Section 4: tenancy information

How the Rent Officer gathers information about the letting which has been referred by a Local Authority for a determination of rent to be made in respect of a claim for Housing Benefit.

Access unobtainable - Housing Benefit

(v.1 2024) 

Access Denied  

Where an occupant denies access to the Rent Officer the RO should make a determination on the basis of the known information and does not make a further appointment.  

The rent officer should add the following note in remarks on the decision to the local authority – ‘Claimant did not allow access to inspect accommodation, so the decision was made on the basis of information available/external inspection’.  

Access Unobtainable 

The following procedures apply where, having given advance notice of an inspection in writing or by telephone, the Rent Officer gets no answer at the door. 

When this happens: 

  • They should leave a card/note addressed to the claimant in a sealed envelope. The note advises the claimant that the rent officer called as arranged but got no answer at the door and will make their decision based on the information available. 
  • The rent officer should add the following note in remarks on the decision to the local authority – ‘Unable to gain access to inspect accommodation so decision made on basis of information available/external inspection’. 
  • If the claimant contacts the Valuation Office Agency after the determination (based on available information) has been issued, then the rent officer should not arrange a further inspection or attempt to re-open the case. The only other option in these circumstances is for the claimant to ask for a redetermination if they are unhappy with the decision itself. However, if it transpires that a factual error has been made a substitute referral may be appropriate.  
  • Inspecting Officer
  • Inspection Criteria
  • Inspection Policy
  • Inspection Practice

Inspection criteria

(v.1 2024)

The Rent Officer Housing Benefit Functions Order 1997 (as amended) [The Order] does not require a Rent Officer to inspect a dwelling at all, but it is good practice to have at least some idea of the dwelling and its condition in order to properly carry out a significantly high rent determination under schedule 1 of the order, where the referred rent is particularly high or low.

Whilst there is a general policy aim to improve data collection through increased inspection rates, inspections should only be carried out where the inspection is likely to have a material benefit to the case and provide relevant up to date information that is not already held on file. It is important that each inspection adds value to the process of valuation or market intelligence.

Value as referred

Referrals should be taken at face value and valued as referred by the Local Authority. It is not necessary to inspect a dwelling to confirm the accuracy of information on the referral, though it is useful to inspect more unusual property or tenancy types such as the exempt categories for supported accommodation, rooms with board etc, where no recent inspection records exist.

No Mandatory inspections

To enable the rent officer to select cases for appointment there are no mandatory inspection criteria but Rent Officers should consider an inspection where:

  • the referral is for an HMO or Hostel and there are no inspection details for the building on VICTER,
  • the dwelling referred is of a room size or category and is situated in an area that has been identified as one with insufficient or gaps in lettings information.
  • the referral is for board and attendance and the rent officer needs to establish the substantiality of the Board & Attendance,
  • the referral is for a houseboat and there are no inspection details on VICTER
  • the referral is for a caravan/mobile home or site rent and there are no inspection details for the or a similar caravan / site on VICTER
  • where the referral from the LA indicates that there has been substantial change in the condition of the accommodation or terms of the tenancy other than rent;

Hostels and Supported Accommodation cases

Where the Rent Officer is considering inspecting supported accommodation or Hostel cases , The Rent Officer should contact the care provider to ensure any necessary measures or precautions are taken before arranging an inspection appointment.

The care provider may need to be present to allow access or assist the claimant during the appointment. In some cases an appointment may be considered unnecessary and any enquiries regarding the tenancy may be answered by telephone. 

The Rent Officer may need to contact the LA to obtain contact details for the care provider, though this information may be provided on the referral form.

If the Rent Officer has attempted to inspect contact the care provider by telephone to obtain information but not been able to speak with anyone, then the Rent Officer should not arrange an inspection, proceed to a desk top valuation on the basis of “valued as referred” and make a case note such as  “attempted to contact care provider but unsuccessful” .

External inspections

External inspections should be made when:

  • the claimant cancels the appointment before the inspection;
  • access is unobtainable;
  • access is denied.
  • an appointment has been cancelled and other cases received later that need an inspection in the area can be fitted in, and where there is not time to send out a notification of the inspection
  • a Rent Officer considers that their personal safety may be compromised by entering the property.

