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Tenancy Agreement

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Section 1: General Information

Introduction

This Tenancy Agreement outlines your conditions of tenancy as an Introductory Tenant and as a Secure Tenant of Bassetlaw District Council. If you are an Introductory Tenant you will automatically become a Secure Tenant after one year, unless you break any conditions of tenancy during the first year. Most rights and responsibilities apply to both types of tenancy but where there is a difference they are clearly marked.

Rights of Third Parties

You and we agree that the provisions of Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 will not apply to this tenancy agreement, which means that none of its terms can be enforced by any other person except for a person to whom it is lawfully assigned or who succeeds to it in accordance with the provisions in Transferring Your Tenancy and Succession and Exchange Sections.

Data Protection / Privacy Statement

Bassetlaw District Council need to hold and process information (including sensitive and personal data) that you have provided or has been provided by third parties or will be provided in the future to perform the functions of Bassetlaw District Council. This may include disclosure to certain third parties who are able to show that they are entitled under the law to receive the information, such as Police, contractors, fraud protection for the purpose of processing and managing any housing application or tenancy that you have with us. Furthermore the processing of your data will be fair and lawful.

How we store your personal information
We do our upmost to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to make sure that your personal information is treated and stored securely.

How long do we keep your information
We will only keep your information for as long as it is necessary and then will be securely destroyed in accordance with legislation and our Data Retention Policy.

Your Rights
Under the Data Protection Act you have rights as an individual, which you can exercise in relation to the information we hold about you. The lawful basis for processing your data can also affect which rights are available to you. You can read more about your rights and how we can use your information by visiting this link: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/is-my-information-being-handled-correctly/

Access to Information
The data collected in this form will only be used for the purpose for which it is
intended and will only be held for the period within the Bassetlaw District Council
retention policy. This data may be shared with third parties such as the Police, other Councils and Central Government. DP No. Z5609066.

For more information, view our Privacy Policy at www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/privacy 

By signing this Agreement you are consenting to the processing of your personal data to be used to help provide our services to you, to provide information to you, that you have requested from us relating to our services, and to provide information to you relating to other services that may be of interest to you.
For more information on who your data can be shared with or to request
access to information, please contact us.

Definitions

Term Definition
Mutual Exchange To swap homes with another tenant.
Fixtures and Fittings All appliances in the property, including installations for supplying or using gas, electricity and water.
Garden Lawns, hedges, flowerbeds, trees, shrubs, outside walls and fences.
Improvement or alteration Any alteration or addition to the property that is made by you or on your behalf, which was not there when you moved in e.g. building work inside or outside, erection of satellite dishes, sheds etc
Introductory Tenancy An Introductory Tenancy lasts for 12 or 18 months only. If you break the tenancy conditions, we can end the tenancy before you become a Secure tenant (see below for a definition of a Secure tenant).
Injunction Given by a Court to you or a member of your household or your visitor(s) to stop you or them from doing something.
Local Area/Locality The area around your home which is more than the road or street where your home is situated. The final decision on the exact extent of that area, if it relates to enforcement proceedings, will be decided by the Courts.
Neighbours Your neighbours include everyone living or working in the local area, whether they own their homes, are housing association tenants or live in privately rented accommodation.
Property The dwelling including the gardens which you are renting from us.
Secure Tenant By law, Secure tenants have the right to stay in a property unless a Court grants an ‘order for possession’ of the property.
Shared/Communal areas The parts of a building, estate or communal land which all tenants can use – for example, halls, stairways, entrances, landings, drying areas, shared gardens and landscaped areas.
We, us, our Bassetlaw District Council (the landlord), and our employees, and other agents and contractors.
You The tenant. In the case of joint tenants, ‘you’ means any one or all of the joint tenants. This is because either of you, as individuals, have complete responsibility for keeping to the terms of the tenancy agreement.
Permission When we talk about getting our permission, we mean you asking for permission from us, and you have to do this in writing.

