Types of Council Tenancies - Secure Tenancy
If you have a secure tenancy, you may live in your home for as long as you wish provided that:
• You occupy your home as your only or main home
• You do not break the terms set out in your tenancy agreement
We are entitled to possession of your home at the end of your tenancy.
Your rights as a secure tenant
You have the right to:
• Occupy your home peacefully, except where access is required, and reasonable notice is given to inspect or carry out repairs or other works
• Request repairs to be carried out to your home if they are needed
• Take in lodgers, provided you get written permission from us first and let us know the name of your lodger. You must not let your home become overcrowded
• Exchange your tenancy with another council tenant, or with a tenant of another council or registered social housing landlord
• Give up your tenancy, and move to another property held by other assured or flexible tenants of a private registered provider of social housing or a local authority
• Carry out improvements to your home if you have written permission from us first
• Receive compensation from us for some types of improvements to your home, if you did these yourself and had permission to carry them out in the first place. You do not have this right for improvements made before 1 April 1994
• Buy your home unless you live in sheltered housing or other housing that is excluded by law
• Be consulted on housing management issues that may affect the way your home is managed or maintained
We may require you to move because we need to carry out major repairs to your home. If this happens, we will offer you offered suitable alternative temporary accommodation until you can move back
Right to succession
A ‘right to succession’ means that, if you die, your tenancy will automatically pass to your spouse or civil partner if they are living with you at the time of your death.
You can pass on your tenancy to someone else who has been living with you for a continuous period of twelve months, if:
• Your tenancy was granted before 1 April 2012
• You do not have a spouse or civil partner and are not a successor yourself
If your tenancy was granted on or after 1 April 2012, you will not have an automatic right to succession. However, if your tenancy started after 1 April 2012, you can still request us to consider passing your tenancy on to someone else.
You can talk about succession with your housing officer.
Right to fair treatment
If we do not meet our responsibilities set out in your tenancy agreement, you have the right to make a complaint.
You have the right to be treated fairly, and we are committed to preventing unlawful discrimination and promoting equal opportunities.