West Herts Homes transfer

West Herts Homes has transferred its 28 homes to Watford Community Housing, after a consultation with its tenants. This page contains information on the transfer and what it means for customers.

Watford Community Housing logo

West Herts Homes logo

West Herts Homes transferred its 28 homes to Watford Community Housing. We are now responsible for maintaining these homes and providing services to the customers living in them.

A consultation was carried out between November 2023 and January 2024, and West Herts Homes considered all customer feedback in helping to reach its decision. The transfer formally took place on 29 February 2024.

With housing associations operating in a challenging economic environment and with increased regulatory requirements, the transfer will help to ensure that West Herts Homes customers continue to have well-maintained homes and good-quality services.

For more information, see the press release: West Herts Homes to transfer stock to Watford Community Housing

What this means for West Herts Homes customers

West Herts Homes worked closely with customers throughout the consultation process, and wrote to its customers to inform them of the decision to transfer its homes to Watford Community Housing.

If you are a West Herts Homes customer, Watford Community Housing are now responsible for maintaining your home and providing your services from 29 February 2024. Please contact us if you experience any issues with your home.

Watford Community Housing wrote to West Herts Homes customers with information about our services, as well as how to do things like pay your rent and request repairs. We also sent out new rent cards to all our new residents. If you have not received these, please notify your housing officer.

For more information on the transfer, check out our FAQs below.

Frequently asked questions

Why is this transfer happening?

West Herts Homes has decided that merging with a larger landlord is the best way to make sure that tenants continue to receive excellent services.

The transfer will ensure that additional resources are available to maintain homes to the highest standards of repair and safety. It will also bring wider benefits to West Herts Homes customers through more robust and additional services.

Transferring will also allow West Herts Homes’ social purpose to continue and ensure there is the capacity to comply with regulations and meet the demands of the challenging economic climate.

Watford Community Housing has been chosen as the preferred partner for this transfer, as we have similar values to West Herts Homes, and we are a registered provider of social housing with charitable objectives.

What will Watford Community Housing offer for West Herts Homes customers?

West Herts Homes customers who transfer to Watford Community Housing will have access to our full range of services, which include:

A dedicated Customer Service team to help with repair requests and any other queries
A 24/7 out-of hours service for emergencies
The ability to request repairs, raise queries and more through your online account at www.wcht.org.uk
A wide-ranging repairs, maintenance and home improvement service, including energy efficiency improvements for poorly performing homes below EPC C level
Access to support from our dedicated Tenancy Sustainment team, who can offer guidance on money management, benefits and Universal Credit, and make referrals to other support agencies and local food banks
Access to community funding for local projects and groups – find out more here: Our community work
Community events and clean-up days

We are also a community gateway housing association, which means that tenants can become members of Watford Community Housing and have more of a say over what we do and how we operate. All West Herts Homes customers will have the right to become a full member following the transfer. You can find out more here: Your gateway

You can find out more about our services by reading our service standards.

What will happen to my tenancy agreement?

There will be no changes to your tenancy agreement. Watford Community Housing will simply take over the contract and we will continue to honour your agreement. All your current terms and conditions will remain unchanged.

Will my rent and service charges go up?

Like all housing associations, we review rents anually, following guidance from the government. West Herts Homes follows the same process that we do, so any changes to your rent in future years will be the same as they would have been with West Herts Homes.

The financial year runs from the beginning of April to the end of March, so your next rent increase is due to take effect from April 2024. West Herts Homes has written to you already to let you know what your payments will be from April 2024. These payments should now be made to Watford Community Housing.

Will I need to change how I make my rent payments?

Your new Housing Manager will be able to work with you to make sure you know how to make payments to us, and help you get set up.

We will contact you to let you know when you will need to start making payments to Watford Community Housing instead of West Herts Homes. We will also send you a new rent card.

Your new housing officer will be able to work with you to make sure you know how to make payments to us, and help you get set up.

There are lots of different ways to pay rent to us, including direct debit, standing order, and through our website. Once you have your new rent card, you can use it to make payments over the phone, at the Post Office or other PayPoint locations, by text message and through the allpay website or phone app.

What will happen if I struggle to make rent payments?

We are here to help. We will be able to work with you to provide support and guidance if you are struggling to pay your rent.

For more information, see: Money advice and help

What will I have to do if I need a repair?

We will pick up any outstanding repairs that West Herts Homes has been unable to complete.

There are lots of ways to request a repair:

Call us - 0800 218 2247
Email us - enquiries@wcht.org.uk
Visit www.wcht.org.uk to register for an online account and request repairs online

For more information on our repairs service, see here: Repairs

What do I do if I need to report anti-social behaviour?

We will provide support with any concerns around anti-social or unreasonable behaviour. We expect our customers to behave respectfully and we are committed to resolving issues quickly and fairly.

You can find out more about our services here: Anti-social behaviour

Will the transfer affect my place on the housing list?

No. The local housing registers are managed by the relevant local authority, so this will not impact your position on the housing waiting list.

Will I be able to do a mutual exchange with other Watford Community Housing and West Herts Homes customers?

Yes. Mutual exchanges can happen with any social landlord or local authority across the country, so the transfer will not affect your options.

Will I still be able to speak to someone in person?

Yes, you will have a dedicated Housing Manager – Helen Kenyon. Helen is joing Watford Community housing from West Herts Homes as part of the transfer, so you may already know her. Helen will be able to provide support and answer any questions you have.