Your Tenancy

Your tenancy is the agreement between you (the tenant) and North Devon Homes (the landlord). When you accept a property from us, you sign a tenancy agreement. This means that you have accepted the rules for living in the property. These are called the terms and conditions. As a tenant, you have rights and responsibilites; please make sure you understand what these are, or ask us to explain them for you.

The terms of the tenancy agreement do not usually change after you have signed it, only the amount of rent and service charge (if applicable) you pay will change. There are rules we have to follow to tell you about any changes to your rent and service charges and we will tell you about it in 
advance of any changes being made. 
The type of tenancy you will be offered will depend on the property you are moving into and your personal circumstances. Our lettings officer or neighbourhood officers can give you more information and advice about your tenancy.

A tenancy agreement is a legal document, so once a tenancy is created, extra people cannot be added  or removed. If you would like to make changes, a new tenancy agreement must be created. If you would like to request a change to the people named on your tenancy agreement please complete the online form on our website.
 

Examples of situations where you may need to make changes to the people named on your tenancy agreement may include:

• When you have separated from your partner/spouse
• When a person named on your tenancy agreement has died
• When you have got married
• When you or someone named on your tenancy agreement has changed their name by deed poll
• When you have a new partner (please note if you would like to make someone a joint tenant, we will need to see proof that they have been living at the address for at least 12 months)

These are the main rules of your tenancy that you must keep to:

• You must pay your rent, service charges and bills on time.

• You must keep up to date with your rent and household bills. If you are struggling, please contact our Money Matters Team on 01271 312500 for advice.

• Report all repairs to us - this is very important, as your landlord, we must keep your home safe and in good condition. You must allow us to come into your home when we need to do repairs and carry out health and safety inspections or other services. You must also allow us access if we need to reach neighbouring properties through your home - for example, the put up scaffolding to carry out repair works. 

• Some repairs are your responsibility (see ????).

• Keep your property tidy

• You are responsible for getting rid of all your rubbish, including old furniture or large things you do not want any more. You may need to drive them to the local recycling centre or arrange a bulky waste collection through the local district council.

• Do not damage your property - you must look after everything that is in your home when you move in, these are called the fixtures and fittings. They include things like doors, windows, storage heaters, electrics and any other part of the property or outside space.

• The property is your only home

• If you move somewhere else and do not tell us, or if you sub-let the property to someone else, you have broken the tenancy agreement and acted illegally. If this happens we will take legal action.

• It is fine to have a friend to stay with you, but if you want someone to move in to live with you permanently, like a partner or a lodger, please contact us first to ask permission.

Your Neighbourhoods Team

All of our customers have a Neighbourhood Officer. You will meet them after you have moved into your new home. They will arrange to visit you to check you are settling in and answer any questions.

You can speak to your Neighbourhood Officer about things such as anti-social behaviour or issues with communal areas, you can also talk to them if you are struggling and would like some support. This might be about money, your mental health or something else.