Your tenancy details
The City of Lincoln Council is your landlord.
Your tenancy agreement is a legal contract between you and us. It sets out the standards of service you can expect from us and the terms and conditions that you must comply with. It is an important document, so you should read it carefully and keep it safe.
Your tenancy agreement will state your name and the name of any other person you hold the tenancy agreement with. It will include the address of the property you are renting, the rent at the start of your tenancy, and any service charges you pay. It will also tell you the date when you must start paying your rent, and any former rent arrears and debts you may have with us.
Your tenancy agreement will tell you if you are an introductory or secure tenant.
You must not allow more people to live in your home than the number stated in your tenancy agreement.
When you move into your home it is your responsibility to contact gas, electric and water suppliers. We will tell you who your suppliers are.
Changing your tenancy agreement
We may change any of the terms of your tenancy agreement. This can be either by agreement with you or, if it is a change the council wants to make, by giving you 28 days’ written notice.
If we give you written notice of a change, you can make comments on these. We consider any comments you send to us before altering the tenancy agreement.
Your personal details and data protection
By signing your tenancy agreement, you consent to us holding personal information about you that you or a third party has given us as your landlord. We will comply with the Data Protection Act 2018 when dealing with your personal data.
If you leave your home owing rent or any other charges relating to your home, such as gas or electricity we can pass on your contact details to the company or any agency acting for them.
Your rent and other charges
You must pay your rent and other charges on time. You must not fall into arrears.
Your rent and other charges are due on a weekly basis. The amount due each week is added to your account every Monday.
On the first Monday in April each year we may increase or decrease your rent and any other charges. If we do this we will give you four weeks’ notice in writing.
We can start action to end your tenancy if:
• You do not keep to a rent arrangement you have agreed with us
• You do not keep to an agreement you have with us about paying former rent arrears or other debts.
Find out the different ways you can pay your rent
Things you and the council must do
The council will:
• Deal firmly with antisocial behaviour, harassment and hate crime including noise, threatening or intimidating behaviour, violence and vandalism
• Carry out repairs and maintenance to your home that we are responsible for
• Keep all communal areas clean, safe and in good condition
• Maintain the outside of your home
You must:
• Live in your home as your only and main home
• Pay your rent and other charges on time and not fall into arrears
• Keep to the rules of your tenancy agreement
• Be a good neighbour and not annoy others
• Take good care of your home, including fixtures and fittings
• Keep your garden and any communal areas tidy and free from rubbish
• Treat our staff, contractors and anyone acting for us with courtesy and respect
• Take responsible precautions to protect your home against flood, frost or fire
• Get our written permission to carry out improvements to your home
• Get our written permission to keep pets
• Check your smoke detector regularly by pushing the test button
• Dispose of rubbish safely and hygienically
You must not:
• Cause damage to your home or neighbourhood
• Cause nuisance and annoyance to your neighbours
• Use your home for any criminal, illegal or immoral purposes
• Use or threaten violence, including domestic violence
• Be abusive or aggressive to our staff or contractors
• Store anything in the internal communal area if you live in a flat
• Leave syringes or needles in an area where other people may come across them
• Throw anything out of windows or off balconies
• Put inappropriate items down toilets drains such as nappies and wipes, as this can block them
• Store anything in your home that is dangerous and may cause, fire, flood or other damage to your home
If you do any of these things, it will be considered a breach of your tenancy and action will be taken
Repairs you must pay for
The council will carry out repairs to your home where these are needed. However, you are responsible for repairing any damage caused deliberately or through negligence by you, anyone living with you or anyone visiting you. This includes damage caused to communal areas and damage to other people’s property.
If you do not arrange for a repair to be done at your own expense, we will carry out the work and charge you the full cost for it. There are some repairs that are always your responsibility, and these are set out in your tenancy agreement.
Parking and repairing vehicles
You can only park a vehicle within the boundaries of your home if there is a dropped kerb and hard surface that we have approved.
You must not:
• Drive across or park on grass verges or pavements
• Park in such a way you cause an obstruction
• Carry out repairs to a vehicle that is not owned by someone living at your home
• Carry out any major repairs to vehicles
• Park a caravan on your drive or front garden close to your home. It is a fire risk
We will remove any vehicle that we consider has been abandoned.
If you park your car on the road, you must not cause an obstruction. You must also comply with any local parking restrictions.
What happens to your tenancy if you die?
If you are a secure tenant, you have a right for someone to take over your tenancy if you die.
You cannot assign your tenancy to anyone else unless we have given you permission to do this.
We will normally only give permission for this if the person you want to assign your tenancy to would have been your successor had you died. If someone living with you wants to take over your tenancy, they should contact us for advice.