Ending your tenancy

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Ending your tenancy

Your council tenancy does not automatically end when you move out of your home. Your tenancy is a legal agreement and can only be ended by you giving us proper notification to terminate your tenancy or by a court order - so please plan ahead if you are moving.

If you are not taking up another Brighton & Hove City Council property, you must give four weeks' notice in writing. If you are transferring to another council tenancy, you can give two weeks' notice to end your tenancy. Unless you give the required notice, you will still be liable for the rent and the condition of the property, even if you have left.

If there are special circumstances preventing you from giving us the required notice, you should speak with your Housing Manager.

You can download and complete our standard Notice of Termination of Tenancy form, which must be signed by each person who signed the tenancy agreement, and return it to your local housing office as soon as possible.

Once you’ve given us your notice, you should go through our moving out checklist and make sure that any repairs that are your responsibility have been carried out to avoid being recharged for the cost of the council doing the repairs. You should also make sure clear your any rent or Housing Benefit overpayments you owe are paid in full, or make arrangements to clear the debt.

For more information, please see our ending your tenancy frequently asked questions or contact the Housing Customer Service Team.

Joint tenants

If you are joint tenants and one of you terminates the tenancy by giving the council four weeks notice, the whole tenancy comes to an end. The council does not legally have to allow the other joint tenant(s) to stay in the home - it depends on your circumstances and whether the property could be more suitable for another type of household (like a family for instance). But we will not end your tenancy without a good reason.

Bereaved relatives of tenants

If you are the executor or next of kin of a tenant who has passed away, there is a separate procedure for ending tenancies, unless there is a successor or surviving joint tenant. Please contact the Housing Customer Service team where staff will be happy to help.

Abandoned properties

If you stop living in your home, you may lose the right to your tenancy and the council can take action to repossess the property. It is important that you let your Housing Officer know if you are going to be away from your home for any long time - including a stay in hospital or a long holiday.

Moving out checklist

When you move out of your council property, please remember to:

• return your keys to your local housing office no later than 12 noon on the Monday or 4pm if you are transferring to another council home
• ensure the property is clean
• remove all your furniture, carpets, belongings and rubbish - the council will recharge you for the cost of removing any items left after you have moved out
• complete all repairs which are your responsibility - again, the council will recharge you for the cost of these if we have to do them once you've moved out
• ensure your garden is tidy and that all your belongings and rubbish have been removed
• contact your utility suppliers (gas, electricity and water) and give them your meter readings
• inform the Benefits Agency, Council Tax and/or Housing Benefit of your move and your new address
• turn off the water stop tap – especially in the winter to help stop damage from bursting pipes
• cancel any regular deliveries such as newspapers or milk
• tell Royal Mail if you want them to redirect your mail to your new address for a period of time - you can find out more details by contacting any post office

If you have any queries about ending your tenancy please contact the Housing Customer Service team.