 

Notices

If you want to contact us to either give us notice or ask us something that needs our written permission, please write to:

Head of Housing, Bassetlaw District Council, Carlton Forest House, Hundred Acre Lane, Carlton-in-Lindrick, Worksop, Notts, S81 0TS. 

You can also telephone us by ringing Freephone 0800 590 542

Alternatively, email us at customer.services@bassetlaw.gov.uk

Send Notices about legal action to:

Director of Regeneration and Neighbourhoods, Bassetlaw District Council, Queen's Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop, Notts, S80 2AH.

Serving Notices on you

In addition to any way permitted by law, we may serve any notice on you at the dwelling by putting it through the letterbox or fixing it to the dwelling or by leaving it with somebody for you at the dwelling.

False Statements

You or someone acting on your behalf must not make any statement(s):

Which you know is false

  • Which you thought could be false
  • Which involves you supplying information, which may deceive an officer of the Council or its agent in allocating you this property

We may take legal action to obtain possession of your home in any such circumstance.

Section 2: Introductory Tenants

(Not applicable to Secure Tenants). 

Your Introductory Tenancy will last for one year. If you do not break any of the tenancy conditions during this time, and we have not started possession proceedings during the Introductory period, then you will automatically become a Secure Tenant in one year.

The Introductory period can be extended by us to 18 months if we consider the conduct of the tenancy has been unsatisfactory.

If, during your Introductory Tenancy, you break any of the tenancy conditions, we may take action to end your tenancy. We do not have to prove that you have done so in Court. The Court must be satisfied that we have acted in line with our procedures and the Court must give an order for your eviction.

If we issue proceedings against you during your Introductory Tenancy period, the tenancy will remain an Introductory Tenancy until the possession proceedings are determined.

By law, during your Introductory Tenancy, you do not have the same rights as a Secure Tenant.

You cannot: 

  • apply for the right to buy
  • sublet
  • vote for a change to a new landlord 
  • transfer your tenancy to someone else 

In certain circumstances, we may let you: 

  • take in a lodger
  • make alterations or improvements to your home
  • apply to exchange your home
  • assign your tenancy 

You must first get written permission to do this. 

Section 3: Rents and other charges

(Secure and Introductory Tenants). 

Rent 

You must pay the rent and all other charges for the property on time.

You must pay your rent and all other charges every week unless we have agreed to you paying it by another frequency (e.g. by monthly Direct Debit).

If you are joint tenants, you are both responsible for all the rent, any property charges, rent arrears and Court Costs.

If you fail to pay the rent on time, or fail to keep to an agreement to pay, we may take legal action against you to evict you from your home.

Increasing your rent

We will give you at least four weeks notice in writing before changing the amount of the weekly rent. Any increases in rent are usually done annually in April.

Other information about charges

If we owe you any money, we may deduct this from any rent arrears or sundry debts which you owe us before making any payment to you.

We will charge you for our costs in taking legal action against you.

Ways to pay your rent 

You can pay:

  • by Direct Debit
  • at a PayPoint outlet
  • by telephone
  • at the Post Office
  • online at www.bassetlaw.gov.uk 

Section 4: Ending your Tenancy

(Secure and Introductory Tenants).

Ending your tenancy

You must do the following when you decide to move out of the property:

