All Rent Agreements will be in writing and will be signed by the member making the agreement and the Rent Worker or a member of the Rent Group. There will be no verbal agreements.
Once a Notice to Quit (NTQ) has expired, a member does not have the option of making an agreement. In order to avoid further action, the member must at this stage, clear all their arrears.
The lowest rate at which a member can repay their arrears in a formal agreement with the Co-op will be £??.?? (equivalent to amount recommended by NHF/CCH/CPAG?)
The Co-op will keep a record of Rent Agreements and supply the member concerned with a copy.
If the Rent Worker or member of the Rent Group negotiating the agreement is not happy with a proposed agreement, they will not ratify it. They will advise the member that it needs to be referred to a Co-op meeting (General or Committee).
Rent Agreements can be re-negotiated at the discretion of the Rent Worker and/or Rent Group. However, if a member has broken an agreement, it cannot be re-negotiated; all arrears need to be cleared to avoid further action.
Agreements should be made during office hours where ever possible. The Rent Co-ordinator is not on call 24 hours a day to make agreements.
When dealing with rent issues, including Rent Agreements, members should be offered the option of discussing them in private.
Details of individual rent agreements will only be discussed with Co-op Workers and Committee Members who have signed a Confidentiality Statement.
Co-op members always have the option of raising issues about their rent (or anything else for that matter!) in a General or Committee Meeting.