3 anyone else, except by mutual exchange. Please remember that taking in lodgers could reduce your entitlement to benefits.
Right to Buy & Right to Acquire All our properties are let on assured tenancies that are not subject to the Right to Buy. The Right to Acquire is the right in certain circumstances to buy your home from your landlord. If your home was acquired by RFHA after 1 April 1997 then the Right to Acquire may apply. If you would like further information or an application form please contact the office on 01933 411400.
Pets Permission is not needed for a small animal, such as a fish or rabbit, but is needed for other pets such as a cat or dog. You must not allow your pet to cause a nuisance to your neighbours and you must ensure your garden is adequately fenced if you have a cat or dog. Please clear up any dog mess from your garden as it can spread disease.
Don’t et let your p become a ! nuisance
Permission will be withdrawn if your pet causes damage to our property or a nuisance to neighbours, in which case you would be required to arrange for it to be re-homed.
You are not allowed to carry out repairs to any vehicle, in your front or back garden, driveway or estate that does not belong to you or someone in your household.
Refuse collection Please make sure that all your rubbish is disposed of correctly, in the wheelie bins provided, on the correct day for collection. If you live in a flat, you are responsible for keeping the bin and bin areas clean and tidy.
About Your Tenancy
Large items of rubbish such as old furniture, toys or prams can be removed by arrangement with the local Council. In some areas this service is available free of charge. For more information telephone the Waste Management Helpline on 01832 742026.
Gardens You are responsible for keeping your garden in a clean and tidy condition. This includes maintaining shrubs and trees to a reasonable height and ensuring they do not obstruct footpaths and roads, or overhang fences, neighbouring properties and guttering to the extent that these are damaged. If you would like to make improvements to your garden, such as putting up a fence or laying a patio, you will need our written permission.
Vehicles and parking Any car or light van parked on our property must be taxed and roadworthy. The vehicle must be parked in a garage or other parking area.
RFHA. St. Peter’s House, 101 Wellingborough Road, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 9YL Tel: 01933 411400
Quality Homes
Excellent Services
Community Values
Exceeding Expectations
RF/RP:04.2012
Doc. 3-10
Email: info@rfha.org.uk
Your legal rights and responsibilities as a tenant
3
About Your Tenancy
: y c n a n e T r u o Y n? a e m it s e o d What There are many things to bear in mind about your tenancy. Most are common sense and following the guidelines contained in this leaflet should ensure a happy and trouble free tenancy.
Starter Tenancies: What are they? Most of our properties are let on a Starter Tenancy. You will have been advised when you signed your Tenancy Agreement if you are a starter tenant.
3 types cy of tenan by are used RFHA
A Starter Tenancy is a 12 month trial tenancy which we give to all new tenants. You will have fewer rights and less protection from eviction than with a full Assured Tenancy and in particular you will not be able to:
• Noise nuisance • Vehicle nuisance • Dumping of rubbish, untidy gardens • Damaging the property • Rent arrears
• Transfer to another property • Exchange properties with another tenant • Buy the property • Make any improvements to the property
How we can help you
Provided you do not break the terms of your agreement, the tenancy automatically becomes fully assured at the end of the 12 months’ trial period. When this takes place you will get all of the additional rights mentioned above and we will write to you to confirm your new status.
Why use them? About a quarter of all our new tenancies start to fail in the first year so this period can be quite risky for both you and us. Also, you need to get to know us and the way we operate and what we expect of you as a tenant. We want to help you succeed with your tenancy and this is a good way to do it.
Excellent Services
Community Values
Exceeding Expectations
We believe it’s important to offer plenty of support to new tenants to give them the best chance of success. Your Starter Tenancy will be monitored closely so that any problems can be addressed as soon as they arise. You will get a visit from us no later than 3 months after your tenancy begins and again at 9 months. If specific problems come up, additional visits may be arranged to discuss and monitor the situation.
Assured Tenancies After 12 months, providing there have been no issues, your Starter Tenancy will convert to a Full Assured Tenancy. This is a more secure form of tenure.
Joint Tenancy
Starter Tenancies are a good tool for tackling unacceptable behaviour because it is quicker, cheaper and easier to end them if things go badly wrong. Landlords can terminate a Starter Tenancy by giving 2 months’ written notice and using an accelerated court procedure.
We will usually give joint tenancies to married couples and registered civil partners and to co-habitees who have lived together for at least a year. Each joint tenant has equal rights over the tenancy and is responsible for meeting the tenancy obligations, including paying the rent. If one joint tenant dies the tenancy will automatically transfer to the other party.
Grounds for terminating a Starter Tenancy include: Violence, abuse, or harassment Illegal use of drugs
If a relationship breaks down we cannot decide who should keep the tenancy. This can only be decided by agreement between all parties or by a court of law.
• • Quality Homes
Always your consider s’ neighbour feelings
Occupying your home You must occupy your property as your main or principal home. If you expect to be away from home for a long time you should discuss the matter with your Housing Officer to avoid any problems occurring which could affect your tenancy. Your tenancy grants you the legal right to quiet and enjoyment of your home. If someone or something is preventing you from doing this, please let us know. We cannot end your tenancy without a court order. You must however grant us access from time to time to carry out repairs and inspect the property.
Succession Succession means who, if anyone, can take over your tenancy if you die. The law on succession is complex and you should contact your Housing Officer if you would like to discuss this in detail. The general principles are that when you die, the tenancy will usually pass to the surviving partner. If you do not have a partner living with you, and you are concerned about what will happen to other family members living in your home in the event of your death, your Housing Officer will be able to offer advice.
Lodgers and others in your home You will need our written permission if you would like someone else to move into your home with you. You will also need to provide the name, address and gender of this person in writing. You are not allowed to move out of your home and let it to someone else. Nor can you give your tenancy to