About The Rent Service
The Rent Service (TRS) is a front line delivery organisation who provides a rental valuation service to local authorities in England, supplying them with a range of valuations to assist them in settling claims for housing benefit. TRS also provide Fair Rent determinations for landlords and tenants under the provisions laid down in the Rent Act 1977. TRS is an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
As part of the Government’s wider Welfare Reform agenda TRS supported the introduction of the new Local Housing Allowance (LHA) which took effect for new claimants in April 2008. Under this system TRS will be determining Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs) and collecting sufficient letting information to ensure the LHA is representative of the local market.
TRS is currently implementing a major change programme as it prepares for the transfer of its operational functions to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), an executive agency of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which will be taking place in April 2009. Both organisations are working towards a seamless transfer whilst maintaining excellent standards of service to customers and stakeholders alike.
Our mission
"We will implement the new LHA and transfer TRS functions to VOA, whilst continuing to deliver high levels of customer service".
Core values
TRS shares core values with DWP. Throughout the coming year we will aim, at all times, to be:
Achieving the best
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Deliver an excellent service to our customers and meet key performance target
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Ensure all our actions and behaviours reflect our overarching approach to quality and customer service
Respecting people
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Recognise the important contribution our staff make to delivering high quality customer services and support them positively during a challenging period of change.
Making a difference
- Understand the local and national reasons for change, responding positively to stakeholder needs
- Seek, encourage and listen to stakeholder feedback as a way of improving our quality and effectiveness
Looking outwards
- Speak well of our customers, colleagues and stakeholders and be open and transparent in all communications
Key strategic Aims:
Strategic Aim 1
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To deliver high quality services to our customers and achieve key Secretary of State targets.
Strategic Aim 2
- To deliver value for money services and achieve our financial targets.
Strategic Aim 3
- To work with DWP and LA stakeholders to implement and take forward the HB Reform Agenda.
Strategic Aim 4
- To work with DWP, CLG and VOA to ensure that TRS transfers a ‘fit for purpose’ organisation on 1 April 2009.
Strategic Aim 5
- To ensure we have the necessary skills and capacity to maintain effective service delivery whilst managing substantial change.
- To consult our staff and their representatives on the TRANSFORM programme and ensure they are supported to meet the challenges ahead.
Strategic Aim 6
What do we do?
Our primary functions are to provide a series of residential rental determinations which influence the amount of housing benefit that local authorities pay to housing benefit claimants living in the private rented sector of the housing market; and to provide valuations for landlords and tenants for fair rent registrations.In addition, providing non statutory advice to customers and stakeholders within the public, private and charity sectors. Providing valuations for housing renovation grants.
Our structure
The Rent Service became an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 1 April 2004. Previously we were an executive agency of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM). As DWP is our main central government stakeholder in terms of the delivery functions of the Agency, with around 90% of our work being Housing Benefit related, it seemed appropriate for business purposes to transfer The Rent Service to DWP, particularly as we will be supporting DWP with the implementation of reforms to the housing benefit system.The Agency was originally established on 1 October 1999 to bring together what was a fragmented service, operating from 93 offices in 77 rent registration areas, into one cohesive organisation in order to improve the speed of service, the quality of decisions and value for money. The Chief Executive is responsible for the strategic management of The Rent Service, and is the Agency’s Accounting Officer, directly accountable to the Secretary of State of DWP for the management and operation of the Agency, including the achievement of the Secretary of State’s targets. Click here to see the Rent Service's Agency Management Board.