factors, however, we will not charge you any more than our contractors would charge us.

Fly-tipping is illegal and costs Poplar HARCA residents over £250,000 a year.

Please report fly-tipping in confidence on 0800 035 1991 or info@poplarharca.co.uk.

Offenders can be prosecuted and fined hundreds of pounds.

We regularly carry out inspections jointly with residents.

The issues looked at will depend on what is most important to local residents but usually will cover estate services, communal repairs, grounds maintenance, refuse collection and recycling, cleaning of communal areas and antisocial behaviour, as well as security and environmental improvements.

The frequency is agreed with residents in each area, usually in line with Estate Board meetings. For more information contact your local Estate Board.

You must not cut down any tree without getting written permission from us first.

Please contact the Housing team on 0800 035 1991 or email info@poplarharca.co.uk

We look after 2,500 trees, 200 communal green areas, 700 shrub areas and 15 pocket parks across our estates.

If you have a private garden or outside area you must keep it tidy and free of rubbish. Poplar HARCA is not responsible for any work in private gardens.

This is what you can expect from us inside blocks and out on your estate:

Daily

• Inspect, spot clean and clear: door entry systems, lobbies, stairs and landings, intake cupboard doors, litter and bulk rubbish, drug related items, obscene graffiti
• Litter pick
• Check lift is working, and sweep and mop floor of lift car

Weekly

• Sweep and mop: communal stair landings, stairwells and skirtings, lobby areas and entrances to blocks
• Clean and polish lifts, and clean and disinfect bin rooms and URSs
• Check communal lighting and timer clocks
• Report repairs
• Maintain designated Pocket Parks

Monthly

• Check security and condition of lofts, tank room doors and intake cupboard doors
• Clean and disinfect chute hoppers
• Remove weeds from hard standing areas
• Wash out and scrub enclosed bin chambers

Quarterly

• Clean internal light fittings, handrails and balustrades
• Deep clean all internal stained wall surfaces

Twice a year

• Clean all internal communal windows
• Deep clean communal and door entry areas

Yearly

• Clean estate and street furniture
• Clean sign boards
• Deep clean communal staircases

If you have mobility or other health issues that would prevent or make it difficult to get out safely in the event of fire, please let us know:

• either complete a form on MyHARCA
• email buildingsafety@poplarharca.co.uk
• call 0800 035 1991

A member of our team will then contact you to discuss this and if you wish, prepare a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) with you.

We will ask you to provide us with written permission to talk about or share anyone else’s information.

This is because we have:
• a legal responsibility to protect everyone’s personal data
• to make sure that we act in the best interests of all our residents

We have a template letter of authority you can use.

If your current key isn’t working or has been stolen, you can request a free replacement key.

Before we can give you a replacement key, you’ll need to return your faulty key to us or provide us with a Crime Reference Number for your stolen key.

To order a replacement key please complete a request form via your MyHARCA account or call us on 0800 035 1991.

Then call us (on the number above) to arrange a date and time to collect your new key from our George Green office at 155 East India Dock Road, E14 6DA.

To help keep your block secure, you’ll be asked to provide proof of your identity and address. If your current key is faulty you can hand it in to us when you collect your new key.

Alternatively, you can order a new or extra key for £15.

We only issue fobs to the leaseholder.

You can order a new or extra fob key for £15. Please complete a request form via your MyHARCA account or call us on 0800 035 1991.

Once you’ve made your £15 payment please call us (on the number above) to arrange a date and time to collect your new key from our George Green office at 155 East India Dock Road, E14 6DA.

To help keep your block secure, you’ll be asked to provide proof of your identity and address.

If your current key isn’t working or has been stolen you can request a free replacement key.

A heat network is sometimes called communal or district heating. It’s a system where the heat is generated centrally in a plant room and distributed to multiple homes through a network of insulated pipes. As a result, heating and hot water is distributed to homes without the need of a boiler.

Communal heat networks usually serve a single building or small group of buildings. District heating covers a larger area, serving multiple buildings or even entire neighbourhoods.

A list of all our buildings with heat networks is available here

Historically, the total energy consumption across the network was proportionately split between all households based on square footage of your home.

Now, a heat meter is fitted to the heat interface unit (HIU) within your home. This measures your home’s individual usage so that you only pay for what you use.