  • Give us four weeks’ written notice (‘notice to quit’) ending on a Sunday, that you want to leave the property
  • Give us a forwarding address
  • Give us all the keys to the property either before or on the day your tenancy ends. If you do not give us the keys to the property, we may charge you the cost of changing the locks on the property
  • Pay all the rent and other charges up to the date of the end of your tenancy. (After your tenancy ends, we may take rent and other unpaid charges from any money we owe you.)
  • Remove all your furniture and personal belongings from the property (including lofts, sheds, outbuildings, gardens etc). We will dispose of any items you leave behind and charge you for doing so
  • Remove all rubbish from inside and outside the property. If you fail to do this and we have to remove any rubbish, we will charge you for the cost of doing this
  • Make sure all the fixtures and fittings you have installed and which you are leaving in the property are in good working order
  • Replace or repair broken items which belong to us. If you do not, you will have to pay if we have to replace or repair anything
  • Leave the property clean and tidy. We will charge you if we have to clean the property
  • Allow our employees and contractors to enter the property at reasonable times to inspect it
  • Allow our employees to bring round future tenants at reasonable times
  • Not leave any other person or pets in the property
  • If you return the keys without a written notice of termination, we will accept this as your intention to end your tenancy. We will end your tenancy on the Sunday four weeks after the receipt of your keys
  • We will charge rent weekly until you return the keys or, if we think you have left your home, until we repossess it. If you hand the keys in before noon on a Monday, the tenancy will end the previous Sunday. If you hand them in after this, the tenancy will end the following Sunday
  • A joint tenancy will end if one or more joint tenants give us notice to end it.
  • A joint tenant does not have an automatic right to stay in the property once one of the joint tenants has ended the tenancy

Abandoning your Tenancy

If you abandon your tenancy and do not return the keys to us or let us have written notice that you are doing so, we will serve a Notice to Quit on the property to end your tenancy. If you do not contact us to register your interest in the property before this notice runs out, we will consider that your tenancy has ended, take possession of the property and get rid of all the items left in the property.

Section 5: Our Rights

Secure Tenants Only

We will not interfere with your right to live in the property, provided you keep to the conditions of your tenancy.

If you are a secure tenant we cannot end your tenancy without a Court Order. This can only be granted for certain reasons (known as ‘grounds for possession’). These are set out in the Housing Act 1985 (as amended), and are summarised below:

Grounds for Possession (Secure and Introductory Tenants)

You can lose your home if:

  • You fail to pay your rent or break some other condition of your tenancy
  • You cause a nuisance or annoyance to neighbours, or are using the property for immoral or illegal purposes, or you have committed an arrestable offence which affects the neighbourhood where you live
  • You cause damage to the property or parts of the building which other tenants share
  • You got the tenancy by making a false statement to us, or someone else makes a false statement on your behalf
  • You give or receive any money in connection with exchanging tenancies
  • You refuse to leave a property which we have offered you temporarily while work is carried out to your usual home

Temporary or Permanent Rehousing 

We will provide you with suitable accommodation if we need to take possession of your home for any of the following reasons:

We want to demolish, rebuild or carry out work to your home or to the surrounding land and cannot do this while you are living there

  • You are living in a property that is in an area included in a redevelopment scheme approved by the Secretary of State, and we plan to demolish the property as part of this scheme
  • You are living in a property, which has been adapted for someone who is physically disabled, but no-one with a disability lives there any more and we need the property for another disabled person
  • You are living in a property, which is let to people with special needs, but there is no longer anyone living in the property with those needs and we need the property for someone with special needs
  • You succeeded to the tenancy when the previous tenant died and the property is larger than you reasonably need.

Demotion of your Tenancy 

Secure Tenants only. 

If you break your conditions of tenancy, then we can apply to ‘ demote’ your tenancy, which means you will not have these rights.

Section 6: Your Rights

Tenants and Residents Associations

You can join an existing local tenants’ group or you can start one. Please contact us for more information.

Succession of Tenancy 

For tenancies granted after 1 April 2012, statutory succession is limited to a spouse or civil partner, living in the premises as their only or principal home with the deceased tenant at the time of their death.

For tenancies granted before April 2012 the following rules apply, provided that you did not take over the tenancy from a member of your family:

  • Your spouse or civil partner will have the right to succeed to the property provided they occupy the property as their only or principal home or,
  • Another member of your family can take over the tenancy if they lived in the property throughout the 12 months before your death and the property was their only or principal home
  • If more than one person qualifies to take over the tenancy, your spouse or civil partner will be entitled to take it over
  • If you have no spouse or civil partner living with you, everyone entitled to the tenancy must agree on who will take it on. If the people involved can not agree we will choose who to give the tenancy to

People who are not entitled to take over your tenancy may, in certain circumstances, be given a new tenancy or offered rehousing to more suitable accommodation.

