Council House tenancy
How we provide this service
We aim to make sure that residents are able to benefit from the quiet enjoyment of their home. All Council tenants should keep to the conditions of their tenancy (see below) and we will work with tenants to make sure this happens. This service is supported by Housing, Operational.
What is a Tenancy Agreement?
A Tenancy Agreement is a legal document that all new tenants must sign at the start of their tenancy. It is a legal contract, which sets out the rights and responsibilities of both you as a tenant and us as your landlord. By signing the agreement you are agreeing to keep to the conditions of your tenancy.
What are the Tenancy Conditions?
The full list of tenancy conditions is set out in your Tenancy Agreement. The following are just a few examples of the types of behaviour that might break your Tenancy Agreement:
- falling into rent arrears
- failing to occupy the dwelling as your main home
- playing very loud music
- failing to keep your garden in a neat and tidy condition
- failing to let us know about repairs or damage to your home
- selling illegal drugs at the property.
Please download our Tenancy Agreement.
What to do to get this service
Housing officers are on hand during working hours to provide advice and assistance ? phone 01775 761161.
Further Information on this service
Tenant Participation Compact
As part of the Government's agenda to improve services for local people, all Councils with a housing stock are required to produce a Tenant Participation Compact.
A Compact is essentially an agreement about the working relationship between tenants, councillors and housing staff at a local authority. By ensuring that tenants are partners to the agreement, the Government intends that tenants should have the opportunity to have a proper say in how their homes are managed and to then have a real choice in the extent and nature of their involvement.
If you want to find out more about the arrangements in the Tenant Participation Compact or have any comments or queries, please contact Customer Services.
Common Questions
Q. How much notice do I need to give to terminate my tenancy?
A. We normally ask for 4 weeks notice, however, in some cases we will accept less. All tenancies are terminated on a Sunday, we therefore ask that the keys to the property are handed in before 12 noon on the Monday morning. After 12 noon the tenant will be liable for the following week's rent. As soon as we receive the keys we can terminate the tenancy from the Sunday that the day corresponds to.
Q. I have been offered a property, when can I have the keys?
A. We check to see what repairs need doing to the property and will give you a target date. This target date may change if the repairs take longer than anticipated, but we will let you know when the keys are ready for you to collect.
Q. Do we need permission to have a water meter fitted?
A. The Council have already given Anglian Water permission to fit water meters for Council properties.
Q. Which boundary is my responsibility to maintain?
A. Usually, looking at the property from the road, the left hand side boundary is your responsibility to maintain. However, circumstances may differ, in which case you will need to contact Customer Services to arrange a site visit.
Q. Is there a height restriction on hedges?
A. Currently, there is no height restriction on hedges. However fences cannot exceed 1 metre at the front and 2 metres at the rear.
Q. Will the Council help me to look after my garden?
A. At the moment we are unable to offer you any assistance with your garden and ask you to look to family and friends for help. We are currently exploring options through our sheltered housing compacts and hope to be able to offer some assistance in the near future. We can refer you to a contractor, but you will need to pay for any work they carry out.
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Contact Details
If you have any queries about the information provided above, or require further information, please contact Customer Services on 01775 761161 or email info@sholland.gov.uk.
