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Landlord wants to add new clause to Tenancy Agreement that benefits them?
My landlord is a large Housing Association and I have lived at my address since March 2020. I am on an assured Tenancy.
At the end of my in-person signup on the day I started my tenancy and after all of the paperwork was signed by me, I was told verbally by the person who signed me up that there is a mandatory condition on my tenancy that I must have and pay for a “alert” service known as OK Each day and the cost of which would be included in my Service charge which is allowable under Housing Benefit.
He said that the details of this would be sent to me once my Tenancy Paperwork had been processed.
For the record: I received no further information or forms / consents to sign from my landlord.
In every one of my landlords Letter of Annual Rent Increase it clearly states that the Service Charge is allowable for Housing Benefit and the OK Each Day is part of the service charge breakdown.
Previously to 2025 Capita adminitered Housing Benefit on behalf of my local authority and Capita always allowed the OK Each Day service element of the service charge.
However, for 2025, my local authority brought benefits back in house and they disallowed the OK Each Day element as services of this kind are classed as something that a tenant would choose to have.
I have carefully gone through my Tenancy Agreement and it does not have any clause that mentions the OK Each Day service or any service like it.
During the in-person sign-up I was not provided with any form to sign or any other information about the OK Each Day Service.
I recently wrote to my landlord to ask for the following in relation to the OK Each Day service.
• Written proof that it is a condition of my Tenancy.
• Written proof that backs up why they state that it is eligible under Housing Benefit.
In the written reply my landlord stated that you would have been told at your in-person that it was a mandatory condition of your tenancy.
I opened a Stage One complaint as the information that I requested had not been supplied and I asked them to do so.
On Tuesday 12th August 2025, I received a telephone call from the local housing manager for my landlord who said that the reason that its is mandatory is because the company behind the OK Each Day service assured my landlord that it was allowable under Housing Benefit as an inducement for my landlord to sign the contract for this company to supply its homes.
If this is true then it appears that my landlord was aware of the decption for quite some time and then passed that on to its tenants.
I asked the person during the telephone converstaion to provide what she have just told me in writing as the Council will not take my word for it, that I need written evidence that I have no choice in having the service.
I also mentioned that nothing is stated within my tenancy agreement about the OK Each Day service.
The local housing manager then said something along the lines of, "Oh well we will have to produce an extra page that to cover that and you can add it to your tenancy agreement".
Yesterday, 14th August 2025, the same person called me again and asked to come to my home to discuss the issue as she and a male colleague"were in the area"
My concern is that she may produce the extra page which makes me liable for the cost of the service at the meeting, or even a new Tenancy Agreement with the clause included.
As I live alone, the meeting will be two against one and I'd feel better if I knew my legal position
Can they do this and can I refuse to accept the extra sheet or new Tenancy Agreement with the new clause included and if so upon what grounds?
If not what can I do?
Without any written evidence to back up the Landlords claim that they were assured by OK Each Day that its service was allowable under Housing Benefit, has the Landlord been falsely pushing this service on to its tenants on an untruth baring in mind that I have admission, true or otherwise, in the recording of the telephone conversation.
I understand from the Housing Ombudsman’s office that OK Each Day would be classed as a 3rd party contractor and that landlords are ultimate responsible for their 3rd party contractors and thier actions.
Is there any argument to say that rather than just taking OK Each Days word that its service is allowable for Housing Benefit, my lanlord failed to perform due diligence by checking with the various Local Authoritys with in whose area they have home to make sure what it was being told is correct?
Many thanks for any consideration and advice.
At the end of my in-person signup on the day I started my tenancy and after all of the paperwork was signed by me, I was told verbally by the person who signed me up that there is a mandatory condition on my tenancy that I must have and pay for a “alert” service known as OK Each day and the cost of which would be included in my Service charge which is allowable under Housing Benefit.
He said that the details of this would be sent to me once my Tenancy Paperwork had been processed.
For the record: I received no further information or forms / consents to sign from my landlord.
In every one of my landlords Letter of Annual Rent Increase it clearly states that the Service Charge is allowable for Housing Benefit and the OK Each Day is part of the service charge breakdown.
Previously to 2025 Capita adminitered Housing Benefit on behalf of my local authority and Capita always allowed the OK Each Day service element of the service charge.
However, for 2025, my local authority brought benefits back in house and they disallowed the OK Each Day element as services of this kind are classed as something that a tenant would choose to have.
I have carefully gone through my Tenancy Agreement and it does not have any clause that mentions the OK Each Day service or any service like it.
During the in-person sign-up I was not provided with any form to sign or any other information about the OK Each Day Service.
I recently wrote to my landlord to ask for the following in relation to the OK Each Day service.
• Written proof that it is a condition of my Tenancy.
• Written proof that backs up why they state that it is eligible under Housing Benefit.
In the written reply my landlord stated that you would have been told at your in-person that it was a mandatory condition of your tenancy.
I opened a Stage One complaint as the information that I requested had not been supplied and I asked them to do so.
On Tuesday 12th August 2025, I received a telephone call from the local housing manager for my landlord who said that the reason that its is mandatory is because the company behind the OK Each Day service assured my landlord that it was allowable under Housing Benefit as an inducement for my landlord to sign the contract for this company to supply its homes.
If this is true then it appears that my landlord was aware of the decption for quite some time and then passed that on to its tenants.
I asked the person during the telephone converstaion to provide what she have just told me in writing as the Council will not take my word for it, that I need written evidence that I have no choice in having the service.
I also mentioned that nothing is stated within my tenancy agreement about the OK Each Day service.
The local housing manager then said something along the lines of, "Oh well we will have to produce an extra page that to cover that and you can add it to your tenancy agreement".
Yesterday, 14th August 2025, the same person called me again and asked to come to my home to discuss the issue as she and a male colleague"were in the area"
My concern is that she may produce the extra page which makes me liable for the cost of the service at the meeting, or even a new Tenancy Agreement with the clause included.
As I live alone, the meeting will be two against one and I'd feel better if I knew my legal position
Can they do this and can I refuse to accept the extra sheet or new Tenancy Agreement with the new clause included and if so upon what grounds?
If not what can I do?
Without any written evidence to back up the Landlords claim that they were assured by OK Each Day that its service was allowable under Housing Benefit, has the Landlord been falsely pushing this service on to its tenants on an untruth baring in mind that I have admission, true or otherwise, in the recording of the telephone conversation.
I understand from the Housing Ombudsman’s office that OK Each Day would be classed as a 3rd party contractor and that landlords are ultimate responsible for their 3rd party contractors and thier actions.
Is there any argument to say that rather than just taking OK Each Days word that its service is allowable for Housing Benefit, my lanlord failed to perform due diligence by checking with the various Local Authoritys with in whose area they have home to make sure what it was being told is correct?
Many thanks for any consideration and advice.
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