Consultation

You have the right to be consulted on any changes to your conditions of tenancy or any proposals that are likely to affect you.

The Right to Repair 

By law, you can arrange your own repairs under certain circumstances. For details of the scheme, please contact us.

Right to Information

You have the right to see details given in connection with any application for a tenancy or transfer. We may charge you if we have to give you copies. You also have the right to see our policies on housing, rehousing and exchanging properties.

Lodgers and Subletting

You can take in lodgers. A lodger is someone who lives with you, (other than as your partner) but was not part of your household when you first moved in. Family members are not normally considered to be lodgers. A lodger does not have the exclusive right to live in any one part of your home. You must not overcrowd your home, and you will be responsible for the behaviour of your lodgers. You should note that if you take in lodgers this could affect your claim for Housing Benefit. You must let us know if you intend to take in a lodger.

You must not sublet without first obtaining our written permission. You can only sublet part of your home. Subletting the whole of your home is not allowed.

Exchange of Properties

Secure Tenants only.

You have the right to exchange your home with another tenant of Bassetlaw District Council, a Registered Social Landlord or another Council. You must get our prior written agreement before entering into an exchange.

Alterations

Secure Tenants only.

You have the right to carry out alterations and improvements such as installing a shower and fitting new kitchen units. You must get our prior written permission for all alterations and improvements.

We will not unreasonably refuse permission for such improvements or changes, but we may impose conditions. You must also get any planning permission, building regulations approval or any other permission you may need before you start the work.

If we refuse to give you permission for any alterations and you have already started the work, you must stop the work immediately. You must also restore the property to its original condition if we ask you to do so. If you fail to do this, we may conduct the works on your behalf and re-charge you the cost of doing these works.

Right to Compensation

Secure Tenants only.

When your tenancy ends, you may qualify for compensation for improvements you have carried out to your home. To get these payments, the improvements must qualify according to certain rules. We base these payments on the type of improvement you have made, how old it is and how long it is expected to last. We will only pay this compensation to the person(s) who is the tenant when the tenancy ends.

Right to Buy

Secure Tenants only. 

You have the right to buy your home outright, though there are certain restrictions which are listed in the Housing Act 1985 (as amended). Please contact us for more details.

Stock Transfer 

Secure Tenants only. 

You have the right to vote in a ballot concerning any proposals about changing your landlord.

Section 7: Repairs

Our Responsibilities

We are responsible for repairing and maintaining the structure, the outside of the property and some internal parts including:

  • the roof
  • walls
  • chimneys
  • ceilings
  • pipes
  • drains, soil and waste pipes
  • outside doors
  • gutters and downpipes
  • floors
  • window frames
  • steps and stairs
  • paths to the front door and one row of flag stones around the building
  • plastering inside and rendering outside
  • kitchen and bathroom fixtures

Shared Areas

Stairways, walkways, windows, doors and door-entry systems, lifts, shared television aerials, shared lighting, common rooms, paving, entrance halls and landings

Services 

Electric wiring, electric sockets, light fittings, gas and water pipes, heating equipment (such as fires, radiators and storage heaters) and water heating equipment such as boilers and immersion heaters

Maintenance

  • We will decorate the outside of the property and any shared areas
  • We will maintain all fixtures and fittings unless they belong to you
  • We prioritise repair work according to the type of repair.
  • You can find details in your Repairs Handbook.

Your Responsibilities

You must report any faults and repairs we are responsible for as soon as you can. This includes problems with other peoples homes that are causing damage to your home.

