Further services returning for tenants

As lockdown measures begin to ease across the city, we are delighted to resume the delivery of a number of core services, including re-opening our offices to the public and restarting our routine repairs services from Monday 6 July.

Local area offices

Public access to Gentoo’s local area offices across the city will vary and includes:

• Akeler House, Doxford Park (formerly Silksworth office)
  Tenants are able to walk in without an appointment and speak to a member of staff.

• Athenaeum, city centre
  Tenants are able to walk in without an appointment and speak to a member of staff, although the cash desk will remain closed.

• Concord, Washington
  Tenants are able to visit the office by appointment only and must call the office or their Neighbourhood Coordinator in advance to arrange a suitable date and time.

• Galleries, Washington
  Tenants are able to walk in without an appointment and speak to a member of staff, although the cash desk will remain closed.

• Havelock
  Tenants are able to visit the office by appointment only and must call the office or their Neighbourhood Coordinator in advance to arrange a suitable date and time.

• Houghton-le-Spring
  Tenants are able to walk in without an appointment and speak to a member of staff.

• Southwick
  Tenants are able to visit the office by appointment only and must call the office or their Neighbourhood Coordinator in advance to arrange a suitable date and time.

Offices will be open from 9am till 4pm Monday to Thursday and 9am till 12 noon on a Friday. Inside the offices, all necessary social distancing measures are in place, including floor markers, Perspex screens and sanitising stations.

How to pay your rent 

Cash facilities at our Athenaeum office in the city centre and our office in the Galleries shopping centre in Washington will remain permanently closed. Tenants will therefore not be able to make cash payments for rent or council tax.

We've consulted with our Community Engagement Forums, made up of local tenants, before making the decision. Cash poses a risk to the spread of coronavirus and the Group has seen the majority of its tenants pay their rent via other methods throughout the pandemic. Tenants who usually pay their rent by cash at Gentoo’s offices have been informed in writing.

Routine Repairs 

Our repair service will also resume from Monday 6 July, with tenants being actively contacted where a repair was previously put on hold due to COVID-19. The return of this service also includes home visits for safety checks involving gas, electricity and mechanical equipment.

Tenants can report any new routine repair by calling their local office or online at gentoogroup.com. Our staff who attend these repairs will notify tenants prior to their arrival, maintain a safe distance from the occupant and use all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE).