Tenancy information
Please use the links below to read each section.
- Your tenancy agreement
- Moving into your home
- Change of tenancy
- Shared areas
- Neighbours
- Anti Social Behaviour
- Living in your home
- Tenancy Fraud
Your tenancy agreement
Your tenancy agreement is a legal document that confirms your status as a tenant of Tendring District Council. It also explains your rights and responsibilities.
The type of tenancy that you have will be explained to you before you are asked to sign the tenancy agreement. We will also tell you about the circumstances in which we can disclose any future forwarding address to the utility companies (for example, if you leave the property owing your gas or electricity supplier any money).
We use a number of different types of tenancy, all of which are weekly periodic tenancies. This means that it automatically continues from one rental week to another unless or until it is ended by the tenant or landlord by service of notice and subsequent court order. A summary of each of type of tenancy is given below.
Secure tenancy
If you are a secure council tenant:
- You can only be evicted in certain circumstances;
- you can take in a lodger and may be able to pass on your tenancy, exchange your home or buy at a discount;
- we have to carry out most repairs; and
- we should consult you about how your home is managed.
Introductory tenancy
An introductory tenancy:
- Is a one year trial;
- it gives you a number of the same rights as a secure tenant but you can be evicted more easily;
- you do not have the right to take in lodgers, make improvements to your home or exchange your home with another tenant;
- we have to carry out most repairs;
- as long as you don't break your tenancy agreement during this one year trial period, you will automatically become a secure tenant.
You can find out more by reading a "summary of the differences between secure and introductory tenancies" in our useful documents area.
Demoted tenancy
Secure council tenancies can be downgraded to a demoted tenancy:
- If you have behaved anti socially or threatened to do so or used your home for illegal activities;
- demoted tenancies are very similar to introductory tenancies and normally act as a one year trial period;
- you will have more limited rights and less protection from eviction that a secure tenant for example you will not have the right to take in lodgers or buy your home;
- we will carry out most repairs;
- as long as you don't cause a nuisance or break your tenancy agreement in other ways during this trial period, you should automatically become a secure tenant again after twelve months.
Non-secure tenancy
You will normally have a non-secure tenancy:
- if you made an application to us as homeless and you do not yet qualify for a different type of tenancy;
- non-secure tenancies have limited rights; for example, you will not have the right to take in lodgers or transfer to another property;
- you will have more limited protection from eviction;
- we will carry out most repairs;
- you will normally keep this type of tenancy until we arrange more settled accommodation, which may be an introductory tenancy at the same property at a later date.
Moving into your home
Before you move into your home, we will ask you to sign your tenancy agreement. This is a legal agreement that sets out the rights and responsibilities that you have as a council tenant and that we have as your landlord. You should keep this agreement in a safe place and refer to it if you have any queries about your tenancy.
Change of tenancy
Your tenancy agreement is a contract between you and us and it records information such as your name, the date you became our tenant and the rent. There are a number of ways that changes to your tenancy can be made.
Shared areas
For information on parking, garages, rubbish, graffiti, door entry systems and shared areas within blocks of flats.
Neighbours
Everyone is entitled to enjoy their home and neighbourhood in reasonable peace and quiet and, by showing consideration for others, you can make sure that you have a good relationship with your neighbours.
Anti social behaviour
In October 2003, we introduced our first Housing Services Anti Social Behaviour Strategy to provide a framework of measures to help us tackle this problem using the range of powers that are available to landlords.
Living in your home
For information on pets, gardens, insurance, support in your home and other general issues.
Tenancy Fraud
Tenancy fraud can take many forms and can occur at any stage during a tenancy - for example, obtaining a Council tenancy by giving false information, not living in the property or abandoning a council tenancy.
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