Right to information
The Data Protection Act 2018 gives you the right to make sure that any personal information we hold about you in our written and electronic records is accurate and up to date.
If you want to access your records, we may charge a small fee.
When you ask us, we legally must give you information about:
- how we set your rent
- how quickly we complete repairs
- our lettings and allocations policy
- how we deal with antisocial behaviour
To access your records, email dataprotectionofficer@gentoogroup.com
Right to consultation
We will involve you in any major changes that may affect your home or neighbourhood. We will do this:
- by letter
- through local focus groups
- at a public meeting
- in local newspapers
- on our website
Right to live peacefully in your home
We will always ask for your permission before we enter your home. But we have the legal right to enter your home at reasonable times of the day.
We will enter your home to complete repairs we are legally responsible for and to inspect the condition of your home. We will give you written notice at least 24 hours before we inspect your property.
Right to be treated fairly
We treat everyone fairly and with respect. We will not treat you different because of your:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage or civil partnership
- pregnancy and maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sex
- sexual orientation
We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment or intimidation against any person or group of people. We will take action against anyone responsible for this behaviour.
Right to sublet your home
You may not sublet your entire home. If you want to sublet part of your home, you must get our written permission. We will not give you permission if subletting part of your home would mean your home would be overcrowded.
If you sublet your home without getting our permission, you will break the conditions of your tenancy agreement and may lose your home.
Right to improve your home
You have the right to improve or alter your home.
Before you do anything, get written permission from your local office. We need, in writing:
- details of the work that you want to complete
- who will be doing the work
- if you need and have planning permission from Sunderland City Council
- when we can inspect the completed work
- if any of the works are likely to damage or disturb the fabric of the building
If the works are likely to damage or disturb the fabric of the building, your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator will arrange for an asbestos survey before the work starts.
If you move home or make improvements or alterations without our permission, we may ask you to reinstate your home to its original condition. If we need to do this, we will charge you for our costs. We can also take legal action as it is a breach of your tenancy agreement.
We never give permission for:
- gas or electric fires
- decking, hot tubs, pigeon lofts or chicken coops in garden areas
- conservatories
- loft conversions
- replacing external fire doors
- adding shutters to external doors or windows
- removing any internal walls
- fitting pet flaps in external doors
- complete garden coverings, like block paving or artificial turf
- installing CCTV cameras
Once completed, there are certain improvements that will be your responsibility to repair and maintain.
Right to take in lodgers
You have the right to take in lodgers as long as:
- they do not make your home overcrowded
- you tell us before you take them in
Right to assign
If you have an assured tenancy, you may have the right to assign it to another person.
You will only be able to do this:
- as part of a mutual exchange
- a court orders you to under the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 or Schedule 1 of the Children Act 1989 to someone who qualifies as your successor if you die
Your successor could be:
- your partner, husband or wife
- a member of your family who lived continuously with you for at least 12 months
We can stop your tenancy going to your successor when:
- there is an outstanding court possession order
- there are court proceedings pending against your tenancy
- you have been served with a notice of seeking possession
- you have an outstanding antisocial behaviour injunction or antisocial behaviour order
- the home would be too small or too large for the new tenant
- your home has been adapted for or is suitable for people with extra needs and the proposed new tenant does not have those needs
- the behaviour of the proposed new tenant and their family would get them removed from the Housing Register
Right to Shared Ownership
Tenants living in new rented homes can buy a share of their property through Right to Shared Ownership. You must live in a home we built as part of the Affordable Homes Programme 2021 to 2026.
After renting for 12 months, you can buy between 10% and 75% of your home.
For more information about your right to Shared Ownership, contact your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator.
An assured non-transferring tenancy agreement is for people who became tenants after 27 March 2001. This is when Sunderland City Council transferred properties to us.
Right to succeed
We make sure that if a tenant dies, their tenancy can be passed on to someone who lived with them immediately before their death. A successor could be:
- their civil partner, husband or wife
- someone who lived with them as a civil partner, husband or wife
- a member of their family
Members of family must have documents that prove they lived with the original tenant for at least 12 months before they died. Members of family include:
- grandparents
- children
- grandchildren
- brothers and sisters
- aunts and uncles
- nephews and nieces
Acceptable proof includes a:
- document from a judicial authority, like a court, or from a public sector body or authority
- statement from a regulated utility company, bank or insurance company
- government-issued document with or without a photo
- government department or local council letter that confirms they lived in the home for 12 months
The government department or local council letter could be about their:
- Council Tax award
- driving licence
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Jobseeker's Allowance award
- pension
- place on the electoral register
If you think you are eligible to have a tenancy passed to you, you must tell us within 6 months of the original tenant’s death. We can only apply the right to succeed once. When completed, the tenancy and the tenancy agreement is passed to the new tenant.
