Advice and guidance on terminating a council tenancy following the death of a relative or someone you have responsibility for.

Please accept our condolences on your recent loss.

We appreciate that this is a difficult time as there are many things to sort out, but we are here to help you, should you need it.

We have put together some information to help you understand the steps that you will need to take so that the tenancy can be ended.

What happens when a council tenant who was living alone dies?

If you are next of kin or acting on behalf of one of our tenants who has died, please contact the Resident and Estates team as soon as you can.

A copy of the tenant’s death certificate must be provided.

If family members lived with the tenant when they died, they may be entitled to succeed the tenancy, subject to certain conditions. This is known, in law, as succession. If you think you may be eligible to succeed, contact your housing officer.

If no one was living with the tenant and you wish to return the property, there are a number of things to be aware of.