A heat interface unit (HIU) is a device that transfers heat from the main communal boiler room to your home. It works in a similar way to a standard boiler but, instead of burning gas, it uses heat from the plant room to provide heating and hot water. The HIU ensures that you have access to heating via radiators and hot water through the pipes in your home.

The HIU contains a heat meter to measure the energy you use to heat your home.

If we haven’t been able to gain access to fit the heat meter, we will not be able to generate a bill based on your actual usage of heating and hot water. You will be issued with a bill based on estimated consumption and daily standing charges.

Please contact us on info@poplarharca.co.uk to book an appointment to get a heat meter installed.

Poplar HARCA owns and manages the centralised plant room that supplies your heat, and we purchase the gas which fuels the system. The gas supplier is competitively sought, and the gas is purchased on a large scale to allow for a competitive price.

Once a heat meter is installed, the way you pay won’t be through boiler fuel charges anymore. Instead, it will be based on what you use.

We employ billing agents ISTA and Sycous to collect energy bills from residents with Heat Network supplies, on our behalf. They remotely read your heat meter and will collect payment for your energy usage monthly on behalf of Poplar HARCA.

They will contact you with further information about their billing processes, and you’ll be able to create an account with them so you can:

• monitor your energy consumption
• check your account
• pay bills

You will be paying based on your heat tariff.

Your heat tariff is made up of two parts:

1. the energy unit cost measured in price per kilowatt hour, (known as p/kWh)
2. a fixed daily standing charge, which is an admin fee to cover the management costs of the metering and billing agent

As we own and operate your plant room, we will set the tariff. This is passed to the metering and billing agent to calculate your individual bill. We calculate the tariff based solely on the costs incurred, ensuring a transparent and non-profit approach.

The heat tariff you pay consists of several key components:

• gas unit charges: the cost of gas used to generate heat is passed on to residents as a per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) rate
• gas standing charge: a fixed fee charged for gas supply to the plant room is divided among all homes on the heat network. This contributes to the overall heat standing charge
• heat billing (metering and billing agent fees): the cost of installing, maintaining, and managing the heat metering equipment and billing service is included in the tariff. These charges are shown separately on your bill as ‘standing charge’ and are calculated as a daily rate
• VAT: Value-Added Tax (VAT) is applied to utility charges at a rate of 5% for residential properties

These costs are charged through your annual service charges.

No, but we strive to keep heat tariffs as low as possible by:

• buying gas in large quantities, which helps secure competitive pricing
• selecting contractors through a rigorous process that prioritises value and cost-effectiveness

We work on a cost-recovery basis only, so tariffs accurately reflect actual expenses, and nothing more. We prioritise the needs of our residents and make informed decisions to reduce costs while maintaining a reliable heat service.

Since your home is part of the communal heating network, you’re not able to opt out of the system. Our contract with the metering and billing agent was tendered competitively to ensure the best combination of cost and quality. This contract will be reviewed periodically.

If you’re worried about your bills, you can find advice and support here or call us on 0800 035 1991.

If you have any questions around your individual billing, please contact the metering and billing agent directly.

• The easiest and quickest way to apply for the My Home Contents Insurance is to complete this digital form here
• If you aren’t online and want to apply for home contents insurance in writing, email us at info@poplarharca.co.uk

Before you apply, please review the important customer information document and insurance product information document on this web page.

Limits and exclusions apply. A copy of the policy wording is available on request.

Thistle Tenant Risks is a trading style of Thistle Insurance Services Limited. Thistle Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Firm Reference Number 310419. Registered in England under No. 00338645. Registered office: Rossington’s Business Park, West Carr Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SW. Thistle Insurance Services Ltd is part of the PIB Group.

Thistle Insurance’s data protection privacy policy is available to view online.

It’s a good idea to consider home contents insurance so that your belongings are protected in the event of damage or loss.

Home contents insurance is not included in tenancy or leasehold agreements and is separate from building insurance. Every resident is responsible for making their own insurance arrangements.

To help you decide whether home contents insurance is right for you, we’ve teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks and Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited. They both provide specialist tenants contents insurance policies to offer the My Home Contents Insurance scheme.

You can find out more and apply for the My Home Contents Insurance scheme on this web page.

Whichever home contents insurer you choose, look for a provider who’s regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You might find it helpful to use a comparison website.

Your credit score, also known as a credit rating, affects your ability to borrow money or get financial products such as credit cards.