In some circumstances Rent Officers may be able to make use of electronic mapping tools to externally inspect dwellings “virtually” but in doing so must be aware that images held on electronic mapping tools may not be up to date.  The date of the digital image is usually displayed on screen.

VOA Policy

When arranging inspections, Rent Officers must have regard to any overriding VOA policy restrictions, particularly with regards to a general suspension of inspections such as during a public health emergency.  A case note should be attached to any case where VOA policy has prevented the Rent Officer from carrying out an inspection that they would otherwise have done.

Where inspections are permitted any overriding risk assessment policy and procedure applicable at the time must be followed.

VICTER Inspection reasons

VICTER holds inspection reasons within the appointment booking screen – where an appointment is being made, the appropriate selection should be made from the options shown:

  • Changes
  • HMOs
  • LA Request
  • MED Data
  • Problem Area
  • Recent lettings
  • RO Decision
  • Sample Cases

Other options that are shown must not be used. The selection of inspection reason from the drop down list negates the need for an additional inspection reason case note.

Use of the VICTER ‘drop downs’

Dropdown Usage
Changes This should only be used where the referral indicates that the dwelling has undergone significant repair or improvement.
HMO HMO cases should be inspected when the accommodation first referred to the rent officer. It is not necessary to inspect every room in an HMO.
LA Request The Local Authority may ask the Rent Officer to inspect, but they should give a reason for their request. Note the Rent Officer is not obliged to inspect when requested to do so by the LA. If the rent officer considers the LA’s reason valid and decides to inspect as a result of this request, this reason should be selected.
MED When dealing with Housing Benefit cases referrals may sometimes be received from areas where we have little lettings information, or for an unusual property type for which we are seeking lettings information, or from a landlord from whom we are seeking lettings information, etc. If this is the main reason for the rent officer to inspect then this reason should be selected.
Problem Area If a Housing Benefit referral case is received in an area which is known to contain a large proportion of boarded up properties, or it has other particular problems which affect localised rental values, then this would be a valid reason for inspection.
Recent Lettings There are some categories of letting which it is policy to inspect when they are first referred to the Rent Officer. These include lettings of a room with board, lettings of moorings, and lettings of site rents. This does not mean that every room, mooring or site rent needs to be inspected, only that there has been an inspection of a room within the building / of the marina / caravan site. If a referral case falls under these categories and has yet to be inspected, the rent officer may select this reason.
RO Decision Rent Officers may use their discretion to inspect a case in order to increase their local market knowledge and familiarity with an area, or because of known changes in that area, such as a new retail development for example, or unexpected movements in the lettings market. Equally the rent officer may decide to inspect to investigate particular terms of the tenancy which may be unusual and/or potentially ‘value significant’. Additionally, Redetermination Officers may want to inspect to address tenant’s representations, or at 2nd or 3rd Redetermination stage as a matter of course. In the above circumstances, the RO Decision reason would be appropriate to select.
Sample Cases It is often good practice to inspect a Housing Benefit referral case where the property is a particularly unusual property type, and making a determination would be very difficult without seeing the property. This would apply to Supported Accommodation and Hostel cases where there was no recent inspection on file for example. If the sole reason to inspect is an unusual property type, this reason should be selected.

Separate redeterminations inspections criteria

Redetermination officers (RDOs) should seek to inspect cases where:

  • in all cases on the second redetermination if there has been no inspection by the Rent Officer or RDO at the first redetermination
  • the tenant or LA specifically request inspection and give a reason for the request;
  • it would assist for legal reasons or to further complaints resolution;
  • The referral is for a case where board and attendance are included and the rent officer’s determination was made without the benefit of an internal property inspection;
  • The referral is for a site rent or mooring charge and the rent officer’s determination was made without the benefit of a property inspection.

RDOs should not inspect in cases where the above does not apply and where;

  • the LRR is the lowest of the values.
  • the claimant’s concern about the Single Room Rent is the sole reason for the redetermination request;
  • there is an inspection report on file, made within previous 12 months of the original determination date;
  • the property/type is known by the RDO and sufficient information is available to make a determination.
  • inspections practice – HB
  • inspections – measuring standard

Inspections - practice (HB)

(v.1 2024) 

The purpose of an inspection is to observe and record information relating to the dwelling that will assist rent officers / redetermination officers in making the required determinations for current and future referrals.  

