Your tenancy
The information on this page is a guide to your tenancy.
Your Tenancy Agreement provides a fuller description of tenant responsibilities and can be printed for you if needed, just give us a call on 0300 330 7003. You can also watch our handy video.
As a tenant you are responsible for:
- living in the property as your main home and paying the rent and any other charges in full when they are due
- taking care of the property
- keeping the inside properly decorated, and do any repairs you are responsible for
- making sure that members of your household, guests, visitors or pets do not cause nuisance or annoy neighbours and behave in a reasonable way
- making sure there is no harassment or threatening behaviour towards anyone, including our staff and contractors
- informing us when you are going to be away from your home for more than 4 weeks, for example if you are going into hospital
- giving us 4 weeks written notice of wanting to move out of the property (except for transfers) and leaving it in good condition when you leave.
Ever wondered which repairs you are responsible for? Click here to find out
Permission to make changes to your home
If you would like any changes or modifications to your home, you first need to request permission.
We have created an online form to make the process easier. Once submitted, one of our team will review this and get back to you on whether this has been approved.
Please fill out the form with as much detail as possible to give our team a good idea of the works you’re planning.
NPH is responsible for:
- consulting with you before we make any changes to your tenancy
- keeping your home in good repair (including internal communal areas and garages)
Your Tenancy Agreement may be secure or an introductory tenancy, which will be followed by a secure tenancy as long as all tenancy conditions have been met.
If you hold a joint tenancy then both parties are responsible for all of the terms of the tenancy agreement being met, such as paying the rent and not causing a nuisance and annoyance to others. There may be a time when you want us to consider changing your sole tenancy into a joint tenancy with another person. We will consider such requests to include your relationship with the other person, whether they live with you and, if so, how long that has been.
If you want us to consider another person being added to your tenancy then you may request this by emailing Neighbourhoods@nph.org.uk with the following details:
- your name
- address
- phone number
- email address
- who you would like to add to the tenancy
We will also need the full name, address and contact details for the person you would like to add to the tenancy. We will then contact you to make an appointment.
Click here to open your NPH Tenancy Agreement
You can read more on each below:
We require at least 4 full weeks’ notice that you wish to end your tenancy, ending on a Sunday.
To do this, complete a Notice of intention to terminate a tenancy form.
If you are transferring your tenancy or moving to a Housing Association, moving to another local authority, moving into temporary accommodation, moving to a nursing or residential home you will need to give 1 full weeks’ notice ending on a Sunday. If you are terminating your garage license, you will also be required to give 1 full weeks’ notice.
You will continue to be responsible for rent and any other charges until your tenancy ends.
You will need to leave your property clean, clear and in good condition before you leave. If damage has been caused to the property, or clearance is required for old furniture or rubbish, you may be recharged.
Handing in your keys
You will need to label all keys for your property and return them to our office by midday the day after your tenancy ends (usually a Monday).
Keys to be returned (where applicable):
- front door keys and/or fobs
- communal door keys and/or fobs
- car parking fobs
- letterbox keys
- bin store keys
- garage keys
- meter keys (any prepayment meter keys/cards)
- shed keys
Keys should be handed in at the One Stop Shop located in the Guildhall. You will also be given a receipt for your records. If you do not return your keys by midday the day after your tenancy ends, you will be charged additional rent until your keys are returned.
You will need to make sure before you leave your home, that you contact your utility suppliers to make them aware of the date your tenancy ends. You should also make sure to give them your meter readings to ensure your bills are up to date.
These are the most frequently asked questions about ending your tenancy.
We take tenancy fraud very seriously
Tenancy fraud is illegal and action will be taken against people who are caught abusing the system. In some cases we can take re-possession of the property if there is evidence of fraud.
This includes when a home is occupied by someone who should not be living there or where the tenancy has been obtained fraudulently.
Types of Tenancy Fraud
Tenancy Fraud includes:
- Unlawful Subletting – subletting the whole of the property without the landlord’s permission.
- Succession Fraud – when someone continues to live in a property after the tenant has died, falsely claiming to have been resident in order to obtain the tenancy.
- Allocation Fraud – when false information is used on a Housing Application in order to obtain a tenancy.
- Right to Buy Fraud – when false statements are made in order to purchase a property.
- Abandonment – when a tenant is no longer living in the property.
- Key Selling – when a tenant vacates a property and passes on the keys in return for a one off lump sum payment or favour.
- Unauthorised Mutual Exchanges – when tenants swap properties without the landlord’s permission.
If you suspect someone is committing tenancy fraud, please let us know – it could make a home available to an individual or family in genuine need.
Email tenancyfraud@nph.org.uk
All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Some of our properties have garages and we also have stand alone garages in a number of locations – If they become free you can apply for them using our online form.
“We understand that pets are much loved family members and if you live in a house, you can keep a maximum of two dogs provided you have obtained our written permission.
Dogs are not permitted in flats, bedsits or maisonettes unless you are able to demonstrate to our satisfaction that you that you have special circumstances. These could include but are not limited to the following:
- you need a guide dog;
- your GP, or another health or wellbeing professional, has recommended you keep one;
- you are a repeat victim of crime;
You will not be allowed to keep a dog that is covered within the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Please note that it’s a criminal offence to own or possess an XL Bully dog in England and Wales unless you have a valid Certificate of Exemption.
From 6th April 2016 it became compulsory for owners to ensure their dog is microchipped.
If you want to keep a dog then please make sure that you give us enough information to make a decision.
In limited circumstances we offer a free pest control service, delivered by an approved contractor. This service is only available where the pest problem affects a shared communal area for properties such as flats, bedsits and maisonettes.
The type of pests that we can offer an eradication service for include the following:
- Bed Bugs – Due to complex nature of bed bugs and the significant risk of cross contamination to other properties, individual flats, neighbouring and adjacent properties that may have been affected may be surveyed by a pest contractor at a cost covered by NPH. If a property is detected to have bed bugs following a survey and the resident is not subjected to financial hardship, then the resident will be responsible for arranging pest control themselves or can request NPH to arrange this and would be recharged for the services. If a resident experiences an infestation of bed bugs, treatment may be considered subject to an affordability assessment. This will consider other factors such as the likelihood of further cross contamination to other properties if the problem is not treated.
- Rats
- Bees and wasps
- Squirrels
- Pigeons
- Other pests depending on their type and the circumstances
We do not provide a pest control service to tenants that live in houses or where the pest problem is confined to an individual flat, bedsit or maisonette.
If you are suffering from a pest problem, infestation or need further general advice then please contact us directly on 0300 330 7003.
