Tenant's rights
All tenants have a right to:
- receive information about the council and our housing services. We will provide this information in the normal course of delivering services to you
- request a copy of any personal information held about themselves by the council. This is known as a Freedom of Information request.
Right to manage
A tenants’ or residents’ organisation has the right to set up a tenant management organisation, which may be able to take on responsibility for the day-to-day management of your homes. If you would like more information about this right, email [email protected].
Right to be consulted
You have the right to be consulted about major changes in how we manage your home. We will consider any comments received during consultation before we reach a decision.
Right to repair
All tenants have the right to have repairs for which the council is responsible carried out in reasonable time.
For certain repairs, called 'qualifying repairs', you are entitled to have them carried out within set time limits. Your entitlements are set out in The Secure Tenants of Local Housing Authorities (Right to Repair) Regulations 1994.
If we do not complete a qualifying repair within the correct time, you have the right to ask us to get another approved contractor to do the work. If this contractor fails to do the work, you may seek compensation.
Family members, lodgers
Any members of your close family may share your home. You can also take in lodgers. A lodger is someone who shares your home as a member of your household. However, you are not allowed to overcrowd your home, and you must get prior permission from the council. You must let us know within four weeks if someone moves in with you on a permanent basis. In addition, you cannot charge a lodger more than your weekly rent.
Remember that additional people in your home may affect your entitlement to housing benefit.
Relationship breakdown
If you are experiencing a relationship breakdown and are concerned about how this affects your housing situation, please contact your neighbourhood management team for further advice.
The council is committed to helping anyone in the property we manage who is experiencing actual or threatened domestic abuse. If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you can contact your neighbourhood team for confidential help and advice. We also have a dedicated Domestic Abuse Support page.