Your Tenancy Agreement

Before you move in, you’ll sign a tenancy agreement.
This is a legal document that explains:

• ✅ What you can do
• 📋 What you must do
• 🏠 What the council must do

Keep it safe and look at it if you have questions.

Types of Tenancy Agreements:

• 🔒 Secure and Introductory Tenancy Agreement
• 🏠 Temporary Non-Secure Tenancy Agreement

What you’ll get when you move in:

• 🏡 An energy certificate for your home
• 📄 Advice leaflets
• 🧾 A direct debit form
• 📝 A form to claim housing benefit

After you move in, an estate officer will visit to help with any questions.

Repairs & maintenance

• A survey is done before you move in to check for repairs.
• Gas and electricity are checked to make sure they’re safe.
• You must pay for your own gas and electricity from the start.
• If the gas was turned off, red warning stickers will be on appliances.
  → These will tell you who to contact for safety checks.

If you want to install a gas cooker, you must:

• Ask for written permission
• Use a Gas Safe registered engineer

Gas, water & electricity

• Take meter readings and give them to your chosen suppliers.
• For water, contact Affinity Water and tell them your move-in date.

Decoration Voucher

You might get a one-time voucher to help buy paint or wallpaper.
After that, you’ll pay for decorating your home yourself.

Mutual Exchange

If you moved in by swapping homes with another tenant:

• We only check gas, electricity, and do a RAD survey
• You won’t get a decoration voucher
• Make sure you’re happy with the home before you agree to the swap

Housing Benefit

If you want help paying rent:

• Fill in the housing benefit form straight away
• Payments won’t be backdated
• If you already get benefit at your old address, it will stop
  → Fill in a change of circumstances form

Changing Your Home

You can add your own fittings, but:

• Don’t damage or remove anything
• Ask for permission before making changes
• We may say yes, but you might need planning approval