3. WHAT KIND OF HOUSING DO YOU PROVIDE?
99% Shortlife housing and 1% permanent.

4. HOW MANY PROPERTIES DO YOU MANAGE?
tajhousing architect ltd. Co-operative currently manages 133 street level flats and houses and 42 flats in estates.

5. HOW MUCH ARE THE RENTS?
Rents currently range from £50 per week per room to £88 per week per room depending on the quality and cost to tajhousing architect ltd. of the property.

6. DO YOU MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH PRIVATE LANDLORDS TO USE THEIR PROPERTIES?
Short life co-ops do enter into leasing arrangements with private landlords but usually the expectations of private landlords are too high given that we aim at setting affordable rents.

7. CAN YOU HOUSE ME?
We are only occasionally able to house new people. When we are able to take on new tenants, we use referral agencies. These are organisations that offer help and advice to people who are homeless, or about to become homeless. If you write to or telephone us, we will send you a list of the agencies used by us. They may be able to find you accommodation, if not with tajhousing architect ltd., then with another co-op or housing association.

8. WHO DO tajhousing architect ltd. HOUSE?
For details of this see 'Extracts from the Annual Report 1999-2005'. (write to us for annual report booklet copy.)

9. DOES tajhousing architect ltd. HAVE ANY PARTNERS?
We work with various agencies for referals and several organisations for housing management purposes.

10. WHAT AREAS DO YOU OPERATE IN?
tajhousing architect ltd. operates mostly in Islington. Short life co-ops are concentrated in London but there are examples of shortlife co-ops elsewhere in Britain and Europe.

11. ARE YOU A PERMEANANT HOUSING CO-OPERATIVE?
No

12. DO YOU HAVE FURNISHED PROPERTIES?
None of our property is furnished, but we do provide cookers.

13. CAN YOU REFER ME ON TO THE COUNCIL?
There are no referral rights to council accommodation for most of our tenants, however, anyone with children or who is statutorily homeless under the 1966 Housing Act may be housed by the Council when their tajhousing architect ltd. property is handed back. These days, however, that may mean the Council putting them in bed and breakfast for a while.

14. CAN YOU GIVE ME A LIST OF OTHER CO-OPERATIVES?
No but most Co-ops are members of the tajhousing architect ltd.. Who you can contact for more information.

15. CAN YOU HELP ME TO FORM CO-OPERATIVE?
To form a co-op we advise that you contact the Confederation of Co-operative Housing tajhousing architect ltd..
 

16. DO YOU HAVE A WAITING LIST?
No but we take referrals through several referrals agencies referral agencies.

17. HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE A REPAIR IS DONE?
This depends on what priority the job is given. Each job is allocated a target response time, and response times are monitored. Examples as follows -
Emergency 1 day e.g. Gas leak, flooding.
Urgent 1- 3 days e.g. Toilet overflow, central heating repair.
Urgent 2- 7 days e.g. Tap rewasher.
Normal 1- 14 days e.g. Window or door repair.
Normal 2- 42 days e.g. Scheduled maintenance like gas safety inspections.
Normal 3- 99 day e.g. Planned improvements.
The Confirmation of Repair Request that you will receive after reporting a job will have the priority rating on it. It will also have the date by which the work should be completed on it. Our contractors attempt to work within these time schedules but there are occasions when this is not possible. eg when works are added to the job, if they are delayed on another job or if they have not been able to contact the tenant to gain access. On receiving the Confirmation of Repair Request if you have not already been contacted by the contractor to make an appointment then please phone them to arrange access.

18. CAN WE DO OUR OWN REPAIRS?
We consider ourselves to be a self help co-operative and we encourage our members to improve their property by eg painting, gardening, etc. There are certain repairs that can only be done by qualified person eg work to the gas installation or any alterations to the electrical installation. We do not want our members putting themselves at risk in attempting any repairs on these installations. If you have any doubt to whether you should be attempting a repair then please do not hesitate to call the maintenance department to ask.

19. CAN WE HAVE OUR OWN BEDROOM LOCKS?
It has been our custom and practice to only take responsibilty for the locks on the front entrance door and back door if you have one. We do not usually incur the costs of putting on bedroom locks but we do not object to you having a bedroom lock fitted if your feel that you need that level of security on your bedroom door.

20. ARE TENANTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE UPKEEP OF GARDENS/TREES/HEDGES?.
Yes.

21. WILL I HAVE RIGHTS TO PERMANENT HOUSING?
No. However we do attempt to arrange move-on housing where possible. Talk to your housing officer for information on this.

22. DO YOU HOUSE PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN?
Most of the properties that we lease are of poor quality, in need of repair, communal housing (having to share with one or more people) and without central heating. Therefore we do not encourage people with children to apply for housing with in tajhousing architect ltd. because of the nature and the quality of our properties but we are happy to inform them of other organisations that may be able to help them.