Termination/Moving

As part of your Tenancy Conditions you:

• must contact us as you are contracted to give four weeks notice in writing before you leave, please contact us for the appropriate form.
• surrender the keys on or before the expiry date of the notice.

You must ensure that we are given vacant possession of the dwelling. If you move without telling us, you will be charged four weeks rent from the time that you moved. If it is suspected that you are not using the property as your principal home, we will undertake investigations. If there is sufficient evidence to support this supposition, save in exceptional circumstances, we will repossess the property and any items left inside will be disposed of. It may, in certain circumstances, be possible to terminate a tenancy giving less than four weeks notice.

This may apply in some cases where notice is being given to terminate the tenancy following the death of a relative.

Rent

It is important to remember that rent must be paid up until the termination of the tenancy. If you are leaving and owe rent, please contact your Area Housing Manager to make an arrangement to clear your account.

You are reminded that when moving house you must fulfil your obligations under the Tenancy Conditions. These state "At the end of the tenancy, the tenant shall leave the dwelling and the Council's fixtures and fittings in the same state as they were at the start of the tenancy, fair wear and tear excepted". If you are leaving the property, for whatever reason, you may be recharged the cost of clearing furniture and other items left in the house, shed, garage or garden, and for the clearing of rubbish other than that placed in the dustbin for disposal in the normal way. The premises should also be left in a clean and tidy condition and in reasonable decorative order, as should the garden. You may also be recharged for the cost of reinstating the property to its original condition as a result of any alterations and or adaptations undertaken by you without the appropriate permission.

The Tenancy Conditions also state "The tenant shall keep the interior of the premises in reasonable decorative order and replace immediately at his/her expense any cracked or broken windows and doors where the breakage has resulted through tenant neglect or damage". The Council reserves the right to recharge you for reinstatement work to restore the property to its original condition. In most cases if you are on the Transfer List you will be required to do the works before being offered alternative accommodation. A common cost incurred comes from the practice of laying carpets using metal or timber battens nailed to the floor, which results in the tiled flooring being damaged when the carpet is later removed. The use of adhesive may cause similar damage. You must also ensure that regularly used chimneys are swept at least once a year, and may be asked to supply documentation or proof that this has been done.

We have prepared a checklist for use when moving properties which may help in making sure all necessary tasks are covered. You can download the check list using this link at the bottom of this page.