Stock Condition Survey FAQ

We’ve appointed ARK Consultancy to check the condition of 60% of our homes across all regions. The surveys will start in the week beginning 4 September 2023 and will be completed by 1 March 2024.

We’ll be giving our Neighbourhood Managers and Neighbourhood Co-ordinators a schedule of the surveys at each scheme so that they know when to expect surveyors. ARK Consultancy will use a core group of 3-8 surveyors.

Habinteg will conduct further surveys from April 2024 with the aim of carrying out surveys at all tenants’ homes by September 2024.

We’ll be sending letters to all tenants on behalf of ARK Consultancy, before a surveyor visits your scheme.

The surveys will be scheduled on a scheme-by-scheme basis. ARK’s surveyors will also have tenants’ phone numbers, so they can contact customers 24 hours before the survey to provide an AM or PM time for their visit.

If a survey appointment is made with your neighbour, but we’re unable to get access to their property, a member of the surveying team might call on your home instead, without an appointment. This is to help us ensure we survey enough homes. We’ve preauthorised Ark employees to knock on tenants’ doors for this purpose. If this happens, and it’s convenient for you, we’d appreciate it if you could please grant them access to your home for this quick survey.

No, unfortunately not. Surveys will be take place Mondays to Fridays between 8.30am and 5.30pm.

The survey will usually take about 20 minutes and will include a visual inspection of the inside and outside of customers’ homes. ARK Consultancy will also be surveying all communal areas where Habinteg is responsible for repairs. The surveyor will not need to move furniture or carpets when in customers’ homes, but may look in the loft (if you have one), as long as it’s reasonably safe to access.

ARK Consultancy have a survey list where at least one alternative property is provided. The surveyors will move on to another property if customers are not at home when they call.

As part of this survey, ARK Consultancy will also survey any adaptations in homes, so we can understand which homes are adapted and what equipment is included in these homes.

Yes. We want to understand which homes have missing EPCs. We’ll carry out EPC surveys on these homes later this year (2023). We’ll arrange access to these homes separately and involve relevant Habinteg staff at that time.

As part of the survey, if our surveyors identify any emergency repairs, they’ll report them to Habinteg Direct so that they can be dealt with. Surveyors will take a picture of these emergency repairs to include in their report back to Habinteg.

If customers have any queries, they can contact Habinteg Direct on 0300 365 3100. Our Customer Services Team will pass the queries on to ARK Consultancy, and they will contact customers directly.

The surveyors from Ark Consultancy will always have official Habinteg photo identification displayed on their persons. All surveyors will carry a letter of authority printed on Habinteg headed paper. If the surveyors do not have their Habinteg identification, do not let them into your home.

All data from ARK Consultancy will be stored on our housing management system.

Yes, they have been advised of the programme of works being conducted and will take this into account when they are surveying and inspecting components.

The project is being led by Karl Linder, Interim Head of Assets at Habinteg. The first point of contact for tenants is Habinteg Direct on 0300 365 3100.

No, they will not. The data will need to come back to Habinteg who will then be developing the planned investment programme. Once we’ve analysed the data, we’re expecting to have a detailed five-year planned investment programme from Spring 2024.

Tenants should use Habinteg’s complaints procedure in the usual way.

Working at Habinteg

We believe that mutual commitment and shared responsibility is key. We are an equal opportunities employer and aim to be an employer of choice. Everything we do is underpinned by our four cultural values: Agile, Accountable, Ambitious and Attentive.

We offer a comprehensive and person-centred employment package to our staff. This includes:

• Flexible approach to working week including full-time, part-time and job-sharing possibilities.
• Welcoming, accessible work environments including remote working
• Training and development programme
• Ethical pension scheme from the Pensions Trust - we match up to 10%
• Life assurance scheme
• Free eye test & contribution towards glasses
• Cycle scheme
• Subscription payment
• Company subscription to Simply Health & Rewards
• Bonus 'Habinteg Day' off to take at any point in the year!

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and welcome candidates with disabilities, long-term health conditions to apply for our roles. We encourage job-seekers from all backgrounds and experiences to express their interest, and to contact us at recruitment@habinteg.org.uk if you would like to chat to us or discuss reasonable adjustments for your application or interview process.