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We provide a range of tenancy types to meet different needs and circumstances. Each tenancy comes with its own rights and responsibilities, and is designed to offer the right level of stability and support for your situation.
Introductory tenancy
An introductory tenancy is a probationary tenancy granted to new tenants and is intended to help landlords see whether their new tenants will be able to manage their tenancies effectively. If there are problems during the probationary period, landlords can take steps to end the tenancy more easily.
All new council tenants will be offered a 12-month introductory tenancy at the start of their tenancy.
If needed we can take steps to extend the introductory tenancy by a further six months. If at any point during the probationary period you break the terms of the tenancy agreement, we may take steps to bring the introductory tenancy to an end through possession proceedings.
At the end of the introductory period, tenants who have demonstrated they can manage their tenancy will move onto a secure tenancy.
There are limits to what you can do with an introductory tenancy, for example you cannot:
make major improvement to the property
swap your property with another council tenant (mutual exchange)
apply to buy your property through the Right to Buy scheme.
Secure tenancy
A secure tenancy, sometimes referred to as a secure lifetime tenancy, has no end date.
This means that if you conduct your tenancy properly and do not break any of the conditions of the tenancy agreement you can continue to live in your home indefinitely. There are some very rare occasions when you might still be asked to move despite your tenancy being conducted well, but these are usually connected with a need for us to redevelop the area. A secure tenancy is the most secure type of tenancy provided, and can only be offered by us.
A secure tenancy is offered to tenants who have successfully completed an introductory tenancy without breaking with their tenancy agreement.
As a secure tenant you have improved rights.
You can:
rent out rooms but you cannot sub-let the whole property
apply to buy your home under the Right to Buy scheme, although there are some types of property that are exempt from the scheme
apply through the mutual exchange scheme to swap your home with another council or housing association tenant with our permission
make improvement to your home (you’ll need permission from us for some types of work)
A demoted tenancy is applied for by us by court order when a tenant has broken with the conditions of their tenancy agreement, used or threatened to use the property for an unlawful purpose, or has been the cause of or been involved in anti-social behaviour.
A demoted tenancy lasts for 12 months and at the end we will decide whether to resume the tenancy or issue a notice for eviction. During the demoted tenancy tenants can be evicted much more easily than a secure or flexible tenant.
A demoted tenancy is very similar to an introductory tenancy in that you have limited rights and less protection from eviction than a secure or flexible tenancy.
If you do not cause nuisance or break your tenancy agreement in any other way and you have complied with the court order, your tenancy will revert back to a secure tenancy.
If you do not comply with the court order, we will:
obtain a possession order to evict you, and
serve a four-week notice with decision to seek possession of the property.
Non-secure tenancy
These types of tenancies are granted where the tenancy is not intended to be permanent, for example when we have accepted a duty to re-house a homeless person or family in temporary accommodation by virtue of homelessness legislation.
As a non-secure tenant there are limits as to what you can do due to the nature of the tenure. You will not be able to:
rent out rooms
buy your property through the Right to Buy scheme
swap you home with another council or housing association tenant with our permission
transfer your tenancy to someone else in some circumstances.
