Frequently asked questions

Contact us by phone or email to arrange a visit from your housing officer.

When reporting your boundary issue, try to give as much information as you can. This could include:

• Photographs of the problem
• A sketched plan of the disputed boundary line
• Details of when the boundary changed

You’ll need to give us at least four weeks’ notice by phone or email to end your tenancy.

You must also:

• Clear your rent account of any unpaid bills before you leave your home
• Leave the property and garden clear of furniture and rubbish so you’re not charged for their removal
• Reclaim any credit left on your account by filling in a Rent Refund Form. You can ask for a form over the phone or by email

We can’t remove furniture or bulky rubbish for you. If you’re struggling to get rid of unwanted items, contact Manchester City Council.

Your tenancy start date is on your tenancy agreement. You can find your agreement in your personal ‘tenant portal’.

To access the portal, log in using the ‘login’ button on the top right of this screen.

Please let us know if you need your tenancy start date because you’re making a Universal Credit claim or claim for any other benefits.

You must complete a Home Improvements Form before starting any work.

Include as much detail as possible about the changes you’d like to make, and how you will make them. This can include:

• What materials you’ll use
• Your contractor details if you plan to use any
• An estimate of how long the work will take

If you don't fill out the form before you start work, you’ll be in breach of your tenancy, and you may be charged for any work done without permission.

If you’ve been a tenant for at least 12 months, you may be eligible to buy your home.

Find out more about the criteria and application process.

No, you can’t add another person to your tenancy. If someone is moving in, you should let us know.

If your joint tenant has passed away, we’re sorry for your loss. You’ll need to let us know and provide a copy of their death certificate.

To remove you or your joint tenant from your tenancy agreement, you both need to be in agreement.

If the other person in your joint tenancy has gone away and can’t be contacted, please let us know. You’ll need to see your own solicitor, who’ll help you get a court order to remove them from the tenancy. We can’t do this for you.

If you know one of our tenants has passed away, please contact us on 0161 448 4200 to inform us.

If you're a relative, spouse or civil partner, you can take over their tenancy. This process is called ‘succession’.

You must meet certain criteria to be successful for succession. A personalised agreement will have been made between Southway and the original tenant. The details of this can be found in their tenancy agreement.

Check your tenancy agreement for rules on having a pet in your home.

You should contact us to ask for permission before bringing a pet home.

Generally, small domestic pets are allowed in houses, but there are restrictions on flats.

If your pet causes a nuisance, you may be asked to remove it.

Yes, you can take a lodger into your home. You must tell us:

• Their name
• Their date of birth
• The date they will move into the property

You’ll also need to tell us if and when they move out.

Don’t forget, taking in a lodger could affect your benefit entitlement. Contact your benefits officer to find out how this applies to you.

All tenancy-related matters are covered in our Tenancy Handbook and tenancy pages.

You can also manage your tenancy online by creating an account via the tenant portal. To create an account click ‘login’ at the top right of this page.

Applying is not as daunting as it seems. Go here to learn how to apply.

It will take at least five weeks for Universal Credit to be paid to you.

If you need help making a claim, contact our Universal Credit Officer, Nadine on 0161 448 4263.

We encourage you to take ownership of your Universal Credit entitlement and organise payment yourself.

Sometimes, the housing element of Universal Credit can be paid directly to us through an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA). An APA can be put in place if you have significant difficulty paying your rent because of:

• Problems with addiction
• A history of missed rent payments
• Learning difficulties
• Mental/physical illness
• Severe or multiple debts

If you think you need an APA, let the JobCentre know, or contact us.

We understand that the waiting period for Universal Credit has left many people struggling with their finances.

Let us know if you’ve claimed Universal Credit and are waiting for your first payment, so we understand your circumstances. Contact us by calling 0161 448 4200.

Contact Nadine Currie, our Universal Credit Officer, at [email protected] or 0161 448 4263 if you’re struggling with claiming Universal Credit.

You’ll need to report these Manchester City Council. Use the links below or call their Environmental Team on 0161 954 9000.

• Report dog fouling
• Get rid of bulky rubbish
• Report fly tipping
• Request a new bin

If you see fly tipping in any of our green spaces, contact us on 0161 448 4200.

Unfortunately, this is not a service we provide. You’ll need to contact a local gardening firm.

We get lots of requests to chop back trees blocking light from tenant’s homes.

Most of the trees in our neighbourhoods have preservation orders, meaning we can only chop back diseased branches or those causing a particular hazard.

Contact us if this applies to a tree near your property.

We don’t get involved in parking disputes. If a neighbour is blocking your driveway with their vehicle, you should speak to them directly.

If you’ve tried to speak with them and the problem continues, you’ll need to report it to the police.

