The majority of new council tenants receive an introductory tenancy for the first year. Once they have completed the introductory tenancy to our satisfaction, tenants receive a secure tenancy.
Secure tenancies offer additional rights, including the right to buy and the right to exchange.
Providing tenants do not breach the tenancy conditions, a secure tenant can usually keep their tenancy for life.
Download a copy of the council's tenancy conditions
All new tenants receive a copy of the council's Tenant Handbook and the Lettable Standards.
Download a copy of the Tenant Handbook and lettable standards
If you're a sole tenant wishing to create a joint tenancy with your partner, you need to contact your housing officer. Call the housing team on (01788) 533533.
Each joint tenant has responsibility for keeping to all the conditions of the tenancy agreement.
Should your circumstances change, you need to contact your housing officer. Call the housing team on (01788) 533533.
If you wish to change your tenancy you should complete and return this form.
Family members may be eligible to take over the tenancy of a council home when the tenant dies.
The following have the right to succeed a council tenancy:
Due to the pressures of demand on the council's housing stock, if a single person succeeds the tenancy of a family home, the council may decide the property qualifies as under-occupied.
In such circumstance, the council grants succession to the property on a temporary basis until more suitable accommodation can be found.
All tenants MUST GIVE FOUR WEEKS' NOTICE.
A tenancy can only be terminated by:
You can pick up a termination of tenancy form from the Town Hall or download it.
Download the Termination of Tenancy Form
When you give notice, you receive a tenancy termination date when you must return your keys.
Before leaving your council property, you have a number of responsibilities in terms of the cleanliness and repair of the property.
Full details can be found in your Tenant Handbook.
Following the death of a council tenant who lived alone, the tenancy does not end when the tenant dies. A tenancy can only be ended by:
A next of kin, who is not the executor or administrator, cannot end the tenancy.
In the absence of an executor or administrator, by law Rugby Borough Council must serve a Notice to Quit on the public trustee (a public office to which the tenancies of tenants who die without a will, or with a will but no executor, are temporarily transferred).
The tenancy ends four weeks after the council serves the Notice to Quit and rent is charged during this period. Any charges will be made against the former tenant's estate once the tenancy has ended.
Four weeks after the account was closed, a closing statement of the rent account will be sent to the executor, adminstrator or next of kin.
If the tenant was in receipt of Housing Benefit, the payment of benefit stops on the date of death and therefore does not cover any charges after this date.
Access to the property and clearance
If the executor, administrator or any other individual already has keys to the property, Rugby Borough Council will not provide access to the property. However, we can only give keys to the person named as executor or administrator.
Once a disclaimer form has been signed and the keys returned, Rugby Borough Council disposes of any goods not required. We reserve the right to charge disposal costs back to the estate.
For more information about ending a council tenancy, contact us using the details below.