Ending your tenancy What you need to know

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Sherilyn Williamson
5 years ago
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1 Ending your tenancy What you need to know 3053 ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 1 03/07/ :14

2 Ending your tenancy what you need to know We want to make sure you are able to move out of your home with as little fuss and cost as possible. This leaflet explains what you need to do to end your tenancy with us. Please follow it carefully because you may have to continue paying the weekly rent, or pay the cost of putting right problems that are your responsibility. What you need to do at the end of your tenancy is also set out in your tenancy agreement. A property inspection will be done once you have given us written notice, which may identify work you need to do before the end of the tenancy. You will be charged for any work we have to do for you ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 2 03/07/ :14

3 Clean and clear it pays to clean up! We offer a bonus payment of 100 to encourage you to leave your property in good condition and give us notice when you move out. To qualify, please: Give us four weeks notice in writing Leave a clear rent account at the end of your tenancy Leave the property in a clean, tidy and safe condition with no damage Remove all furniture, belongings and rubbish from the property. This includes loft space, gardens, sheds and any communal areas Return your keys and any security fobs to Bracknell Forest Homes. Ending your tenancy You must give us at least four weeks written notice, ending on a Monday, to end your tenancy. If you need any help putting this notice in writing, please contact us. If you are giving up a garage tenancy you must give at least one week s written notice. If you give less notice than this, or hand in your keys early, we ll charge you rent for the full notice period. If you pay your rent by direct debit, please contact your bank to tell them to stop the payments. If you have rent arrears, you will need to contact your Housing Income Management Officer to make arrangements to pay. If you get housing benefit Please tell the housing benefit office at Bracknell Forest Council that you are moving. If you move out before your notice ends, you may not qualify for housing benefit for the remaining period of your notice because you are only allowed to claim housing benefit for the property you live in and you can only claim on one property. Further advice If you are unsure about whether to end your tenancy, would like more advice about what you need to do, or are a joint tenant please contact your housing officer ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 3 03/07/ :14

This includes anything that has been damaged by your family or visitors. We will send you a letter detailing what needs to be done.

4 What you need to do when you leave Your tenancy agreement sets out what you need to do about the condition of your home. Repairs: When you tell us you are leaving, we ll visit to tell you what you need to do including any work that needs to be done. This includes anything that has been damaged by your family or visitors. We will send you a letter detailing what needs to be done. Before leaving, you must carry out these repairs, to the standard agreed with us (refer to page 2). Items that may need repair include: Broken or cracked glass Damaged or missing doors Damaged kitchen units and work tops Broken or missing wall tiles Holes in plasterwork Broken or missing light fittings and bulb holders Blocked toilets and drains as a result of misuse Broken or missing WC seat, lid or plug and chain Any other repairs that are needed as a result of neglect or misuse ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 4 03/07/ :14

5 Decoration: You must leave your home in good, clean decorative order. General condition: Please leave your home in a clean condition. You must clear all furniture, carpets, personal belongings and any items you do not want, including rubbish. This includes clearing any loft, outbuildings or garden. Sometimes we may agree exceptions to this if the new tenant would benefit. You must not leave any items or rubbish in the garden or common areas. You can take these to the nearest household waste disposal site (there is a free tip at Longshot Lane). We will not accept responsibility for any items left behind and will dispose of them. We will charge you for the cost of clearance. Garden: The garden must be left in good order, clear and tidy. Grass should be cut and planted areas weeded. If we need to tidy the garden before the property can be re-let, you will be charged for this work ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 5 03/07/ :14

Garage: If your tenancy includes a garage, you must clear out your belongings and leave it clean and tidy. Please return all the keys along with the property keys.

6 Garage: If your tenancy includes a garage, you must clear out your belongings and leave it clean and tidy. Please return all the keys along with the property keys. If you rent a garage separately, you need to terminate the tenancy at the same time. Please contact us if you would like to make a different arrangement. Alterations: You should have asked for written permission to carry out any alterations or improvements you made during your tenancy. Before you leave, we will check any alterations you have made. We will tell you if you need to do any work to bring these up to an acceptable standard. If this work is not done before you leave, we will do this work and take steps to recover the costs from you. Leaving your home in a safe condition You must make sure that: All open water pipes or valves (for example, pipes left from automatic washing machines) are closed off Electrical appliances must be disconnected by a qualified electrician and all wiring left safe All meters should be read and supplies turned off when you leave. This will make sure you only get billed for the fuel you have used. You should tell your supplier(s) that you are leaving All windows and doors must be closed and secure, and you must return all your keys, including the window keys. If you have a keysafe, please tell us what the number is ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 6 03/07/ :14

