Meet and Greet - involving residents in lettings

Leeds Tenants Federation's innovative scheme to involve tenants in lettings has been taken up by Aire Valley Homes, one of Leeds City Council's ALMOs.

Seven residents organisations are now running Meet and Greet schemes with the support of Aire Valley Homes. They will work with Aire Valley Homes Re-Housing Officers to welcome new prospective tenants.

Through the Meet and Greet initiative, prospective tenants are welcomed at an accompanied viewing by trained members of their local residents group and given a guide to local facilities and services.

Under this Meet and Greet scheme, trained representatives have the chance to give prospective tenants useful community information – including information about their Tenants & Residents Group – and outline the local priorities for neighbourly behaviour. Meet and Greet has been praised as best practice by the Chartered Institute of Housing's Housemark.

Evaluation of the scheme to date suggests that Leeds Tenants Federation's Meet and Greet initiative can help reduce hard-to-let properties and improve community sustainability.

The scheme is aimed to make new tenants feel more secure in their new home and help make communities stronger. If you have a tenants and residents group and you are interested in taking part in this new scheme, contact Leeds Tenants Federation. Tel (0113) 2145330.