Tenants Handbook
The ENEHL Tenant Handbook has been developed with our customers and staff to provide useful information that will help you to enjoy your home. It explains our services: how to pay your rent, report repairs, live peacefully with your neighbours and access support. It also tells you about the standards of service you can expect from us.
The Handbook is laid out in the form of a large newsheet so its easy to put away without taking up too much space.
You can download the handbook from the Tenants Handbook heading on the right.
Council tenants - your rights and responsibilities
Most secure tenants have the right to buy their home. If you have been a tenant for two years or more, you will receive a discount, depending on the type of property and the length of time you have lived there.
Succession
When a tenant dies, the tenancy can be passed on to the husband or wife or partner, or any other family member who has been living with you for the last 12 months. But a tenancy can only be passed on once, so if you have already succeeded to the tenancy on the death of a family member, you cannot pass it on again.
Ending your tenancy
If you want to leave your home for any reason, you must tell your housing office in writing at least 28 days before you intend to leave. If you leave without giving them this notice, you will be charged rent for those 28 days.
Important points for joint tenants: if either of you gives notice, that will end the tenancy for both of you. Neither of you has an automatic right to stay in the property. Please speak to your local housing office before you give notice if just one person wants to leave.
Anti-Social Behaviour
We want all residents of Leeds to enjoy their home and neighbourhood in peace. We also believe that the vast majority of people want to get on with their neighbours and live in quiet enjoyment of their home. That means we will not tolerate anti-social behaviour (ASB).
ASB can take many forms - loud music, drug or alcohol abuse, dumping rubbish, foul language or criminal activity. Racial harassment and racial abuse are also ASB, and we will not tolerate them in any form. If you behave in a way that causes a nuisance to other people, you can be evicted.
Please see our section about on anti-social behaviour for more information on what to do if you are suffering from ASB or what will happen if you act in an anti-social way.
Ask us if….
…you want to do the following things in your home, as you may need written permission from your ALMO:
- Sub-let part of your property (you won't get permission if you're an introductory tenant)
- Do home improvements
- Put up a shed, garage or other outbuilding
- Keep pets
- Paint or alter the outside appearance of your home
- Build a driveway or hardstanding
This is just a summary, please read your Tenancy Agreement for full details. The agreement also explains what will happen if you do any of the above without permission.
ore information on any aspect of your tenancy, please contact us.
Tenancy Audits
We have introduced tenancy checks undertaken by our Housing Support Officers who will be visiting all our tenants over the next 2 years.
Why are we introducing these checks ?
There are a number of reasons but one of the main purpose is to make sure the tenant that signed up for the tenancy is still living there as their main home. Illegal subletting of council properties has been an increasing problem in some areas which brings problems of noise, anti social behaviour, fraud and links to criminal activity in some cases.
Subletting deprives genuine applicants on the councils waiting list from a home and means everyone has to wait longer to be rehoused.
We will also take the opportunity to make sure the personal details we have about you are up to date and complete. This helps us to direct other advice and services to all that need it.
The Housing Support Officers will also see if you need any specific help and support such as adaptations to your home if you have a disability or assistance with gardening. We can also refer you to other support agencies who can provide more specialist supprt for those that need it.
How else can you help ?
If they hop it shop it !
If you think a neighbour has moved out and may have sublet the property please let us know by telephoning 0800 915 1600 selection option 2 and we will check it out.
Page updated June 2011