Electronic Interface System(EIS)  

Frequently asked questions

The Rent Service regularly receive questions regarding Victer/EIS. Some of the questions which are most frequently asked are set out below together with the answers. If you cannot find the answer to your question please e-mail your query to us. helpdesk@therentservice.gov.uk

We hope you find the FAQs helpful

List of Frequently asked questions:

What is my LA code?
Your LA code is made up 5 characters – 1 alphabetical and 4 numerical e.g. X9052
Please contact the helpdesk who can provide you with this.

What information do we need to provide for Supported Accommodation?
Special rules apply to rents that include charges for support services. The local authority identifies on the referral that the tenancy includes support services, and refers the rent nett of all such charges. The local authority also tells The Rent Service in the remarks field -

  • That the gross rent includes charges for support services
  • The amount that has been deducted for support services from the gross rent payable

Where do we enter the amount for Services if provided?
If you have an amount for services please provide details in the Remarks field.

For PTD’s if a Landlord is not provided can we leave this field empty?
The VICTER system requires details of a landlord and is a mandatory field on our system.

How do we refer Joint Tenancies?
The local authority must refer the whole rent payable under the tenancy and not just any proportion that the tenant thinks he/she is liable for. All joint tenants are jointly and severally liable for the whole rent so, for joint tenancies, the referral should show the total rent and all the joint tenants and any other occupants at the property. You must submit the referral for the whole accommodation not just the room(s) that the claimant occupies/shares.

How do we know when we have to provide a location?
If the claimant only has the sole use of a room, and/or shares any rooms in their accommodation then a room location must be provided, so that we can identify which room it is. The exception is where the referral is for a joint tenancy when the whole property should be referred (see answer to question above).

What is mandatory for Accommodation Details?
All details of the accommodation that the claimant has use of. At least one bedroom or living room for sole use must be provided to be accepted by our system. If the claimant only has a shared room or bedspace please put this in the Remarks field.

Do we need to provide who is responsible for Internal Decorations?
Details of who is responsible for internal decorations is not required.

Where do we enter the date of birth for the claimant?
This is not required. The only information we require is if the single claimant is under 25.

Who should we contact when we have a problem?
If the problem is in connection with a specific referral then please contact your local TRS office. If there is a technical problem or advice & guidance required then please contact our helpdesk.
helpdesk@therentservice.gov.uk
Tel: 020 7023 6016

When will the facility to send Substitutes electronically be available?
This is currently under development and we will notify you when this is available.

What information should we provide in the Remarks field?
Please put any comments in the Remarks field that you think would be important to the Rent Officer in making his decision.

If we only require a site rent; do we need to provide any rooms?
Rent Officers determinations are based on number of rooms, even for site rents and moorings. So we need to know this information to be able to give a determination appropriate to the size (in terms of number of rooms) of caravan or boat on the site or mooring, for example.

What type of rooms are classed as ‘Other’?
Any rooms that we don’t consider to be a bedroom or room suitable for living in. In other words, they will not count for size criteria or Local Reference Rent purposes. They might be utility rooms, loft spaces, cellars, or conservatories for example, although this will depend on how similar rooms are generally used in the area. Dining Rooms are classed as rooms suitable for living, so should be included under “Living Rooms” not “Other”.

What are the Firewall generic permissions required to access the Rent Service's EIS software?
The only requirement is that the Firewall on the LA side needs to have Port 443 open in both directions, to and from https:// housing.therentservice.gov.uk/

 

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