Inspections must be of a sufficient standard so that it should not be necessary to re-inspect unless there is a notified change in the condition of the dwelling or to comply with VOA general inspection policy. 

The primary purpose of the inspection is to provide further information about the dwelling and any other information that may affect the valuation process, for example, the vicinity, neighbourhood and BRMA where the property is situated. 

Inspections provide rent officers with: 

  • a wider knowledge of a specific vicinity, neighbourhood or BRMA; 
  • a wider knowledge of the factors which may change the ‘BRMA;’ 
  • Knowledge of changes in amenities or local conditions (for example, new bus routes, schools, shops, football pitches or sewerage works) may impact the valuation process or help define specific BRMA. 
  • sources of Lettings Information – the tenant may have paid the rent from their own resources before claiming housing benefit 
  • Inspections should be targeted in order that they add value to the rent officers’ processes. 

Inspections must never be carried out just to check the information provided on the referral. Although, at an inspection, the rent officer must check and verify information on the referral about the tenancy details, occupiers, any joint tenancy, and any accommodation not included in the letting. The rent officer must also give the occupier the opportunity to ask questions about the rent officer’s role. 

It is good practice to find out: 

  • how the occupier found the accommodation; 
  • how long it took to find; 
  • whether the occupier was able to negotiate the rent; 
  • where and on what terms they had previously been living;  
  • whether they had been paying rent from their own resources for a period prior to making a housing benefit claim; and 
  • how occupiers themselves classify and use rooms in different property types and places (for example is an attic used as a bedroom, or a kitchen/diner used as a living room). 

Inspection sheet 

The standard inspection sheet must be used in all cases and sets out the essential factors that need to be recorded at each inspection. Additionally, the rent officer / redetermination officer must record: 

  • A broad indication about the quality of the property  
  • The services provided (i.e., fuel costs, cleaning, etc.)  
  • The property specific amenities (gas, water, etc.)  
  • Details of any local amenities (schools, shops, public transport) 

Level of detail 

Free text must be limited and not used to record standard property descriptors already recorded using tick boxes. 

The description needs to be accurate but not over detailed - for example, the extent of any central heating (i.e., full, partial or none) provided should be recorded. There is no need to comment on the state of the guttering or the construction materials unless they are particularly unusual. 

There is only limited room in the text boxes on the worksheet and on VICTER to record detail and it is important not to repeat information that is already held on VICTER such as property / dwelling type, age, central heating & garage. This information is recorded in standard format on VICTER following an inspection. Use of the locality and inspection remarks sections is important to provide full and meaningful inspection notes. 

Locality Details 

Rent officers / redetermination officers must record any relevant good or bad points found at the inspection regarding: 

  • Location in relation to schools, public transport (or lack of), local shops and general amenities such as banks, healthcare. 
  • Type of residential area – for example: good, poor, on an estate, popular residential area, unpopular area, boarded properties in immediate vicinity. 
  • Proximity of Social Housing. 
  • It also helps to provide directions for difficult to locate properties, particularly in rural areas. 
  • School catchment areas 

Inspection Remarks 

Rent officers / redetermination officers must note any relevant factors relating to:  

  • The local market – e.g., average for area 
  • Modernised/ recently refurbished 
  • Lack of heating and/ or modernisation 
  • Identity by description – for example: traditional Victorian property, typical 1970’s estate property, new build. 
  • Character 
  • Dated fixtures and fittings 

Inspection Remarks - Rooms 

Important additional information on rooms must include  

  • Is there a resident landlord? 
  • How many rooms are let in the building? 
  • How many shared bathrooms and kitchens are in the building? 
  • Does the property have fire regulations approval? 
  • Details of the size of room, for example, single, double, large single, large double. 

Plans 

Rent officers and redetermination officers are not expected to draw plans when they inspect properties. A sketch should only be made if the property is unusual or if it brings added value to the valuation process. 

Case Notes

Case Notes must be used to record any extra notes, also useful for phone details and for recording reasons why an inspection was cancelled or did not take place. Redetermination officers must use case notes to record the name of the consulting officer and the date of contact.  

Effective use of space 

Popularly used acronyms and abbreviations must be used to make effective use of space available on the VICTER system. 

  • Inspection criteria