Change of your landlord

When did the change happen?

The change took place on Wednesday 27th March 2024.

Will the services Legal & General Affordable Homes offer me change from the services I received from Orbit?

Like your previous landlord, we are a provider of affordable homes (a Registered Provider). We offer an equivalent range of services to those provided by Orbit.

Who are Southern Housing?

Southern Housing is also a provider of affordable homes, owning more than 78,000 homes across the Southeast of England and the Midlands. They have worked in the affordable housing sector for many years and have built strong links with local partners and wider communities.

For Legal & General Affordable Homes, Southern Housing oversees all landlord related services on our behalf, and they are your main point of contact for any general queries.

Who should I contact if I have a question about this change?

If you have questions, please contact Southern Housing who are happy to answer any questions related to your home. Their contact details are provided below:

– Email: contactus@southernhousing.org.uk (please add FAO: Qem Zymberi in the email subject line)
– Phone: 0800 121 60 60 (ask to speak with Qem Zymberi directly)

Contacting Legal & General Affordable Homes

If you have any queries related to your home or the service we provide, you can contact Southern Housing and ask to speak to Qem Zymberi. As Southern Housing is managing your home on our behalf, they are the main point of contact.

Will the way I pay my rent change?

Yes, you will no longer pay your rent to Orbit as you do now. Rent charges will now be collected by Southern Housing on our behalf. You can contact them on the number above to either pay by phone, internet or through setting up a standing order or direct debit. Direct Debit is the preferred and easiest way to pay.

What will happen with my current Direct Debit?

As part of the transfer from Orbit unfortunately we did not receive your current Direct Debit details from them. This is because they use a separate account system and so we will be asking you to provide your bank details so we can set this up directly. T

o set up a new Direct Debit, please call Southern Housing on 0800 121 60 60. You will need your tenancy reference number which Southern Housing will provide when you ring.

I am in credit/arrears on my rent account, will this all transfer to Legal & General Affordable Homes?

Yes, your closing balance with Orbit will be transferred to us.  If you had a credit on your account with Orbit you will still be in credit with us and if you are in arrears, Southern Housing will work with you to agree a plan moving forward.

Can I download a copy of my rent statement?

Yes, please contact Southern Housing and they will provide you a copy.

Will my rent and service charge change?

Your rent and service charge will not immediately change as a result of the transfer to Legal & General Affordable Homes Ltd.

Any future rent increase will still apply as per the conditions of your lease. Your service charge is based on the costs of delivering services, which are reviewed and reconciled annually. You will receive formal notification in advance of any increases, in line with your lease.

The management fee you pay as part of your service charge will change as it is based on the costs we pay Southern Housing to look after your home. This cost will be different to the charges Orbit applied. This is set out in more detail below.

You say our service charge management fee will change, why is this and by how much?

As a result of the sale of your home from Orbit to Legal & General Affordable Homes, some elements of your service charge will increase, as mentioned during the consultation process. The two areas impacted are the management fee and building insurance costs and the changes are set out below.

Management Fee cost

The management fee you were paying covered the cost Orbit charged for managing your home. During their consultation process, Orbit confirmed that if they had remained as your landlord their management fee was due to increase to a similar level to the charge we will apply.

The fee Southern Housing charge for managing your home is £441.32 including VAT per annum. We appreciate this is considerably more than your previous charge. This will not be applied until we complete our reconciliation process of service charge costs in September 2024.

This management fee will also increase in line with inflation each year and you will be notified as part of your annual rent and service charge notification.

Buildings Insurance cost

Within your service charge costs, Orbit charged you a fee for building insurance. This does not include any home contents cover which is your responsibility to arrange for yourself.

These costs will increase but we are committed to reducing the impact of this for you. So, we will keep the charge for the insurance portion of your service charge the same as it is now for two years after the date of the transfer (the 27^th March 2024).

When the new insurance charge is set to be introduced, this will be based on the market conditions at the time, and we will notify you of what this change in cost will be.  

I receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit to support with the payment of rent, what should I do?

If you receive either of these payments directly to you, you will need to ensure that you pay us directly using the payment options listed above.

If these payments are made directly to Orbit, you will need to contact the relevant agency and change the landlord to Southern Housing.  The reasons for asking this payment to be made to Southern Housing and not Legal & General Affordable Homes is because they manage rent payments on our behalf. If you are unsure of how to progress this, please contact Southern Housing and they will explain what needs to be done.   

Will you receive my contact details?

Yes, we have received your email and phone number from Orbit as part of this transfer. It is important to ensure that your contact details are up-to-date, so please check your phone and email address on the letter provided and if these are blank or incorrect, please contact Southern Housing on the details above so it can be updated.  

Will my lease for the home change?

No, your lease remains the same and we will take over responsibility for this from the transfer date.

Can I still sell my home?

Yes, as your lease conditions are unchanged, you are able to sell your home as per the clauses in your lease. If you would like to discuss this with someone, you can contact Southern Housing on the details provided above and they will discuss the steps needed to progress a sale.

Do I still have the option to staircase and buy more of my home?

Yes, this is dependent on your lease conditions and if there are any restrictions to staircasing. However, if you are able to buy more of your home, and your lease allows this, then we are happy to discuss next steps on how to apply for this. You can contact Southern Housing using the details directly above.

I live in a flat and the block was not owned or managed by Orbit, is this now changing?

No, Legal & General Affordable Homes have bought the leasehold interest in your specific property and not any further communal areas within apartment blocks. The company which manages your block will remain unchanged and if you contact them directly to discuss any wider estate management matters, you can continue using this same contact.

If Orbit previously owned the freehold of your block, then this will be transferred to us.

How is my data processed?

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