Welcome to Blenheim Gardens Estate        

As part of our commitment to customer care to all our residents, the following information  is provided to assist you in settling into your new home. We hope you will find the information useful.

Who are we?

Blenheim Gardens RMO is a Resident Management Organisation (RMO).  The RMO is a democratically managed organisation who work's in partnership with United Residents Housing and the Local Authority- Lambeth Council. The housing services we provide are governed by a Management Agreement between the local authority and the RMO. The RMO is accountable to a group of elected board members, who decide on how best to manage the services the RMO provides to resident on the estate. Our board members are Residents, Leaseholders and Freeholders who live on the estate.  Blenheim Gardens RMO was established in June 2001 and provides a generic housing management service to Residents, Leaseholders and Freeholders on the estate.  The estate consists of 440 mixture tenure properties.  The services we provide include:

• Rent and Repairs Management      

• Estate Cleaning and Ground Maintenance

• Property and Tenancy Management

• Allocations Management

• Nuisance Management

• Major work project Management

All members of the estate have an opportunity to be involved in the decision making concerning what happens on the estate by becoming a stakeholder.  To become a stakeholder you will need to pay 10 pence into the organisation.  Resident's may also become a board member and/or a Resident Panel member. Details on getting involved in the governance of the estate can be found in our Residents Involvement section. 

The Estate Office  

The centre of the Estate is fully pedestrianised, with wide paved areas linking the various parts of the Estate.  The largest of these areas is the central Mall that separates Glanville Road and Prague Place from Ramilles Close and Blenheim Gardens.  Blenheim Gardens Estate has a number of facilities for residents and visitors to the Estate including several shops in the small precinct in Prague Place and a post collection office at Blenheim Gardens.

Blenheim Gardens RMO was awarded RMO of the year in 2003 and received ‘Investors In People’ status in 2005. We are a partner organization of United Resident’s Housing, Lambeth’s first Tenant led Arms Length Management Organisation (TALMO) to achieve Decent Home Standards by 2010/11. Generally we are one of the top performing organisations in the borough.

Our community at a glance as at 31^st January 2006

Household composition by Age:

14% are under 16 years of age            31% are between 16-24 years of age

9% are between 25-44 years of age                                    29% are between 45-65 years of age

17% are over 65 years of age 

Community Profile-Ethnicity

49.8 % of Residents are from Black or Ethnic minority groups

11.1 % of Residents have no race recorded on there household details.

39.1 % of Residents are white or white other

Resident composition:

We have a total of 448 Residents (including joint)

We have 38 Residents with 1 child

We have 43 Residents with more than 1 child

Tenure Composition

• 302 Council residents

• 41 Leaseholders

• 34 Freeholders (with a service charge attached to the sale of the property)

• 63 Freeholders (without a service charge attached to the sale of the property)  

(Source Hics 31/01/2006)  

Improving accessibility for all

During 2006/2007 we have improved the accessibility of our service by:

• Revising our office opening hours.

• Improving our repairs appointment service

• Erecting estate notice boards in each block

• Developing our own website

• Developing a localised residents handbook

• Providing information in various formats and languages on request

• Providing a translation service from reception

• Developing an estate specific compact

• Facilitating regular focus groups

• Producing regular newsletters and annual reports  

• We have started to create a list of residents requiring aids and adaptations to ensure they can live at home more easily

• Providing services reflective of local need and priorities.

Keys

The RMO does not keep keys to your property including keys to your garage.  If you lose your keys, the RMO WILL NOT change the locks for you unless you pay for the work to be done in advance.  Payment will be required before a works order is raised.  If you lose your keys or lock yourself out, you will be required to contact and pay for a locksmith.   Our out of hours repair service will not be able to assist in such circumstance and again you will be required to arrange for your own locksmith.

Gas and Electricity supplies

Once you accept your tenancy your energy supplier will be Scottish Power.  If you wish to change energy supplier, you will be responsible for arranging your own utilities connection. You will need to take a reading of your current meter(s) and pass this information on to the new suppliers.  You will need to show a copy of your tenancy agreement that you signed at the estate office to your new suppliers.  You should allow seven working days for the supplies to be connected.

To confirm your energy suppliers: 0845 6000 102

Scottish Power: 0845 270 9002

British Gas: 0845 955 5510

London Energy: 0800 096 9000 

For further advice on how you can save energy and money, please contact energy saving trust on Freephone 0800 915 7722

or visit Energy Saving Trust  website

Household Insurance

BGRMO do not provide household contents insurance for its residents.  It is recommended that you arrange your own insurance. Lambeth council does operate competitive insurance cover through the Housing Insurance Services for both Resident’s and Leaseholder’s on the estate. Leaflets regarding household insurance are available at the estate office or by calling 01962 8444 54

Garages

We have a number of garages on the estate for lease. To lease a garage you will need to complete an application form.  An application form is available online or from the estate office. Garages are leased for the sole purpose of storing a motorised vehicle.  A Garage used for any other purpose represents a breach of the tenancy conditions in which the garage is let and the garage will be repossessed.  

Download   Garage Application  Form:

Our Garage lettable standards:

All garages let will be clean and free of rubbish of any kind

All garages let will have a centre lock that is operateable.

All garages entrances will be secure.

Pet Authority

All residents require written permission from the RMO to keep a pet or pets.  Although permission to keep a pet will not generally be declined, we do emphasise the importance of your pet not causing a nuisance to other residents and/or visitors to the estate.

If your pet does cause a nuisance, permission to keep a pet will be withdrawn.  Please ensure you also clear up after your pet, particularly in communal areas since failing to do so represents’ a breach of your tenancy conditions and you may be fined.

Satellite Dish

All residents require permission to erect a satellite dish.  Although permission will not generally be declined, we do insist that the dish is not fitted directly to the roof of the property.  Fitting a satellite dish directly to the roof will invalidate the roof guarantee and will more than likely cause your roof to leak. We recommend that the dish is fitted to a ‘building-block’ and that this is situated on the roof. It is equally important that your satellite dish is situated were it will not cause a nuisance to your neighbours. For more information and advice concerning erecting a satellite dish, please contact the estate office.

Pest Control

Estate Pest Control service is completed annually by Lambeth’s environmental services. The estate is covered under a block program and includes wasp nests, mice, rats and cockroaches, but not pigeons or ants.  Should you have a pest problem please contact the estate office.  

Rubbish Disposal

Lambeth council is responsible for clearing the estate refuse. Our collections are on a Tuesday and a Friday.  Please ensure you place your household waste in the bins provided and do not leave bags on communal walkways or outside the bin chambers, since this affects the appearance of the estate and creates more work for your caretakers.

Bulk Rubbish

The RMO operates a bulk waste collection service on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  The bulk is collected from the bin chamber areas throughout the estate.  We would appreciate that all bulky items are placed for collection just before the tipper arrives on these days so the appearance of the estate is not affected.  If you require an item to be collected from your property, we do levy a charge of £10.00 per item. Special rates apply for residents who are elderly and/or disabled.  Please contact the estate office for details.

Recycling

All residents are encouraged to recycle their household waste as much as possible. There are a number of recycling bins situated throughout the estate so please ensure you make full use of them.

If you would like to recycle your waste but are unable to get to the recycle bins, please contact the estate office and we will be happy to assist.  If you would like more information regarding recycling please contact the estate office.

For more information of products which can be recycled, please visit Website of the UK government : Directgov

Residential Gardens

We receive a number of complaints each year concerning the condition of private gardens.  Residents have a tenancy obligation to ensure their garden(s) is well kept and do not cause nuisance to other residents on the estate.