You must report repairs such as blocked drains, water leaks, structural defects and problems with water, gas, electricity and fire appliances immediately.

You are responsible for repairing, renewing or replacing any damage or losses however caused by you, your children, friends and relatives, pets or any other person living at or visiting the property.

The repairs which you are responsible for, include maintaining, repairing or replacing:

  • fuses
  • small cracks in plaster
  • re-securing loose
  • fence boards, pales,
  • wires, chain-link
  • plumbing to washing
  • machines and
  • dishwashers
  • any pipework, fixtures,
  • fittings and appliances added by yourself
  • interior doors
  • plugs for sinks,
  • washbasins and baths
  • door chains and
  • letter-boxes
  • interior decorations
  • locks and glazing (see section 7) 

For a list of all the repairs that you have responsibility for please see your Repairs Handbook.

You are responsible for ensuring that only approved and authorised fuel is used on all domestic heating appliances in accordance with the Clean Air Acts 1993.

General repairs that you must pay for 

We have the right to repair and charge you for any damage caused by:

  • unauthorised alterations
  • any accidental damage by you or any person living at or visiting the property
  • a deliberate act of neglect by you or any person living at or visiting the property
  • pets

Repairs to doors and windows that you must pay for 

We will charge you if we have to gain access to the property or renew locks because you have:

  • lost your keys
  • locked yourself out by leaving your keys in the property
  • refused us lawful access to the property and we have to force entry

We will also charge you for the following: 

  • Boarding-up and replacing doors and windows, unless the damage was caused as a result of criminal damage by someone who is not part of your household
  • Repair or replacement to doors and windows that we later find to be your own responsibility

When you end your Tenancy, you will have to pay us if we do any of the following work for you:

  • Remove any carpets left in the property
  • Remove any furniture or personal items left in the property
  • Remove any appliances including cookers, fridges, washers and dryers
  • Clear any items left in the grounds or shared areas
  • Repair or replace fixtures and fittings, which are not ‘fair wear and tear’
  • Work to the gardens if they have not been maintained satisfactorily
  • Put right any of your own unauthorised or authorised improvements that do not meet current health and safety
  • legislation or guidelines, or which have been poorly fitted

Useful Information about Repairs

  • You must not fit ceiling fans in rooms where there is a gas fire fitted
  • If you have fitted anything that restricts access for any necessary maintenance work, it is your responsibility to remove it so our people can get access to the job
    e.g. you may have to take up laminate flooring where we need to get under floorboards
  • If we carry out improvements to your home, we will make reasonable efforts to match up your existing decorations but we do not accept liability if we fail to do so
  • You must not paint boiler casings, electric storage heaters, gas fires or heaters and PVC window frames

Section 8: Your Responsibilities

Access

You must allow us and people we send to your home at all reasonable hours to inspect its condition, do any repairs or improvements needed, or to carry out work that we consider necessary to make sure the property and surrounding properties do not put you or anyone else at risk. We will try to give you reasonable notice of any visit. If you do not let us or our contractors in, we may take legal action to get into your home and you may have to pay our Court costs.

In emergencies, we may need to get into your home immediately. If you do not let us in, you could be placing both yourself and your neighbours at risk. We may even need to enter your home without notice, even if you are not at home, using reasonable force if necessary, if we feel there is a risk of personal injury or damage to the property or surrounding properties.

Hygiene and Decoration

You must keep the property clean, tidy, free from bad smells, rats, mice and other pests, and in good decorative order. You must not hoard/keep excessive items. We will charge you for any work we need to do because of this, e.g. removing rubbish. We may also take Court action and you may have to pay our Court costs.

Lofts

In certain properties, especially those with Solar (PV) panels fitted, we may not allow access to the loft space (see section 8 for more information on Solar (PV) panels). We will let you know about this at the start of your tenancy.

We do not encourage tenants to enter the loft space or to store any items in the loft, as they are not meant for that purpose, and can be dangerous.