You’re responsible for updating or replacing your fence.

There are a few instances where we may provide additional fence panels. Learn more about the criteria.

Learn more here, or contact us with general environmental services questions.

We use Manchester City Council’s Pest Control Service to treat:

• Mice
• Rats that are inside your home
• Wasps blocking the entrance to your home
• Bedbugs
• Cockroaches
• Squirrels in your loft

If you see rats outside of your home, call Manchester City Council’s Environment Team on 0161 954 9000.

You are responsible for:

• Ants in your property or garden
• Beetles
• Silverfish
• Slugs
• Bedbugs
• Fleas
• Bees are protected, so we can’t take action that disturbs their nest. Consider contacting the Bee Keepers’ Association for help.

We don’t provide pest control services for any of these.

We recommend speaking to the neighbour first. If the problem continues, keep a diary of when the noise is happening and contact us when you've built up evidence of the issue.

Doorstep criminals fall into two categories:

• Bogus callers. These are people who try to get into your home or get information by pretending to be someone they’re not. They may say they’re council staff, charity collectors, meter readers or police offers.
• Rogue Traders. These are people who usually knock on the door offering to sell their services, make repairs or carry out work to your property. They charge high prices for poor or unnecessary work.

If someone comes to your door and you think they might be a doorstep criminal, ask to see their ID. If they refuse, can’t provide it, or still seem suspicious, don’t let them in. Close the door and call

Please also report them to us on 0161 448 4200 so we can let other tenants in your area know.

If you’ve witnessed violence, harassment or hate crime, it’s vital that you:

• Tell the police. If you’re not in immediate danger, call 101 to report it. If there’s a crime in progress, or a threat to your safety, call 999.
• Report it to us. We’ll need as much detail as possible. Keep a diary of any incidents and any crime reference numbers the police give you.

If kids or teenagers are causing excessive noise or getting up to mischief, try speaking to them or their parents. If the behaviour continues, keep a log of what happens and report it to us.

If you’re concerned kids or teenagers are causing criminal damage, acting violently or harassing you or others, call the police. You should also report it to us.

If you find a dog and can’t contact the owner, report it to Manchester City Council.

You can also contact the Dog Warden on 0161 945 9000.

If a neighbour’s dog is causing a nuisance by barking excessively or fouling where it shouldn’t, speak to the owner first. If the problem continues, report it to us.

Contact us for more information.

Register on Manchester Move to apply for social housing.

Once you’ve registered, you’ll need to complete and submit an online application and supporting evidence.

You’ll be allocated a housing association, which may be Southway, to process your evidence.

We can’t complete your application for you, but if you can’t access a computer our reception staff can help. Contact them on 0161 448 4200 to make an appointment.

Your allocated housing association will aim to validate your evidence within 28 days.

They’ll let you know when your application becomes live.

If you have any questions about your application, contact your housing association or Manchester Move.

Go to our Find a home and applications page.

It depends on three things: the availability of our maintenance team, the size of the job and the urgency of the repair.

We aim to offer you an appointment within the following timescales:

• 24 hours if it’s an emergency repair
• One working day if it's a small electrical repair, such as renewing a smoke alarm
• Three working days to renew a shower
• Five working days to repair something like a broken toilet part
• Three weeks to repair things like roof slates, a blocked gutter, or an external gate
• Six weeks for larger jobs that involve plastering, bricklaying, or joinery

You’ll be given a timescale when you book your repair.

If it poses immediate risk to health or property security, it's an emergency. For example, a large ground floor smashed window.

Sometimes standard repairs are upgraded to emergency status. This will usually be if the issue could affect yours or another household member’s health due to age or chronic illness or disability.

If you think your repair is urgent, let us know your circumstances when you book it.

Get more information on what qualifies as an emergency repair.

If you can smell gas in your property, or suspect a leak, call 0800 111 999 immediately.

Find your responsibilities and what you may have to pay for on our DIY and repairs page.

If you, or someone you live with has a disability, or is struggling to live independently at home, you may be eligible for equipment or adaptations that will make things easier.

All adaptation requests go through Manchester Equipment and Adaptations Partnership (MEAP) at Manchester City Council.

Learn more on our Equipment and Adaptations page.

Go to our DIY and repairs page.

Around a third of our properties with east-facing, unshaded roofs have solar panels, thanks to government funding from a 2014-15 scheme.

If your home has solar panels, they’re maintained by Solar Maintenance Services (SMS). They’ll get in touch with you directly if panel maintenance is needed.

Contact their customer services team on [email protected] or 01228 267 026 with any questions.

Visit our Your Home and Support and Services sections. If you still can’t find the answer you’re looking for, contact us.