Consultation on updated Tenancy Agreement

Your Tenancy Agreement is a legally binding contract between you, as the tenant, and us, as your landlord. It sets out your rights and your responsibilities as well as our obligations to you.

Your Tenancy Agreement covers things including:

• your right to live in the property, confirming that you can remain in the property so long as you follow the terms of the tenancy agreement
• other rights you are entitled to, such as the right to repair and the right to buy
• what your responsibilities are, such as paying your rent on time and not causing anti-social behaviour or nuisance
• what our responsibilities are, such as ensuring your home is safe to live in and carrying our necessary repairs
• permissions, guests and behaviour, outlining what you’re allowed to do and what you need our permission for, like keeping pets, taking in lodgers or making alterations to your home
• how your tenancy can be terminated, including how you or the council can end your tenancy, what notice applies and what your responsibilities are before your tenancy ends.

You can find out more about the types of tenancies we offer by visiting our dedicated webpage.

• Types of tenancies

We are proposing to make these changes for the following reasons:

• to reflect recent legislative and regulatory changes – including the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, Awaab’s Law and the updated Consumer Standards
• to reflect good practice on tenancy management – ensuring our policies support safe, respectful communities and effective housing services
• to make the agreement clearer and easier to understand – so you can confidently know your rights, responsibilities and what to expect from the council as your landlord. We have also included new sections: ‘Your Rights’, ‘Household Waste and Recycling’, and ‘Permissions’.

A list of all the proposed changes being made to your Tenancy Agreement was posted to you. You can access an online version of this in the document section on this webpage.

In summary, the major changes are:

• introducing a ‘Your Rights’ table, to make it easier and simpler for you to understand what your rights are depending on what tenancy you have
• including a ‘Household Waste and Recycling’ section, to make it easier and clearer for you to know what your responsibilities are, and to help tackle waste issues. The current tenancy agreement does not have this section
• including a ‘Permissions’ section, to make it easier and clearer for you to know when you need our permission before you do something, for example making improvements to your home.
• needing our permission to keep a pet in your home, which applies to all properties and helps us manage pet numbers and keep our neighbourhoods and communities safe and well looked after.

Please note, if you have a pet and haven’t told us before, let us know now. When the updated Tenancy Agreement comes into effect, having a pet without our permission will be a breach of the new terms and conditions.

To inform us, please contact us on 01304 801084 or email housing@dover.gov.uk

You are not being asked to move from your home and you are not being evicted.

At this stage, you will not see any changes to your Tenancy Agreement. You are being invited to read the draft updated Tenancy Agreement and documents, and give us your comments and views by completing our online survey.

Following the consultation, we will consider all views and comments received. Subject to any amendments from views and comments received, we will serve you a Notice of Variation. This is a formal legal notice that confirms the final changes to your Tenancy Agreement and tells you the date those changes will take effect.

You will not need to sign a new Tenancy Agreement.

The process for making changes to your Tenancy Agreement is set out in legislation, which we must follow. In addition to this, we must also follow the council’s internal governance processes which involves internal consultation and seeking Cabinet approval.

The below infographic provides an overview of the process we are following to make changes to your tenancy agreement.

Am I being evicted?

No. You are not being evicted. We are proposing to make changes to your Tenancy Agreement. The reasons why are listed in the letter we sent you.

Are you ending my tenancy?

No, we are not ending your tenancy, we are simply proposing to make changes to your Tenancy Agreement.

Are my rights changing?

No, your rights as a tenant are not changing as these are protected by law. We’ve made it clearer for you on what these are (section 2 of the draft).

However, some of your responsibilities might be changing. We advise that you read through the draft Tenancy Agreement and other documents available to you as these tell you what those changes are.

Will I see any changes now?

No, there will be no immediate changes to your current Tenancy Agreement during the consultation phase. We will tell you in another letter when those changes will start from.

Will I be told when the changes will start/be effective from?

Yes. We will tell you when the updated Tenancy Agreement will be effective from.

We do this by posting another letter to you called a Notice of Variation. This tells you that we will be making changes, and it will tell you when those changes start. We must also post this to you with at least four weeks’ notice, but we’ll endeavour to do this sooner, so you have more time to prepare.

Will I get a copy of the new Tenancy Agreement?

Yes. You will receive a copy of the updated Tenancy Agreement in the post after the consultation period has ended, and it has been approved by Cabinet. A copy will also be available on our website so you can easily download and access this.

I want to tell you what I think. How can I do that?

You can let us know your thoughts and feelings on the changes, by completing the survey using the QR code or link provided in the letter we sent you. You can also complete the survey by clicking the 'complete the survey' button at the top on this webpage.

Completing the survey online is the quickest and easiest way to feedback your views and comments.

Your views and comments, and those from other tenants, will be read once the consultation ends. We’ll see what you and other tenants have said and look to make any meaningful and necessary changes.

Is the length of my tenancy changing?

No, the length of your tenancy is not changing.

Is the type of tenancy I have changing?

No, you will keep the tenancy you’re on, unless you’re nearing the end of your Introductory Tenancy. If you are, we will write to you separately about this.

Do I have to change my tenancy, or can I stay with my current one?

There is no need to change the tenancy you’re on. You can stay on the tenancy you have. If you have any questions about your tenancy, please contact us on 01304 801084 or email housing@dover.gov.uk (opens in new tab)

Can I complete the survey by post?

Yes, you can complete the survey by post. To request this, please contact us on 01304 801084 or email us housing@dover.gov.uk (opens in new tab)

Is my rent/service charge going to change because of the new Tenancy Agreement?

No, your rent will not change because we are proposing to make changes to your Tenancy Agreement.

Rent changes and variations are dealt with differently. You will be told about any changes to your rent via a separate letter we send to you called a Rent Variation notice.

My neighbours have received a letter, but I haven’t. Why?

If you are an introductory or secure tenant you should have received a letter from us. If you have not, please get in touch with us on 01304 801084 or email housing@dover.gov.uk (opens in new tab)

If you are on a Flexible Tenancy, you are not being consulted at this time. If you have a question about your Flexible Tenancy, please contact us.

Question not listed?

Please contact us by speaking to one of the team on 01304 801084 or email your question to tenantinvolvement@dover.gov.uk (opens in new tab)