7 What happens if I do not leave my home in a satisfactory condition? We ll carry out any work that is needed and send you the bill. In line with your conditions of tenancy you will be responsible for paying this. Handing in your keys You must return all your keys (including window keys) and any security door tokens to us at our Berkshire Court office by midday on the date your tenancy ends. We will give you a receipt when you hand them in. If you do not return your keys or security tokens, we will not end your tenancy and will continue to charge you rent. Bracknell Forest Homes does not accept responsibility for any post arriving at your home after you move out and will not re-direct mail for you. Disconnecting your phone Make sure your landline is disconnected so that you know your contract has ended and you cannot be charged for any further calls. Forwarding your post Make sure everyone who needs to know has your new address. Before you leave, you can arrange for Royal Mail to forward your mail to your new address. Charges will be made according to how long you have this service. Contact the post office at or call ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 7 03/07/ :14

You may not have the automatic right to continue living in the property if the other joint tenant ends the tenancy or dies. Please contact us for more advice.

8 Joint tenants If you are a joint tenant, the whole tenancy will end if you or another joint tenant ends it. If one of the joint tenants wants to stay in the home we will have to decide whether this is possible. You may not have the automatic right to continue living in the property if the other joint tenant ends the tenancy or dies. Please contact us for more advice. If you are moving into a nursing home If you are moving into a nursing home you need to give four weeks notice in writing. Or, your Social Worker can tell us of your move. Usually you move into a nursing home for a trial period to begin with. At the end of this time, a review is carried out to decide if this is the right place for you to live. Your Social Worker will tell us when your placement is permanent and we can then terminate your tenancy if your home is left clean and tidy and the keys are returned to us ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 8 03/07/ :14

If the tenant received Housing Benefit to pay the rent, this will stop.

9 Dealing with matters following the death of a tenant We know this can be a difficult time; please contact us for advice or support. If the tenant received Housing Benefit to pay the rent, this will stop. The full rent will be due until we receive the keys and can end the tenancy ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 9 03/07/ :14

10 Moving out checklist 10 Clearing and cleaning Clear the property of all personal belongings and leave it in a clean and tidy condition. Any loft space, outside buildings and/or garden area must also be left clear. Council Tax Contact the Bracknell Forest Council Tax office to tell them you are moving. Damage Damaged caused by you will be recharged in ALL cases. Fixtures and fittings Anything installed without permission must be removed. Missing or damaged fixtures and fittings must be replaced. Fixtures and fittings that were in place when you moved in must not be removed. Forwarding address Make sure we have your forwarding address (before you move out of your home) and redirect all of your mail. Freestanding cookers Must be removed unless you are given express written permission to leave them. Removal must be carried out by a Gas Safe registered engineer (for gas cookers) and a qualified engineer (for electric cookers). Home improvements If you have made authorised alterations/improvements to your home you may claim compensation. This can be done up to 28 days before the end of your tenancy or within 14 days of the end of your tenancy. Housing benefit If you are in receipt of Housing Benefit, contact the Housing Benefit Department at Bracknell Forest Council on the day you move out. Other benefits Don t forget to make sure that any other benefit departments are aware of your new address to make sure there is no break in any benefits that may be due to you. Removals Arrange for your removals in plenty of time. Any goods left in your home will be removed in accordance with the law and our policy. You will be recharged for any costs incurred in the removal and possible storage of any items you leave behind. Although we ask for four weeks written notice to end the tenancy, we will end it sooner if the property is cleared of all contents and left clean and tidy. In this case we will tell you when the tenancy ends ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 10 03/07/ :14

11 Rent You must pay any outstanding rent before you leave. If you have any problems, speak to your Income Management Officer. Repairs Make sure any repairs that are not the responsibility of Bracknell Forest Homes are carried out to a good standard. If they are not, you may be recharged for the cost of the Association carrying out the repair. Returning keys A FULL set of keys must be returned by 12 noon on the Monday your tenancy ends. This comprises of: All external door keys including night latch and dead locks Any internal door or window keys Any keys to external sheds, garages or outbuildings All keys/fobs to communal doors and entrances All gas/electric cards/keys. Support Tell anybody who supports you in your tenancy that you are moving home. Telephone (landline and mobile) and broadband/ cable/satellite services Contact your telephone/broadband/ cable/satellite television provider and arrange transfer to your new address. Utilities (water, gas, electric) Advise your gas and electric supplier that you are moving out and clear your account. Contact South East Water to clear your account and/or to inform them that you are no longer the occupier. Questions? We re happy to help if you re unsure about what to do. Just call our freephone number Telephone: bfh@bracknellforesthomes.org.uk Web: ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 11 03/07/ :14

12 If you require this leaflet about ending your tenancy in larger print, audio, braille or another language please contact the freephone number Get in touch Berkshire Court Western Road Bracknell Berkshire RG12 1RE General: Fax: Customer Enquiries: Web: Bracknell Forest Homes Limited is a Charitable Industrial and Provident Society Registered 30230R April ending tenancy 12pp Leaflet AW.indd 12 03/07/ :14

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