T.A.N.T. Newsletter #6
Welcome to our Spring Newsletter
New Sherbourne Estate Local Tenants Association
The Sherborne estate has recently set up a new tenants’ association under the TANT umbrella to help National Trust tenants living in the area.
Sarah Ingamells is the chair and is a qualified Environmental Health Officer who specialised in housing, prior to moving to Sherborne thirteen years ago to open up the village shop. The association has a broad range of skills and is looking forward to helping the tenants however they can. They will be distributing leaflets to everyone within the Sherborne Estate shortly and you can also contact them via the TANT website at any time.
Do get in touch with TANT if you would like to set up a local tenants association for your estate.
Guidance on Addressing Problems with Damp and Repair
Cold and damp homes have recently come under much more scrutiny in the press alongside fuel poverty. This new interest by from press and government should be welcomed because it has highlighted the terrible health impact of living in a cold, damp or mouldy home. It has also uncovered that this is predominantly a problem of the rented sector.
Sometimes damp, mould or cold problems are blamed on the lifestyle of the tenant, which is often not correct. Where the problems are caused by disrepair or lack of proper effective heating and ventilation, the landlord must carry out necessary repairs and/or improvements.
The first port of call if you have and issue with disrepair, damp or cold should be contacting your local estate or Fixflo via the National Trust website.
If a landlord fails to take action there is legislation that could be used to ensure they fulfil their responsibilities. These are also detailed in the House of Commons briefing note here.
If you have a serious problem which hasn’t been resolved, after approaching the National Trust, you can contact TANT and/or your local Environmental Health Department (EHD) to escalate the problem. Tenants are legally protected from retaliatory evictions once the local EHD has been contacted.
The Environmental Health Officer will visit and advise you of what action will be taken. They will also provide practical advice on how you can improve the situation, if necessary.
If you would like further information please do not hesitate to ask TANT for help by filling in the online contact form.
Please share this newsletter with any neighbours or friends who may have problems with cold or damp in their home and ask them to join our mailing list.
Have a lovely spring from everyone in TANT.
Peter Bate, Chair
Thanks to Willards Farm in East Sussex for the spring photos