In certain situations, we may seek to recover possession of a property through the County Court even if someone has the right to succeed. If this happens, we may offer you suitable alternative accommodation.
We can stop a tenancy going to a successor when the behaviour of the proposed new tenant and their family would get them removed from the Housing Register.
If the tenancy is part of an extra care scheme, there is no right to succeed for a family member or friend.
Right to exchange
If you want to move home, you can swap with:
- another Gentoo tenant
- a tenant from a different registered provider or local council
You must have:
- an assured tenancy agreement
- written permission from your local office
- been a Gentoo tenant for at least 2 years before you can apply to be rehoused unless you have a priority housing need
Priority housing needs include:
- antisocial behaviour
- exceptional circumstances, like a fire or flood in your current home
- financial difficulties
- mobility needs
- overcrowding
- under occupying, where one person lives in a home with 3 bedrooms
We can stop you swapping your home when:
- there is an outstanding court possession order
- there are court proceedings pending against your tenancy
- you have been served with a notice of seeking possession
- you have an outstanding antisocial behaviour injunction or antisocial behaviour order
- the home would be too small or too large for the new tenant
- the home is not suitable for the needs of the family
- your home has been adapted for or is suitable for people with extra needs and the proposed new tenant does not have those needs
- the behaviour of the proposed new tenant and their family would get them removed from the Housing Register
Your right to exchange may also be conditional on you paying any rent arrears or resolving any breaches in your tenancy agreement.
When you swap homes, your local office will assume you have inspected the property and accepted it as it is. We will not decorate it but will complete any repairs as usual.
To get started, speak to the staff at your local office who will give you details of other people who want to exchange in Sunderland. Or you can use our Mutual Exchange service to see what homes are available.
Right to acquire
Social landlords offer schemes to give you the chance to buy your rented home at a discount. You cannot buy some of Gentoo’s properties under these schemes. We will tell you if you can buy your home when you apply.
The right to acquire is for people:
- who were new tenants with Sunderland Housing Group or Gentoo
- new Gentoo tenants
- who have lived in a social rent property for at least 3 years
Time in a private rent or market rent property does not qualify you for the right to acquire.
How much your home is discounted depends on:
- how long you have been a tenant
- if your home is a house or a flat
- the age and condition of the property
The most your home will be discounted is £9,000.
If you are interested in the right to acquire, contact your local office.
A transferring assured transferring tenancy agreement is for people who became tenants after 27 March 2001. This is when Sunderland City Council transferred properties to us.
Preserved right to buy
Social landlords offer schemes to give you the chance to buy your rented home at a discount. You cannot buy some of Gentoo’s properties under these schemes. We will tell you if you can buy your home when you apply.
The preserved right to buy is for people who were tenants of Sunderland City Council before 27 March 2001 and have been tenants continuously ever since. The most your home will be discounted is £87,200.
How much your home is discounted depends on:
- how long you have been a tenant
- if your home is a house or a flat
- the age and condition of the property
If you are interested in the preserved right to buy, contact your local office.
Right to succeed
We do not take account of tenancies that were succeeded before 27 March 2001.
Right to compensation for improvements
If you improve or alter your home, you may be able to claim compensation when you leave. This depends on:
- your tenancy agreement
- having our written permission to improve or alter your home
You cannot claim compensation for all the changes you make to your home. We will pay you an amount based on how much the improvement is worth when you leave.
Right to repair
This scheme gives you the right to get urgent and minor repairs because whatever is damaged will affect your health, safety or security. We will:
- consider all repairs under the scheme
- let you know if the repair you reported qualifies
- give you a date for when the work should be completed
If we do not complete the work by the agreed date, you can ask us to give the work to another contractor. If the second contractor does not complete the work by your new date, we may compensate you £10, plus £2 a day for every day we do not complete the repair. The most we will compensate you is £50.
If you have any outstanding debts to us, you will not get any compensation.
During this time, you must not employ your own contractor to complete the work and send their bill to us.
The right to repair does not apply when:
- you tell us you no longer want the repair
- you do not give us reasonable access to inspect or complete the repair
- the repair is not to your home
- the contractor could not complete the work because of bad weather or unavailable parts