Aerials

You must not put up a Citizens Band Radio aerial, satellite dish or similar item (excluding TV and radio aerials) unless you have our written permission.

Insurance

We are responsible for insuring the structure of the building. You are responsible for insuring your personal contents and belongings. We strongly advise you to take out contents insurance. We can provide details of a low cost insurance scheme, please contact us for more details.

Periods Away From Home

You must write and tell us if you are going to be away from the property for more than 28 days consecutively or if the property is unoccupied regularly during the week, e.g. because you work away from home.

Main Home

You must live in the property as your only or main (principal) home. If you do not, you will lose your security of tenure and we may be entitled to regain possession.

Gardens

You must keep all garden areas neat and tidy – lawns must be cut and hedges trimmed. If the garden is overgrown and there is not a good reason why you have not maintained it, we may do the work and charge you for it. Alternatively, we may take Court action against you and recover our costs.

You must not store rubbish, allow rubbish to accumulate, store furniture or household appliances in the garden area. If we note you are doing this we will give you seven days’ notice to remove the items. If you do not remove them we may do it for you and charge you. Or, we may take Court action against you and recover our costs.

We can enter the property and do any work we think is necessary if you neglect your garden. You may have to pay us for any work we have to do.

Boundary Fences, Hedges, Bushes and Trees

You must obtain our prior written permission before removing, altering, replacing or planting any boundary hedges, or bushes or removing any tree from your garden.

You must also obtain our permission before replacing any boundary fence, hedge or bush. Hedges should not be more than two metres high. Fences should not be more than one metre high at the front and two metres high at the back. You must maintain the hedges, bushes and trees at the property.

You must not alter, move or otherwise interfere with the existing position of the boundaries of your home.

Garages, Sheds, Greenhouses, Conservatories and other Structures

You must not build or put up any garage, shed, greenhouse, conservatory, or similar structure unless you have our written permission. You will be responsible for any maintenance and at the end of your tenancy, you may have to remove any structures you have put up.

Dangerous Items

You must not leave any dangerous items e.g. used syringes in areas where people or visitors to your property may come in contact with them.

Shared Areas

You must keep all shared stairways, halls, landings and stores clean and free from obstruction. You must not leave any personal belongings or rubbish in these areas.

You must not use these areas for storage. We may remove anything you leave in these areas without notice to you and charge you for the cost of removal and disposal.

You must make sure that all secure entrance doors are kept fully closed at all times for the safety and security of all residents.

You must not interfere with or alter lighting or other equipment in any shared area or lift.

You must not smoke in enclosed communal areas as this is illegal. You may smoke inside your flat but you must ensure that your dwelling entrance door leading onto the enclosed communal area is closed.

Mobility Scooters

Mobility scooters must not be kept in communal areas, hallways or landings. Before you obtain a mobility scooter you must ensure that you can get it inside your own dwelling for safe storage. Mobility scooters must not be charged in communal areas.

Land Owned By Us

You must not enter other land owned by us without either good reason or written permission. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • parking cars or any other vehicle other than on a roadway or car park
  • entering other tenants’ gardens and communal areas without invitation from a tenant or resident of that area.

Vehicles

You, or anyone living with you or visiting you, must not do any of the following:

  • Park any vehicle anywhere on the property unless the property has an approved hardstanding with a dropped kerb
  • Park any motor home, caravan, boat or trailer at the property unless you have our written permission
  • Park any vehicle over 1.5 tonnes in weight at the property
  • Park any vehicle on grassed areas, including grass verges or any other land not specifically designated for that purpose
  • Receive payment for repairing any vehicle at the property. If we suspect that you are being paid for repairing a vehicle, we may ask you to prove that you own the vehicle
  • Carry out major repairs to any vehicle at the property
  • Park any vehicle, which is illegal or not roadworthy on any land belonging to us. We will ask you to remove it within seven days of us giving you notice. If you do not remove it, we may remove the vehicle and charge you. Or, we may take Court action against you and recover our costs
  • Keep motorbikes or any petrol driven motor inside the property or in shared areas.
  • Park vehicles which cause an obstruction to other road users, including emergency services vehicles.

