Your Tenancy

The tenancy agreement that you signed when you became a tenant is a legally binding document.

It sets out both your and our rights and responsibilities. These will depend on what type of tenancy you have.

For more information, please click on the link below that is the same as the type of tenancy that you have.

Transferring your Tenancy

You can transfer your tenancy through a Mutual Exchange by swapping with another council or housing association tenant or through the courts in divorce proceedings.

Click here to find more information on mutual exchange.  To view/download our Moving Options leaflet click here.

Shared Areas

Cleaning – if you pay a service charge, the cleaning will be done by one of our contractors otherwise, you and the other tenants in your building must keep the hallways and stairs clean.

Storage – you should not store anything in the shared areas.

Gardens – if you pay a service charge, the gardening will normally be done by our Contractor Fountains, you and the other tenants in your building must keep the garden tidy.  Please click here for more information.
 

Lodgers

You can take in lodgers as long as you do not overcrowd your home.

A lodger is someone who shares your home with you but they do not become a tenant.  For example, they may rent a bedroom and share the kitchen and living space with you.

You are responsible for their behaviour and could lose your home if they cause a nuisance.

If you are an assured tenant you need our permission to take in a lodger. If you have a secure tenancy, you can have a lodger but must let us know.

Only or Main Home

The home that you rent from us should be your only or main home.  If you live somewhere else most of the time, you could lose the home you rent from us.

Overcrowding

If your family grows you can apply for a transfer to larger accommodation.

How do I know if I’m overcrowding?

As a general rule you would be if there are more than:

• 2 people  living in a bedsit
• 3 people living in a 1 bedroom property
• 5 people living in a 2 bedroom property

Children under 12 months old are not counted and those under 10 are counted as ½ a person.

If a child over 10 years old shares a bedroom with an adult or another child of the opposite sex, this also counts as overcrowding.

(Link to Your Moving Options Leaflet)

Pets

You can only keep pets if you have written permission from us and in properties where it is suitable to keep a pet. For example,  you would normally need direct access to outside space or your own garden to keep a dog.

If your pets causes a nuisance to others, you will be asked to find them another home.

Subletting

This is when you give someone the right to use part of your home. You need to get permission from the Trust before doing this.

You cannot sublet your entire home.  If you do, you could lose your tenancy rights and we could apply to repossess your home.

Death of a Tenant

When you die, your partner (husband, wife or someone you lived with as if you were married) can take over the tenancy as long as they were living at the property with you at the time.

Running a Business

You need to get our written permission if you want to run a business from your home.

Car parking

You should park only in specified car parking areas, not on pavements, footpaths or verges.

Your vehicle must be taxed and you must not carry out major vehicle repairs in parking areas.

There are a number of places where you have to pay a parking charge.

Disabled parking bays will be clearly marked and are only for use by people with a valid disabled parking badge.