About Your Tenancy

The PDF file Tenant Handbook (2294KB - 17 May 2011 - PDF Help) contains lots of information on many issues about living in your home.  Some information is also given on the page below.

Introductory tenancy

If you have become a tenant within the last twelve months you will have an PDF file introductory tenancy (87KB - 19 April 2011 - PDF Help).  Introductory tenancies usually last for twelve months from the tenancy start date but in certain circumstances will be extended for a further six months.  After the introductory period your tenancy will automatically become a secure tenancy unless we have begun proceedings to end the tenancy due to a breach of the tenancy agreement.

Secure tenancy

Most of our tenants have a PDF file secure tenancy (195KB - 19 April 2011 - PDF Help) with us.  As a secure tenant, we won't interfere with your rights to occupy your home unless you break any of your obligations in the Tenancy Agreement.

We can't make you leave your home without getting a Possession Order from a County Court.

Reasons why we may seek to get a Possession Order would include:

  • Refusal to pay your rent
  • Misuse of the property
  • Not living in the property as your principal home

Non Secure tenancy

If you are living in temporary accommodation you will have a PDF file non secure tenancy (269KB - 09 January 2012 - PDF Help) with us.  This does not give you as many rights as a secure tenant. For example you will not have the right to buy your property. If you need any further information about this, please contact our Housing Needs team on 01395 517469 or email housingneeds@eastdevon.gov.uk.

Joint tenancies

A joint tenancy is a tenancy granted to two or more (up to a maximum of four) people.

If you are a joint tenant you should be aware that each tenant is jointly and separately liable for the obligations under the tenancy agreement.  Also if one of the joint tenants ends the tenancy this will end the tenancy for everyone, and all joint tenants will need to leave the property.

Letting us know who is living at the property

At the start of your tenancy you will be asked for the names of all the occupants of the property, and a contact person or next of kin in case of emergencies.  We ask that you update this information on an annual basis.

Taking over a tenancy when someone dies

‘Succession’ is when a tenant dies and the tenancy can sometimes be taken over by another member of the household.  You can succeed to the tenancy if you are living in the property as your only or principal home at the time of the tenant's death and (a) you are the tenant's spouse or civil partner, or (b) you are another member of the tenant's family and have lived with the tenant throughout the period of 12 months ending with the tenant's death.

The size of your family must be appropriate to the size of the property.  If the property is not suitable for your needs (for example the property becomes underoccupied) we may request you to move to a more suitable property.  We can only use this reason between 6 and 12 months after the previous tenant's death and only by court order.

Only one succession is allowed by the Housing Act 1985.  Where a joint tenant becomes a sole tenant this counts as the one succession allowed by law.

Lodgers and Subletting

A lodger is a person who pays you money to share the property (rent a room and share household facilities).  You do not need our permission to take in a lodger but you do need to let us know who is living at the property.   

You may sublet part of the property with our written consent but you must not sublet the whole property as this invalidates your secure tenancy.  Subletting is when a sub tenancy is created out of the secure tenancy which gives up possession of all or part of the property.

For more information and advice about this please contact our Estate Management team on 01395 517458. Further information can also be found on our Lodgers and Subletting page.

More details about your tenancy can be found within our frequently asked questions.

Page last updated on 9 January 2012