Business

You must not use the property for running either a trade or business without having our written permission and if appropriate applying for and receiving Planning Permission from Bassetlaw District Council’s Planning Department.

You must not display any sign or notice board about any business.

Storage and Dangerous Substances

You must not keep any dangerous materials, bottled gas, paraffin and petrol at the property (except for a small amount to use in lawnmowers or similar garden tools, which must be stored in a proper container and secured in a shed or similar structure).

You must not use portable gas heaters at the property.

If you need to use and store oxygen cylinders at your home because of a medical condition you must tell us immediately and agree suitable storage arrangements.

Pets

You may keep only domesticated pets at the property, e.g: dogs, cats, caged birds, hamsters, rabbits or fish and may only keep a reasonable number of such pets.

You must not keep the following animals: 

Dangerous Dogs (as classified under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991)

  • Any dangerous animal
  • All wild animals and wild birds
  • All poisonous insects and spiders
  • All poisonous snakes and any snake longer than 60 centimetres
  • All poisonous fish, crocodiles and alligators
  • All livestock such as horses, sheep, cattle and fowl and poultry (chickens etc)

If you want to keep an animal in a flat you must have our written permission. We normally only give permission for a dog to be kept in a flat which has direct access to a secure, enclosed, private garden area.

If you want to build an aviary or keep pigeons in a pigeon loft, you must first get our written permission. If we give you our permission, we have set conditions that you must keep to. If you do not keep to the conditions, or your birds cause a nuisance, we will take away our permission.

If you want to breed animals or birds at the property you must first have our written permission. We do not encourage the breeding of animals in our properties.

Any animal must be kept under proper control at all times and you must not allow them to cause a nuisance to anyone in the local area, including our employees, agents and contractors.

You must not allow any animal to foul inside your property or communal areas. If you exercise your pet in your garden or in the local area, you must remove and dispose of any waste produced by the pet.

We reserve the right to ask you to remove any animal we consider is unsuitable to be kept at your home.

If you keep any animal that we do not allow or feel is unsuitable, or you do not keep an animal in accordance with these rules, we reserve the right to ask you to remove any animal from your home.

Due to the nature of Supported Living accommodation, we only allow small caged birds and small fish in tanks to be kept.

You must not ‘pet-sit’ or temporarily look after someone else’s pet if the animal does not meet these conditions.

Solar PV Panels

Your property may currently or in future be fitted with Solar (PV) panels. This is done to enable you to benefit from free electricity generated during daylight hours.

Where we are in a position to offer Solar (PV) panels, tenants will be offered the choice as to whether or not they want them fitting to their property.

Where Solar PV panels are fitted, you agree to:

  • Allow the Contractor access to your property to carry out the installation/essential maintenance of the system.
  • Not interfere with or cause damage to the panels, wiring, or equipment installed in the loft
  • Immediately report any accidental damage to the panels, wiring, or equipment installed in the loft and not attempt any repairs yourself
  • Not store possessions in the loft that could impede access to or affect the performance of the equipment. On some occasions, we may not allow access to the loft space (see later section for more information on lofts)
  • Not deliberately cause disconnection of the electricity supply to the equipment in the lofts.

We do not allow the installation of your own, or privately contracted Solar (PV) panels on your property.

Section 9: Anti-Social Behaviour and Neighbour Nuisance

What we will do

We will try to make sure that you can enjoy your property and do not have to put up with your neighbours or their visitors causing problems of neighbour nuisance in the local area.


If you report anti-social behaviour, we will give you help and advice. We will investigate your complaint, keep you up-to-date with progress and take action to tackle the problem.
We may suggest in some circumstances that you meet our mediators who will try to help you and your neighbour find a solution to the problem.

