House Rules

These are binding rules which are signed as a commitment in their own right, they are also referred to in your licence to occupy and are legally part of that agreement too. The consequences of breaking them are detailed in this document, and include termination of residence.  Please read them carefully and observe them.  If there is anything you do not understand, ask the Welcome Home manager, or one of the Directors.  If you anticipate difficulty observing any of the rules, please ask for a meeting to discuss the issue.

House rules are created to make living together more enjoyable, ensure that all sharers feel comfortable, safe and secure in their living environment.

  • Be Kind. Have good manners:  You must be polite and courteous to your fellow occupants, to the Landlord, and to any other person who is lawfully and properly in the house.  You must refrain from vexatious actions and accusations, and must respect the privacy of other occupiers.
  • Noise:
    • Quiet Hours: You must observe quiet hours between 20.30 and 08.00 every day to ensure peaceful cohabitation with fellow occupants.
    • Especially as fellow occupants may include young children, please be considerate, and at all times avoid excessive noise (including inside your room).  If a fellow occupant asks you to be quieter, please respect their requests.  Please be aware and respect that some people go to  bed earlier than others.
    • Please be quite when entering and exiting the house.
    • Do not slam doors.
    • Loud music is not allowed at any time.
  • Cleanliness:
    • You are responsible for maintaining cleanliness in your own room
    • Everyone is responsible for keeping the common areas, and shared spaces, clean and tidy.   
    • Regular cleaning schedules should be followed
    • Garbage must be disposed of appropriately (including using the recycling bins for items that the council will recycle).
    • After using the toilet leave it clean.
    • After a bath, or shower, remove your hair from the bath plughole / shower drain or sink.
    • Open windows to ventilate the bathroom

IMPORTANT: Do not throw anything (including wet wipes, tampons, pads or other sanitary items) down the toilet.  They will block the toilet.  Instead use the bin in your bathroom or shower room

  • Common Areas: Shared spaces such as the kitchen,  living room, and garden must be kept tidy and accessible to all occupants.  Use them fairly.  Any mess created in these areas should be promptly cleaned up.  Always leave common areas clean and fresh (as most people would like to find them)
    • Please clean worktop and hob each time after you finished cooking
    • Do not leave dirty items in the sink.  Wash them up, dry them, and put them away (it is not practical to have multiple sets of plates/pots/pans etc on the surface waiting to dry)
    • When you have washed up, please then clean the kitchen sink
    • Please take care not to block the kitchen sink.  Items such as fried oil waste, coffee grounds, rice, onion skin, and other food particles should be emptied into the bin, not put into the sink.  Please wipe your food containers, and throw food residue in the bin before washing the containers
    • Each one of you will have personalized colour of dishes.  This makes it easy to see what is your responsibility, and avoid misunderstandings between each other.
    • Be aware of out of date food it smells bad and can transmit bacteria to other food.
    • When rubbish is full, please remove the bin bag, place it into the outside wheelie bin, and put in a new bin bag (we buy bin bags for the house).
    • Turn off appliances (Oven, grill, hob) after use
    • You must be physically present in the kitchen when using the hob and/or the grill, as leaving things unattended is a fire risk.
    • You must keep all your possessions in your room.  The common areas cannot be used for storage of your things
    • The kitchen cooker has two ovens, a grill, and a 6 burner hob.  This is enough for several people to cook at the same time, please be considerate of others.
  • Laundry
    • Each room has an allocated day for using the washing machine.  If you need to use the laundry on a day other than your own, you should politely ask the person whose  day it is, and be prepared for them to do their washing before letting you use it.
    • Please do not use washing machine or dryer after 10pm because of noise.
  • Smoking: Smoking is not allowed inside the house, including individual rooms and common areas. Smoking is not allowed in the garden.  Smoking must be done outside the house, garden, and driveway.  Illegal drugs are not allowed anywhere, anytime
  • Pets: Pets are not allowed in the property without prior written consent from the landlord. Any approved pets must be well-behaved, and you will be responsible for cleaning up after them.
  • Guests: Due to the nature of the house, as a safe space for single mothers, guests are only permitted with prior approval from the Landlord.  Generally, adult male guests will not be permitted.  Other guests may be permitted outside the quiet hours.
  • Overnight guests are permitted only with prior approval from the Landlord, such approval will not usually be granted.
  • Security: You must ensure that all doors are securely locked, and all windows closed and secured when leaving the property or going to bed (leaving your bedroom window open when going to bed is ok).
  • Keys must not be duplicated.  If you require another key, ask the Landlord. A charge may be made for additional keys
  • Loss of Keys.  If you lose your keys, you will be responsible for the cost of replacing them and the cost of changing the lock(s) affected, and the other keys of the locks affected (if a lock has to be changed, then every person with a key to that lock will require a new key)
  • Electrical items and fire safety:
    • The house and each bedroom is equipped with appliances.
    • You may not use extension leads, or high current appliances, without prior approval by the Landlord.  Approval may be made conditional on the item(s) passing a Portable Appliance Test: you would be responsible for the cost of such test(s).   
    • Laptops, Tablets, and phones are not high-current items, and do not require prior approval, however, if any item appears to the Landlord to be dangerous, or potentially dangerous, you may be required not to use it, or to obtain a  Portable Appliance Test pass before using it.
    • Portable oil, gas, or fan heaters are not permitted.
    • Hair straighteners are a particular risk.  If you are using hair straighteners, or hair curling devices, do so sitting at the desk in your room. Do not use them on your bed .  Ensure that you turn them off after using
    • All appliances (Irons, TVs, hair straighteners etc) must be turned off after use
    • When you leave your room please switch off all the lights and electrical devices.
    • Please Do Not Touch heating programmer.  If you would like the settings changed, please contact the Landlord
  • Open flames, other than those produced by the gas hob in the kitchen, are not permitted. 
  • Repairs and Maintenance:  You must promptly report any maintenance issues or damages to the landlord or property manager.  You should not attempt repairs yourself  unless explicitly authorized.
  • Compliance with Laws: You must comply with all laws and regulations, including those related to waste disposal, fire safety, and occupancy limits.
  • Subletting: Subletting of rooms or parts of the property to third parties is strictly prohibited without prior written consent from the landlord, which will not normally be granted.
  • Notice to Vacate: Occupiers must provide adequate notice to the landlord before vacating the property, as specified in the licence.
  • Respect for furnishings, equipment, and appliances, provided by the Landlord: On moving in you will sign an inventory.  You must keep the items on the inventory clean and in good condition, and not expose them to damage, or excessive wear & tear.
  • Ventilation: You must keep your room ventilated by, among other things, fully opening the window(s) for at least 90 minutes each morning.  If you do not open the windows, the water vapour that you (and your children) breathe out will condense on windows/walls, causing dampness and creating an environment where mould may grow.