You can check your score for free. And if it’s not great, don’t worry. There are many different ways you can improve it.

We are part of the Rental Exchange. We provide rental payment records to Experian. Paying rent on time can help improve your credit rating.

Tenants are automatically opted in when they sign up to a tenancy. You can opt out by speaking with your Housing Officer. And if you change your mind and would like to join you can do so here.

The Rental Exchange has been developed with advice from regulators and consumer groups, and fully complies with all relevant laws, including Data Protection.

You can get advice on debt and borrowing money from MoneyHelper.

There are also a range of free services available locally:

Island Advice Centre
Island House, Roserton Street, E14 (off Castalia Square)

• Mondays, 10am to 12pm: Drop-in advice sessions

• Tuesdays, 10am to 12pm: Advice line open on 020 7987 9379

Toynbee Hall
The Community Centre, 52 Old Castle Street, E14 7AJ

• Drop-in advice sessions are available
• Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm, 2pm to 4pm

• Telephone: 020 7392 2953
• Email: advice@toynbeehall.org.uk

Limehouse Project
789-791 Commercial Road Unit 2, St Anne St, E14 7HG

• Advice sessions are available by calling 020 7538 0075
• Phone lines are open from Monday to Friday between 9:30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm
• Email: advice@limehouseproject.org.uk

Bromley By Bow Centre
St Leonards St, E3 3BT

• Advice sessions are available by emailing advice@bbbc.org.uk
• Telephone: 020 8709 9700

Tower Hamlets Law Centre
789 Commercial Road, Limehouse, E14 7HG

• Appointments available are available by calling 020 7538 4909
• Phone lines are open Monday to Friday between 9:30am to 5pm

More than £110 million worth of benefits go unclaimed. Use the benefits calculator provided by Tower Hamlets Council to see if you’re missing out.

Residents’ Hubs

Tower Hamlets Council run Residents’ Hubs, which offer residents free face-to-face help to access a range of council services including council tax, housing benefit, parking, debt management and advice around welfare benefits.

The service operates at the Tower Hamlets Town Hall as well as some of our Idea Stores and libraries:

Tower Hamlets Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel Road, E1 1BJ
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesdays, 10am to 4:30pm

Cubitt Town Library, Strattondale Street, E14 3HG
Monday to Thursday, 10am to 4:30pm

Idea Store Chrisp Street, 1 Vesey Path, East India Dock Road, E14 6BT
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesdays, 10am to 4:30pm

Idea Store Bow, 1 Gladstone Place, E3 5ES
Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9am to 4:30pm
Wednesdays, 10am to 4:30pm

Gov.uk provides lots of useful advice on the different benefits available. Click on the links below for more information.

Universal Credit

Benefits entitlement

Benefits for families

Carers and disability benefits

Child Benefit

Death and benefits

Benefits and support for those on a low income

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Tax credits

Get free and impartial advice from MoneyHelper.

If you would like to see what benefits you might be entitled to or how changes in work circumstances might affect you, use the benefits calculator to quickly calculate your entitlements.

Apply on MyHARCA.

Online
Use our resident portal, MyHARCA. You’ll need your payment card.

Allpay
Download the Allpay app.

Text message
You need a UK registered phone, your payment card and a current debit card. Register here.

Direct debit
Set up a direct debit on our resident portal, MyHARCA, or call us on 0800 035 1991.

Standing order
You set this up with your bank.

Use your address or account number as the reference.

Poplar HARCA’s bank details are:

• Barclays Bank
• Account number: 0068 0001
• Sort code: 20-26-53

It’s a home swap between two social housing tenants. Each must have a secure or assured tenancy to do this.

Find out more and register on the Homeswapper website.

We have an overcrowding reduction plan to help tenants.

If you are a tenant with an assured tenancy living in an overcrowded home, you’ll be offered a home that is the right size for your family.

We can’t say when an offer will be made, and it could be in any location, for any type of property and any tenure – for instance affordable rent. If you refuse the offer it won’t affect your housing application.

Mutual exchange: Home Swapper 

Moving to another part of London: Homes for Londoners

Sheltered housing: Tower Hamlets Council

Intermediate rent: First Steps Rent

Low cost home ownership: First Steps Buy

Housing advice: Housing advice

Advice if you are experiencing homelessness: Housing Options Service

Information about health priority is here.

