FAQs

If you are a tenant of Shropshire Rural your tenancy agreement requires you to “keep under control any animals kept at the Premises and to obtain the written consent of the Association before keeping a dog or any other animal that might cause a nuisance or annoyance to other persons in the neighbourhood or that might damage the premises.” So, for example, you would not require permission to keep a goldfish but would require written permission in advance of keeping a dog or certain other animals. If in doubt, ask us at enquiries@shropshirerural.co.uk or write to us at The Maltings, 59 Lythwood Road, Bayston Hill, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 0NA.

Yes, you will need permission in advance to make changes to your Shropshire Rural home. Please email us at enquiries@shropshirerural.co.uk or write to us at The Maltings, 59 Lythwood Road, Bayston Hill SY3 0NA, indicating as clearly as possible the changes you wish to make. Depending upon the type of change you wish to make, the Association may need to carry out an inspection before making a decision and conditions may be attached to any permission granted.

Yes, please notify us of any changes in your household so that we can advise you accordingly. For example, changes in who lives at your address might have implications for overcrowding, under-occupation and benefit entitlements. It is also important that you ensure we are notified of changes to contact telephone numbers or e-mail addresses, in order that the Association can arrange to carry out repairs and maintenance in a timely and efficient manner or can contact you about other matters.

We provide a range of options for rent payments. You can pay your rent by:

• Standing Order, via your bank (our preferred method)
• Allpay – using the card we can supply – either at an Allpay ‘Pay Point’ or at a Post Office
• Via our website, using the WorldPay or Allpay links
• By telephoning our office (01743 874848) and using your debit card or credit card.

You will need to register with Shropshire HomePoint, which is operated by Shropshire Council. You can do this by completing an application form online at www.shropshirehomepoint.co.uk or you can contact HomePoint on 0300 303 8595. Once you are registered you will be able to ‘bid’ (confirm your interest) for advertised properties.

If you need a repair, you can:

• telephone us on 01743 874848, Mon–Thurs 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Fri 9.00 am to 4.30 pm;
• email us at enquiries@shropshirerural.co.uk or,
• If your repair is not an emergency, you can complete the repair form here on our website.

Please remember to provide us with your name, address and contract number, describing fully what you think the problem is. It helps if you can tell us about any times you can’t be available for the repair to be carried out or if someone else will provide access.

The law requires us to service those gas appliances which we have provided, every twelve months. Our contractors will visit by appointment, on an annual basis, all properties with a gas supply. It is a legal requirement and in the interests of your safety, and that of others, that the servicing is completed on time. It is essential that you provide access for the service to be carried out.

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness it is important that you urgently contact Shropshire Council’s Housing Options team on 0345 678 9005 so that you can be properly advised. If you are already a tenant of Shropshire Rural, you should contact us urgently on 01743 874848.

We don’t consider this an Emergency but will arrange for a repair to be completed within 7 days.

A dripping tap usually means the washer needs replacing. If the dripping tap becomes serious, you can turn off the water supply using the stop tap and contact us (01743 874848) or the out of hours service (0300 303 1190) for advice. If necessary, we may be able to carry out a repair more quickly.

You should contact the Association. If you have more than one toilet, we will arrange for the toilet requiring repair to be attended to within 7 days. If your home has only one toilet, we will arrange for this to be repaired as an Emergency (within 24 hours). If you have only one toilet, outside of office hours the repair may be reported 0300 303 1190.

Condensation is a common problem that arises when warm, moist air (such as from cooking, bathing or drying clothes) comes into contact with a cool surface (such as a window). For guidance on how you can help to reduce or avoid the problem, please see our additional information.

You will need to contact Shropshire Council on 0345 678 9000 and ask for the Pest Control Department. Please note that you may be charged for Pest Control services: they will be able to advise you.

Most ‘sealed unit’ bathroom lights can be changed without any special tools and we would expect you to try this as tenants are responsible for bulb changes. If you are unable to change the bulb, or if you have changed the bulb and the light still does not work, please contact us and also let us know if you have a bathroom without a window.

If the damage is accidentally or deliberately caused by you, a household member or a visitor, you will be responsible for the repair. If the window is a double-glazed unit, we will advise on how best to arrange a satisfactory repair.

If the damage is not caused by you, a member of the household or a visitor, you will first need to contact the Police and obtain a Crime Reference Number. You should then contact the Association, providing the Crime Reference Number, and we will arrange for a repair to be carried out. It is possible that you will be re-charged for the repair, even if the damage was caused by someone else: this will depend upon the specific circumstances.

If you believe the keys to your Shropshire Rural home have been stolen, you should contact the Police and obtain a Crime Reference Number. You should then contact the Association, providing the Crime Reference Number, and we will arrange for the locks to be changed. In certain circumstances, you may be re-charged for this service.

If you have lost your keys, we will change the locks but you will be recharged for this.

It is impossible to list every emergency that might occur but asking yourself the following questions should help you decide whether the repair is likely to be treated as an emergency:

• Will any delay in carrying out repairs mean that you will be unable to use one of the essential services such as gas, electricity or water?
• Will any delay in carrying out repairs endanger you or your family?
• Will any delay in carrying out repairs cause further damage to your home?

If the answer to any of these questions is “YES” you should contact the Association’s office immediately. If the emergency occurs outside normal office hours, you should contact the office on  01743 874848 and you will be automatically transferred to our OOH service.