Secure Tenancies
A Secure Tenancy is granted to existing tenants who have completed an introductory tenancy, or if they are transferring from another social housing provider.
You may also be given a secure tenancy if you are entitled to succeed or assign the tenancy. The following information gives more information about this.
What are my rights as a secure tenant?
As a secure tenant you have the right to the following benefits:
Right to succession
If you are the only tenant when you die there are certain rules about who the tenancy can be passed on to. The legal process is called succession and can only happen once.
Your tenancy may be passed on to your husband, wife or civil partner if they lived with you in the property at the time of your death. If you do not have a spouse or partner, your relative may be able to take over the tenancy instead, providing they lived with you for the past twelve-months.
Right to Repair
The right to repair is a scheme for tenants that makes sure certain small urgent repairs, which might affect your health, safety or security are done quickly and easily.
Your housing office can give you more details about qualifying repairs, how long it has to carry them out and how the compensation scheme works.
Right to assignment
An assignment allows secure tenants to give their tenancy to someone else.
Tenants can assign their tenancy to any person who would be eligible to take on the tenancy by succession. This includes couples who aren’t married or registered as civil partners.
Right to Buy
You may have the right to buy your home if you are a secure tenant and the property is your only home.
The qualifying period is two years for tenancies that started before 18 January 2005 and five years for those that started after this date.
Right to take in lodgers or sublet your home
You have the right to take in a lodger and may be able to sublet part of your home.
Written permission must be granted from us and we may refuse your request in certain circumstances.
Right to improve your home
You have the right to make improvements to your home but you must get written permission from us first.
Even if we give our written permission, you may still need planning permission and must meet building regulations.
We may withdraw our permission if a nuisance is caused.
Right to transfer or exchange your home
You can request to transfer to another property managed by us or another housing association.
You may also swap homes by mutual exchange with another tenant, possibly from other areas outside of Gateshead.
You must have written permission from us before you exchange.
Right to be involved in the management of your home
The Gateshead Housing Company and Gateshead Council has to consult with you about decisions that affect you.
We will take your views into account when we make decisions about how your home is managed.
This will include decisions about whether your building or estate, or all the council properties in your area should be sold to a housing association.
What happens if a secure tenant breaks the tenancy agreement?
You can stay in your home as long as you wish providing we have not started legal proceedings to evict you.
To evict you we must obtain a court order.
The most common reasons for eviction are:
• Not paying your rent
• Causing anti-social behaviour
• Using the property for illegal activities
• Moving out of the property without telling us.
Can my secure tenancy be demoted?
Yes, a secure tenancy can be demoted.
A demoted tenancy will limit your rights and provide less protection from eviction.
We would have to apply to court to demote your tenancy and we could do this if you:
• Behave anti-socially
• Cause a nuisance
• Threaten others
• Use your home for illegal purposes.
If my tenancy is demoted will I become a secure tenant again?
A demotion of tenancy usually lasts for one year, unless we ,start legal proceedings against you.
If you do not breach your tenancy within the twelve-month demoted period you should automatically become a secure tenant again after this period.
Where can I get more information?
You should ask at your nearest housing office for more information.
Our employees will help with any housing queries you may have.
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