Penalty for breaking rules:

Three-Strike Policy for HMO Rule Violations

Rule Violations will be analysed by the Landlord, and categorised as

EITHER:     Accidental, inadvertent, or misdemeanour

OR:            Serious / Gross

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In the case of violations classed by the Landlord as  ‘Accidental, inadvertent, or misdemeanour’ a Three-Strike Policy applies

1. First Strike:     Warning

Upon the first violation of any HMO rule, the Occupier will receive a written warning from the landlord or property manager.

The warning will detail the specific rule that was violated and remind the Occupier of their obligation to adhere to the house rules.

The Occupier will be given an opportunity to rectify their behavior and avoid further penalties.

2. Second Strike: Fine

If the Occupier commits a second violation of any HMO rule within nine months, they will be subject to a financial penalty.

The amount of the fine will be determined by the severity of the violation and will be specified in the warning notice.

The Occupier will be required to pay the fine within a designated timeframe to the landlord or property manager.

3. Third Strike: Termination of Licence or Tenancy

In the event of a third violation of any HMO rule within nine months, the Occupier’s licence or tenancy may be terminated.

The landlord reserves the right to terminate the licence or tenancy agreement with immediate effect, requiring the Occupier to vacate the premises within a reasonable notice period as per legal requirements.

The Occupier will forfeit any security deposit or advance rent payments, and they may be held liable for any outstanding fines or damages incurred as a result of their violations.

Serious / Gross HMO Rule violations

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In the case of violations classed by the Landlord as  ‘Serious’ violations, or ‘Gross’ violations:

The landlord reserves the right to terminate the licence or tenancy agreement with immediate effect, requiring the Occupier to vacate the premises within a reasonable notice period as per legal requirements.

The Occupier will forfeit any security deposit or advance rent payments, and they may be held liable for any outstanding fines or damages incurred as a result of their violations.

Violations likely to be deemed so ‘Serious’ or ‘Gross’ as to warrant immediate termination of the licence, include any which affect the safety of others, in particular

  • Physical violence
  • Threatening physical violence
  • Intimidation
  • Actions carried out with gross disregard for safety
  • Inviting a guest without permission, should that guest go on to be guilty of any of the above, or previously have been guilty of any of the above

Appeals Process:

Occupiers have the right to appeal any warnings, fines, or termination notices issued under the three-strike policy.

Appeals must be submitted in writing to the landlord or property manager within 7 days of the issuance of the notice.

The landlord or property manager will review the appeal and provide a written response within a reasonable timeframe, outlining their decision.

Review and Modification:

The above policies may be reviewed and modified by the landlord or property manager at any time to ensure their effectiveness and fairness.

Any changes to the policies, or any one of them, will be communicated to Occupiers in writing, and they will be given reasonable notice of any amendments.