Your Home
When you become a tenant with us you enter into a contract. This is called a tenancy agreement. Both you as a tenant and we as a landlord have rights and responsibilities.
You can stay in your home for as long as you wish provided you do not break your tenancy agreement. You can only be evicted from your home by a court order. We will increase your rent on 1 April every year.
For full details of your rights and rsponsibilities see the tenants handbook (pdf)
You have the right to:
- live peacefully in your home
- appeal against our decisions
- exercise your legal rights as a tenant.
We have the right to:
- change your rent or other charges as long as we give you appropriate notice
- have access to your home for inspections and repairs, to service appliances or to carry out safety inspections.
When you move in you will meet with our Tenancy Coordinator.
He or she will explain:
- the conditions of your tenancy
- the start date of your tenancy
- the services we provide
- how to pay your rent
- how to order a repair
- any decoration allowance available.
They will also give you:
- a copy of your tenancy agreement
- information on benefits and a housing benefit application form if you need one
- a set of keys (we do not keep spares so please keep them safe!)
- a garage application form if you want to apply to rent a garage.
You are responsible for looking after your garden. This includes:
- keeping it tidy, cultivated and free of rubbish
- making sure shrubs and hedges do not become a nuisance to neighbours
- maintaining garden paths and steps
- repairing or replacing any sheds or garden features.
We are responsible for:
- maintaining principal paths (not garden paths), steps and boundary walls
- maintaining fences around communal areas or separating our land from public paths and roads
- looking after communal areas and open areas we own.
You will need to get permission from us if you want to:
- put up a shed, greenhouse or garage
- put up additional fencing
- put a car or caravan in your garden
- cut down a tree
- keep a pet.
Pets
You may keep an ordinary domestic animal provided you have our permission. You must make sure your pets cannot escape or cause nuisance to your neighbours. You can be fined or taken to court if you allow your dog to foul public areas or roam. Please do not allow your dog to bark continually inside or outside your home.
Parking
You cannot park a vehicle of any kind in your garden unless we have given you permission and you have laid a proper hardstanding and dropped kerb. Parking on pavements, footpaths and verges is not allowed and your car may be removed if you park in a prohibited area or cause an obstruction. For full details of parking restrictions please refer to your tenants handbook or call our Quality of Life team on 0845 155 3000.
Ending a tenancy
Like any organisation, we hate to lose valued customers, but we recognise that from time to time circumstances change and people need to move on. If you're moving on, or ending a tenancy for another reason, please call 0845 155 3000 and let us know at least 4 weeks in advance.
Moving out:
When you tell us that you are moving home, we will arrange for someone to come and visit you in your home before you leave. They will inpsect the property and agree with you any repairs you need to carry out so that the property is in a fit condition for the next residents. If, after leaving the property, we have to do any work that is more than 'fair wear and tear' we may charge you for the cost.
See our Ending your tenacy (pdf) leaflet for more information on charges we may make for repairs.
Golden Goodbye:
If you are a premierplus (pdf) member and are giving four week’s notice to end your tenancy you may be eligible for a payment of £100 if you leave the property clean and tidy, in good decorative order and have never breached your tenancy. Use the Golden Goodbye checklist (pdf) to make sure you do everything you need to do to qualify and earn yourself £100.
Ending a tenancy due to a death:
In the unfortunate event of a death, please speak to our allocations team on 0845 155 3000. The executor or administrator of the deceased tenant can end the tenancy. In some circumstances we can accept notice from the next of kin. We will still need four weeks notice. If you require longer than 4 weeks, please let our allocations team know. For more information on ending a tenancy due to death please see our termination guidance notes (pdf).