Priority on health or disability grounds will only be awarded after an assessment if someone in the household has:

• a severe long-term limiting illness, or
• a permanent and substantial disability, and
• their health or quality of life is severely affected by the home they live in

If you feel you meet any of the criteria above, please complete this form, and return by either emailing us at info@poplarharca.co.uk or post to Poplar HARCA, 155 East India Dock Road, London E14 6DA.

You can download an application form here.

Information about the process, priority and the number of homes and the number of other people on the list is available from Tower Hamlets Homeseekers.

If you need us to let an engineer into one of the locked cupboards in/near your block for a meter reading or to change your meter, please give us at least 48 hours’ notice. You can get in touch by emailing info@poplarharca.co.uk.

We may not be able to give access if less than 48 hours’ notice is given.

Every year we carry out a wide range of safety checks in the shared areas of your buildings and inside your rented homes.

You can find detail about how to report a safety issue to us and what we do to keep your home and building safe on our building safety webpages.

Most blockages are caused by inappropriate items (e.g. nappies, wipes, sanitary products, fat, food debris) being flushed down toilets or poured down sinks. Hair and soap can also build up in bathroom drains. Using a plug guard, regularly checking plug holes and taking care to scrape plates well before washing will help to keep your drains clear.

• Remember the three Ps: Only flush poo, pee and (toilet) paper down the toilet to avoid blockages.
• Don’t let food scraps clog up your kitchen sink. You can buy a sink strainer from any hardware shop – they only cost a few pounds
• Never put cooking oil down your sink as it hardens when it cools and will cause a blockage. Let your oil cool and pour it into an empty bottle or container instead so that you can put in the bin.

If you see damp and mould in your home, please report it to us as soon as you can.

Condensation is caused by water vapour in the air hitting cold surfaces such as walls, and mould often grows on damp surfaces when this happens. Some water vapour is normal, but too much can cause problems. By keeping your home well ventilated you can reduce water vapour and by keeping your home heated you can avoid cold surfaces for water to form on.

To prevent condensation and mould from forming, you can:

• Move furniture away from walls
• Open windows
• Use the extractor fan
• Lids on pans when cooking
• Dry clothes outdoors, or in a bathroom with the door closed and fans switched on

More advice is available here

Call us on 0800 035 1991.

Our phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so you can report an emergency at any time.

If you report a repair that is not an emergency outside of office hours you may be told to contact us when the office reopens.

If you smell gas in your home you should immediately contact the gas emergency service provider by calling 0800 111 999.

You should also:

• turn off the gas supply (the emergency control valve is usually next to the gas meter)
• extinguish all sources of ignition and do not smoke
• do not turn light switches or plug sockets on or off
• open all windows and doors

We aim to carry out an electrical test in every tenant’s home, every five years. A test will usually take two operatives 2-3 hours to complete. It is very important that you keep the appointment and allow our contractor to complete the testing as it is an essential part of our approach to safety in residents’ homes. If you do need to change an appointment let us know so we can book you a more suitable one.

We have a legal responsibility to service your boiler every year to make sure that it is working properly and is safe. We will let you know two months before the service is due so that a convenient appointment can be scheduled. It is very important that you keep the appointment and allow our contractor to complete the service so that we can make sure your home is safe and that your boiler will continue to work as it should. If you do need to change an appointment let us know so we can book a more suitable one for you.

If you have pests in your property, such as mice or insects, please contact Tower Hamlets’ Pest Control Team on 020 7364 5007 or pest.control@towerhamlets.gov.uk. Details of Tower Hamlets’ pest control service can be found here.

All of our contractors carry identification which they will show you when they arrive for an appointment. If you have any doubts please call the Repairs Team who will be happy to verify whether or not the operative is who they say they are.

We offer morning (8am – 12noon) or afternoon (12noon – 5pm) appointments from Monday to Friday. We are flexible so if you need our operatives to avoid the school run, or need a more specific time just let the Repairs Team know when you report the repair and we will do our best to arrange it for you.

If you would like to carry out a permanent alteration to your home such as an extension, fitting a new kitchen or installing a shower, please fill out an Alterations Form on MyHarca, so we can assess your request. For more information, read our Alterations Policy.

We will charge you for any repair or replacement that is needed as a result of inappropriate action or inaction by you, a member of your household or a visitor to your home. We may also charge you if we carry out a repair that is your responsibility.

