How to end your tenancy

You must give us four weeks’ notice, in writing, and your tenancy can end on any day of the week. This is called the ‘notice period,’ which is a legal requirement that also applies to anyone acting for you. If you do not give proper notice, your tenancy will not end.

You must continue to pay rent throughout the notice period.

If you want to bring your tenancy to an end you must download and complete a Termination of Tenancy form. If you rent a garage you need to confirm if you are also terminating the garage agreement.

If you write to us to terminate your tenancy, your letter must include the following:

• Give four weeks’ notice which will take effect from the day we receive your letter;
• Include your full name and address;
• Be signed by at least one person/persons on the tenancy agreement; and
• Provide a forwarding address and contact details.

Please note that your tenancy can be ended under the following circumstances:

• You give us at least four weeks’ notice in writing/complete a termination of tenancy form;
• You are evicted by us; or
• We need to move you, for example, to redevelop the property.

If only one of you wants to end the tenancy and the other joint tenant(s) wants to remain in the property, there may be one of the following outcomes:

• We may give the remaining person a new tenancy at the same property, but this will be dependent on a number of factors.
• If we do not agree to give the tenancy to the person remaining, we may seek possession of the property.
• The property could be offered to another couple or family.

Your responsibilities

Along with your rent, please make sure you have paid any other charges, arrears or rechargeable works for any work the council has done to your home.

We will be in contact with you to arrange a mutually agreeable date and time to conduct a pre-void inspection of your property. If we have not been in contact with you, you must contact us to arrange for this inspection to take place.

During the inspection you will be told about meeting the Leaving Standard. You can find out about the Leaving Standard by reading our 'advice on how your property should be left' guidance.

What you need to do before you leave

You will not have to carry out repairs necessary as a result of fair wear and tear. At the end of the inspection you will be asked to sign a record of the inspection and you will be given a copy for your records.

Please leave the property in a clean condition:

• sweep all floors (and scrape floors after removing carpets)
• thoroughly clean all ceramic tiled surfaces
• thoroughly clean the bath, toilet pan and wash basin
• wash all tiled floors and all painted surfaces
• you must also completely clear the loft, all storerooms, sheds, outbuildings, garages, front and rear gardens.

If you use the council's Bulk Refuse service, please arrange for this before you return your keys. You cannot use this service after you leave your home. Refuse can be disposed of at the household waste site on Caxton Way at no charge.

We must have 'vacant possession', which means that you cannot leave anyone living there.

You must tell utility companies that you are leaving and you should make a note of all meter readings before you return the keys. Return the Virgin Media decoder and remote control handset to Virgin Media.

Please tell the Post Office you are moving and arrange to have your mail forwarded to your new address. You cannot borrow the keys once you have moved out.

On the last day of your tenancy, please hand all keys and electronic fobs (if provided) (front, rear, garage, storage and shed door) back to the Customer Service Centre by 12pm on the next working day after your tenancy ends (unless this is a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday). You will be given a receipt for the keys. If you have a Community Care alarm handset please leave it in the property. If we do not receive your keys and fobs on time, you will continue to be responsible for paying the rent and charges for the property. You will also have to pay for any damage caused if you leave the property unsecured.

After you leave

After you have returned the keys, the council will conduct a post-inspection of your property. This is to make sure of the following:

• You have carried out, to a satisfactory standard, the work you were asked to do.
• That there are no other works necessary that are your responsibility.
• You have cleaned your home to a satisfactory standard.
• You have not left any items or rubbish in the home.

You will be charged if we have to carry out any of this work on your behalf.