Maintaining your licence

PFH is committed to supporting residents to maintain their Licence so that they are able to enjoy all that their home has to offer, and within the bounds of their Licence (Letter of Appointment).

PFH must also meet its charitable obligations and has a duty to:

  • Manage property occupation and changes to licences
  • Support beneficiaries (residents) to sustain their licences
  • Make best use of our available housing stock
  • Tackle licence fraud
  • Ensure residents are aware of the routes available to move home

Licence frequently asked questions

We’ve answered some of the most common questions here. If you have a question that we’ve not covered, get in touch.

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Licence

When residents sign up for their new home, they are provided with information on what a Licence (Letter of Appointment) is. It is important that residents understand their status as a licensee and their responsibilities as well as PFH’s.

What is a Licence?

  • As a registered Charity and Almshouse Charity, PFH offers its beneficiaries a Licence, and not a tenancy.
  • The Licence (also known as a ‘Letter of Appointment’) enables PFH to give an individual permission to enter and occupy premises. If permission isn’t granted, entry and occupation of the property would amount to trespass.
  • Under the Licence, there is no intention to enter into a legal relationship or create a tenancy. This means that the person(s) occupying the property must pay for the accommodation but the conditions for a tenancy are not created. Therefore, a beneficiary will not pay a ‘rent’, instead they will pay a ‘Weekly Maintenance Contribution’.
  • A licence does not give any legal interest in the property or land and does not grant exclusive occupation or ‘exclusive possession’, like many tenancy agreements do. It provides the Licensee with permission to use the property.
  • A licence can be for a fixed term or be a periodic licence. PFH will offer beneficiaries a licence for as long as they qualify to be a beneficiary
  • PFH has the explicit right to enter the property, upon reasonable notice (unless in an emergency). PFH will not enter a beneficiary’s home without their consent or a legitimate reason, unless it is a health and safety related emergency.
  • Licensees are expected to provide access for inspections, including gas and electric safety checks, which PFH is legally required to undertake.
  • Licences can be ended by serving Notice to Quit giving 28 days’ notice to the licensee.
  • There are no succession rights under the term of the licence; only those named on the licence have a right to remain in the property

Property occupation, Licence sustainment and Licence Fraud

PFH may manage a variety of different occupation issues, such as abandoned properties, relationship breakdowns, squatters and illegal occupiers, licence terminations and other changes in circumstances. 

PFH has an important role in supporting residents who may be vulnerable and unable to access services or support.  We aim to help residents sustain their licence by supporting both applicants before they are offered accommodation, and residents at any time during their licence, and may do this in a variety of different ways:

  • Ensure prospective residents understand what a licence is
  • Undertake affordability assessments
  • Obtain landlord references
  • Request an Applicant Declaration is completed
  • Understand an individual’s specific vulnerabilities and needs
  • Ensure safeguarding issues are identified and referrals made
  • Undertake induction visits (in PFH+ schemes)
  • Undertake Aftercare Calls within a few weeks of a new resident moving in
  • Intervene early if we identify any concerns such as unpaid Weekly Maintenance Contributions (rent), anti-social behaviour, or other issues
  • Provide income maximization services to ensure residents are claiming the benefits they are entitled to
  • Providing a named member of staff (usually your Area Coordinator or Scheme Manager) for the area in which you live
  • Signpost you to other specialist organisations
  • Promote our health and wellbeing services and activities
  • Provide aids and adaptations wherever possible, to help you stay in your home for longer
  • Promote volunteering and the use of volunteering services
  • Work collaboratively with other agencies to ensure residents have the support and services available to them
  • Provide PFH Connect tablets to maximise communications between PFH and residents
  • Provide telecare if you want it, or sign post you to relevant agencies

PFH is obliged to make the best use of it’s housing stock, in line with the requirements of the Charity Commission Scheme, Letter of Appointment and Allocations policy.

Licence fraud in the form of subletting, obtaining a licence by deception, or people living in the property that do not have the right to do so, can mean that valuable housing stock is not always allocated to those who need it most. PFH will address any form of Licence fraud robustly and at the earliest opportunity.

It’s important that we have up-to-date information on residents and households. Our visiting staff and contractors are ideally placed to pick up on any concerns and are to identify possible concerns around licence fraud, resident wellbeing or other issues and will report it to PFH to investigate further.

We want residents to be able to sustain their licence for as long as possible and live a long and happy life in their home. You can help us reduce the risk of a licence failing or licence fraud. To help, please:

  • Let us know if your contact details change
  • Let us know if any members of your household move out
  • Do not allow anyone else to move into your home before speaking to PFH first
  • Provide us with up-to-date contact details of your Next of Kin, emergency key holder or other named representatives
  • Let us know if any existing information we hold on them changes.
  • Let us know if you are concerned about a neighbour’s wellbeing
  • Let us know if you have concerns about the occupants of a neighbours property.

If you have any concerns at all, you can contact us in the following ways:

Telephone: (01482) 223783
Email: info@pfh.org.uk
Via your PFH Connect tablet
By post or in person to: Pickering and Ferens Homes, 7 Beacon Way, Hull, HU3 4AE.