We replace items when, due to fair wear and tear, they are no longer in a functional condition and it is no longer possible to repair them. Our Property Services team assesses the condition of items and refers them for replacement when needed. We will contact you to let you know if a replacement is necessary and arrange a convenient appointment.

We aim for contractors to arrive within four hours. Sometimes it is necessary to make safe and then arrange a separate appointment for a full repair or replacement to be carried out.

An emergency repair is classified as a repair needed to safeguard safety or the structure of the building. Examples include the total loss of electric power, cold water supply or heating. For more information, read our Repairs Policy.

Poplar HARCA is responsible for repairs and maintenance in communal areas, and you are responsible for many repairs and maintenance inside your home. Check your responsibilities here.

If you are a leaseholder or shared owner of your home you should consult your lease for further information.

You must have our written permission before installing a dish.

Sky and other subscription services can be accessed through block communal dishes. Your subscription company will advise you when you sign-up to their service.

We will normally refuse requests to install a satellite dish unless there is no communal system.

If permission is given:

• the dish cannot be installed on cladding
• no damage can be caused to the building
• if planning permission is required, this has been obtained
• the equipment (including cabling) is installed to a recognised standard
• the environmental and aesthetic impact is minimised

It’s a breach of your tenancy agreement or lease if dishes are installed without permission.

You will be recharged the whole cost of remedying any damage caused.

Citizens Advice: citizensadvice.org.uk – free advice on various issues, including housing

Shelter: shelter.org.uk – support and advice on housing-related issues

Law Centres: lawcentres.org.uk – free legal advice if you can’t afford a lawyer

Leasehold Advisory Service: lease-advice.org – government-funded advice on service charges

Residential Property Tribunal Service: gov.uk/housing-tribunals – decides service charge disputes

Solicitors: solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk – for complex issues, consult a housing or property specialist

If you think there’s a mistake, let us know. If the issue isn’t resolved, you can ask the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) to decide if the charges are reasonable.

Each February, you are sent a breakdown of service charges for the next financial year (April to March).

Charges are based on an average cost from previous years, adjusted for inflation, and include expected large expenses, like replacing a roof.

Fixed charges: most tenants pay a set amount each year which does not change based on actual costs

Variable charges: leaseholders, shared owners, and some freeholders pay an estimate which is adjusted once actual costs are known

Inclusive charges: in some cases, the service charge is included in the rent

No, service charges are used solely to cover costs and are not for profit.

Service charges vary based on the size and value of the property. Larger and higher-value properties pay more.

Leaseholders, shared owners, and, in some cases, freeholders all pay service charges.

Everyone who has a tenancy or lease must pay a share of the costs. This includes tenants, leaseholders, shared owners, and sometimes freeholders. We cover the cost for periods when a property we rent out is empty.

There are a number of services included in the service charge, including:

• building insurance: covers damage to the building
• door entry: costs for system repairs
• TV aerial: costs for repairs
• refuse container: costs for containers
• caretaking: keeping shared areas clean and tidy
• communal repairs: fixing things like roofs or shared water systems
• electricity and heating: costs for lighting and heating shared areas
• garden maintenance: upkeep of green spaces
• lift maintenance: keeping lifts safe and in working order
• managing agent and management fees: fees for managing the property and services

You agreed to pay service charges when you signed a tenancy agreement.

A service charge is a fee that covers the cost of maintaining and managing communal areas of a building and estate. The charges must be “fair and reasonable” and are based on the services provided.

We know it’s difficult when anyone dies, even more so if it’s someone close to you.

The law says that a tenancy does not end when the tenant dies.  This means that Poplar HARCA, or a representative of the tenant’s estate, needs to end the tenancy by serving notice.

To do this, please download and complete the below form:

Notify us of the death of a tenant form

If you’re not claiming a right to live in the property, we will ask you to:

• provide a copy of the death certificate
• provide evidence of your relationship to the tenant
• confirm notice ending the tenancy
• tell us if you are removing the tenant’s belongings from the property

If you are claiming a right to live in the property, this is called succession.

There are legal rules about who can succeed a tenancy. It will depend on:

• what the tenancy agreement says
• whether or not anyone in the past has succeeded the tenancy
• the size of the property
• the personal circumstances of the person claiming succession

You can apply for succession by filling in this form.

You can also get advice about your right to succeed.