faq: frequently asked questions

If you have a problem with pests (rats, mice, or bedbugs inside your home), we’ll need to make a referral to Durham County Council, who will handle your issue.

If you have an issue with rats or mice in the garden, fleas, carpet beetles, silver fish, woodlice, wasps, bees, ants, birds, rats, or mice, we offer an advice-first approach.

This is so we can either make a referral or provide you with advice. Use our contact us page to get in touch and report a pest problem.

We offer a garden maintenance service, which includes grass cutting and hedge trimming, depending on where you live and your personal circumstances. If you live in the East Durham area, we only provide a scheme for disabled residents or those over 60 who have no other support.

If you live in the Central Durham area, we offer a gardening scheme that is carried out on our behalf by an external contractor. The scheme is open to any believe housing tenant.

The service costs £3.72 per week which is payable in addition to your weekly rent. Get in touch with us using the details above to request support.

In line with your tenancy agreement, you must give us four weeks’ notice in writing if you with to end your tenancy.
However, if you are moving through the Durham Key Options scheme, this is reduced to two weeks.

If it is an emergency, you must contact 999 first to report antisocial behaviour.

If it is not an emergency but would like to speak to the police, please contact them on 101.

If you are a believe housing tenant and are having issues with a neighbour or you want to report antisocial behaviour, you can do this is in our customer portal or by downloading and using the Customer App (see above). We take antisocial behaviour seriously and have measures in place to minimise it.

To register and login on the portal or the app, you will need your tenancy number, your date of birth, a valid email address, and contact telephone number.

If you do need to speak to someone urgently, you are unsure of your tenancy reference number, or if you are not a believe housing tenant, you can contact us within our business hours (9-4 Monday-Friday) on 0300 1311 999.

You can give notice to end your tenancy in the customer portal or customer app.

It’s the quickest and easiest way to let us know that you want to end your tenancy.

To register and log-in to the portal or the app, you will need your tenancy reference number, your date of birth, a valid email address, and contact telephone number.

If you are unsure of your tenancy reference number, and it’s within our business hours (9-4 Monday-Friday), you can call us on 0300 1311 999.

We’re sorry to hear that you wish to make a complaint. We’d like to hear more from you so that we can learn from your experiences.

If you are a believe housing tenant, you can get in touch, log a complaint, log requests, report a repair, and do so much more in our customer portal or the customer app.

Alternatively, you can make a complaint using our complaints form.

If you wish to discuss your issue further with a member of staff and it’s within our business hours (9-4 Monday-Friday), you can click on the headphones icon in the ChatBot to LiveChat with a member of the Customer Experience Team.

We’re delighted you’d like to compliment a member of our staff. You can do this by using our compliments form.

If you are a believe housing tenant, our preferred method of contact is via the customer portal or the customer app, where you get 24-hour access.

If you need to talk to us, please click on the headphones icon in the ChatBot to LiveChat with a member of the Customer Experience Team. LiveChat is only available between the hours of 9-4 Monday-Friday.

If you do need to speak to someone, our Customer Experience Team are available Monday to Thursday 8.30am-5.00pm and Friday 8.30am-4.30pm. You can contact them on 0300 131 1999.

We have several different ways of getting in touch. If you’re a tenant, then using the customer portal or the customer app is the best method. Visit our contact us for more details.

If you need to change or cancel the date and/or time of your repair appointment, we’ll need to take some details from you.

Please have the details of your repair and the date/time the appointment is booked for.

If it’s between the hours of 9am -4pm, Mon – Fri, please click the headphones icon in the ChatBot to LiveChat to our Customer Experience team who will help you with your request.

If you want to make a request when our LiveChat is unavailable, please call 0300 131 999.

If there is a gas smell in your house, immediately contact National Gas Emergency Service and report the leak on 0800 111 999.

Next, contact us on 0300 1311 999. Turn the gas off if you can. If you are unable to do this, please leave the property and wait for the emergency services to arrive.

Open all doors and windows and leave the property. Do not smoke.

Do not use any naked flames and do not turn on or off any electrical switches.

Our free customer app enables you to access a wide range of services at a time and place that is convenient for you.

To register or log-in to the app or the customer portal, you will need your tenancy reference number, your date of birth, a valid email address, and contact telephone number.

If you are unsure of your tenancy reference number, and it’s within our business hours (9-4 Monday-Friday), you can call us on 0300 1311 999.

You can view your rent statement, balance, and transactions in our customer portal.

If you are already using our customer app, you don’t need to register for our customer portal. Just visit the sign-in page and use the same details to log in to our portal.

You can log in to the portal by clicking on the link above.

Don’t have an account? Registering couldn’t be simpler.

You’ll need your tenancy number your date of birth, a valid email address, and contact telephone number.

If you are unsure of your tenancy reference number, this can be found on your rent statements and many other letters from believe housing.

Yes we do!

Our Money Matters Team is here to provide you with support.

Our debt advice and money support service is free, confidential and impartial.

If you’re in a desperate financial situation or just need some help to make your money go further, our team is here to help. Call us on 0300 1311 999 and our team can help you explore your debt problem and explain the options available to you. Once we have your request it will be passed onto our Money Matters Team who will contact you.

You can also contact The Money Adviser Network, who offer free independent and impartial money and debt advice.

Yes, we do have immediately available homes.

As well as our website, we advertise them on the Durham Key Options website, where you can apply: https://www.durhamkeyoptions.co.uk 

If you are looking to rent a property we advertise them all on the Durham Key Options website. This includes new builds in Durham that are available to rent.

If you are interested in our rent-to-buy new build properties, you can view these on our M!ne website, where you can find out about current and future developments.

All of our available homes are advertised on a platform called Durham Key Options.

You will need to register an application on Durham Key Options before you can bid for a home.

Find out more and register an application on the Durham Key Options website.

Our customer portal lets you manage your tenancy online via your mobile or using a desktop computer or tablet. It’s free, easy to use, and enables you to access a wide range of services 24/7.

You can pay your rent, check your balance, report estate issues, report repairs, and do so much more.

Registering on the portal couldn’t be easier – simply head to our registration page. You’ll need your tenancy reference number, date of birth, a valid email address, and contact telephone number. You can find your tenancy reference number on your rent statement or other letters from believe.