Change of tenancy

It is a contract between you and us and records information such as your name, the date you became our tenant and the rent. It also lists the other conditions you must keep to as a tenant.

There are a number of ways you can apply to have your tenancy agreement changed.

Joint Tenancy 

• You may want to share the responsibilities of your tenancy with someone who lives with you. In this case, you should apply to your housing office for a joint tenancy. We will process your application and tell you our decision as soon as possible.

Transferring your Tenancy

• If you are leaving to live somewhere else, you can apply to transfer your tenancy to your partner or a member of your family who has lived with you for at least a year. In this case, you should apply to your Housing Office to transfer your tenancy. We will process your application and tell you our decision as soon as possible.

Succession to Tenancy

• If you die, your partner can take over your tenancy. This is what we call a 'succession to tenancy'. In this case, you can apply to the Housing Office and we will process the application.
• If the person who takes over your tenancy dies, no one living with them will have an automatic right to take over the tenancy in the same way. However, they can apply to have the tenancy transferred to them. Staff in the housing office will be able to give you more advice about this.

Right to Exchange

• You have the right to exchange your tenancy with another secure tenant (whether a tenant of ours or of another local housing authority) or with an assured tenant of a registered social landlord.
• You must obtain our consent in writing to the transfer and the person with whom you are seeking to exchange must obtain his or her landlords written consent. Consent may only be refused on certain grounds and if we intend to refuse consent we must tell you this and the grounds for refusal within 42 days of your request.

Right to Sub-let

• You have the right to sub-let PART only of your home providing you obtain our written consent before you do so. Sub-letting without consent is a breach of these tenancy conditions and a ground upon which we could seek possession of your home.
• YOU MAY NOT SUB-LET THE WHOLE OF YOUR HOME. If you do so you will lose your secure tenancy and it cannot be reinstated. The rights and benefits that attach to a secure tenancy (detailed further in these conditions and in your Tenants' Handbook) will be permanently lost and cannot be regained. We will be able to seek possession of your home at any time without the need to establish one of the statutory grounds for possession.
• You may take in lodgers without our permission. However the difference in law between a lodger and a sub-tenant is not always clear and you should seek advice from a member of our Housing Section, a solicitor or the Citizens' Advice Bureau before taking in a lodger. You should also be sure that by taking in a lodger it will not result in your property becoming overcrowded. As a breach of these tenancy conditions may lead to possession proceedings against you the best course of action is "if in doubt - ask".

The Right to Buy

• Most secure tenants who have been secure tenants for at least three years have the statutory right to buy the freehold of their house or a long lease of their flat with a discount against the market price.
• Further details of this entitlement can be found in your Tenants' Handbook or may be obtained from a member of the Housing Section.
• The Right to Buy can only be exercised by secure tenants and if the secure tenancy has been lost in any of the ways set out in these Tenancy Conditions you will not be able to purchase your home.