Legal Action

We may take legal action against you if you (or anyone living with you or visiting you) cause harassment or victimisation, or break any condition of this Tenancy Agreement.

We may take legal action against you if you (or anyone living with you or visiting you) use the property for dealing in drugs or any other controlled substance.

We may also take legal action if you (or anyone living with you or visiting you) cause nuisance and annoyance to neighbours or use the property for immoral or illegal purposes.

This includes misusing drugs or alcohol.

We have the right to apply for and obtain injunctions to prevent actual or threatened serious breaches of this Agreement. We may also seek any legal remedies to enforce the conditions contained in this Agreement that may be appropriate.

Your Responsibilities

You are responsible for your own behaviour, those living with you and your visitors, therefore you must ensure that:

  • You or a person residing in or visiting the property does not cause nuisance, harassment, danger or annoyance to a person residing, visiting or otherwise engaging in a lawful activity in the locality, in particular on the grounds of race, gender, sexual orientation, religious or political belief, age or disability
  • You or a person residing in or visiting the property does not commit an indictable offence in the dwelling or in the local area
  • No violence, danger, nuisance or verbal abuse is caused or threatened by you to any Officer or Member of the Council either in the offices or elsewhere
  • Your pets do not cause nuisance and annoyance to others

You must not engage in anti-social behaviour or allow anyone in your household or visitors to your home to engage in anti-social behaviour in the local area.

Examples of nuisance and anti-social behaviour include but are not limited to the following:

You, or people living in or visiting the property, must not, whilst at the property:

  • Play loud music
  • Use foul and abusive language or shout
  • Allow dogs to bark at excessive levels, or at unsocial hours, foul in the local area and roam around on their own
  • Slam or bang doors
  • Threaten or use violence
  • Use or deal in illegal drugs or controlled substances
  • Cause nuisance as a result of misusing alcohol or drugs
  • Play ball games close to a neighbour’s home in a public area causing a nuisance
  • Dump rubbish in the local area
  • Use or carry offensive weapons in the local area or neighbourhood
  • Cause damage to property
  • Spray or write graffiti
  • Carry out major repairs to cars
  • Throw items out of windows
  • Damage or threaten to damage another person’s home or belongings
  • Carry out DIY (home maintenance) and housekeeping activities at unreasonable times
  • Carry out any act that interferes with the peace or comfort of another person, or which inconveniences another person
  • You must not harass or use mental, emotional or sexual abuse to make anyone who lives with you leave the property
  • Excessively burn rubbish or other items in your garden that causes a nuisance to your neighbours

Domestic Violence

You must not inflict domestic violence or threaten violence against any other person (either living with you or in another council home). Evidence of domestic violence does not rely on a criminal charge and we may take legal action based on evidence from the victim or other witnesses.

If you inflict domestic violence or threaten violence against your partner and they leave your home because of the violence or threat of violence and they do not intend to return, we have the right to apply to the Court for repossession.

Our Staff and People Working For Us

You must not (and not allow others living in or visiting your property) be abusive or threatening towards any people who work for us or on our behalf.

Illegal and Immoral use of your Home

You must not allow any use of your home, or any shared areas (e.g. balconies, and hallways in blocks of flats), to be used for illegal or immoral purposes

These include, but are not limited to:

  • receiving, handling or storing stolen goods
  • using, supplying and possessing controlled drugs and any other prohibited or dangerous substances
  • possessing illegal firearms or other illegal weapons

Displaying of Signs, Notices or Adverts

You must not display any sign, notice, advert, or display anything that:

  • is obscene, indecent or pornographic
  •  could cause or encourage the hatred of others
    because of their colour, race, nationality,ethnic or national origins, religion, sexuality, age or disability
  • could reasonably be seen to cause offence to a neighbour or any person passing the property
  • using your home for prostitution

Last Updated on Tuesday, May 5, 2026