Moving on
How you go about ending your tenancy and details about transfering to another property, exchanging properties, moving to a different part of the country and buying your home.
What do I need to do to be considered for a move?
How can I move to another property in the Wealden area?
How do we decide who gets a transfer?
Are tenants allowed to exchange with another tenant?
How do I find someone to exchange with?
My present home is too large - is there any help available?
How can I try to move to another part of the country?
Where can I get housing advice from?
How do I end my Tenancy?
- You must give at least four weeks notice in writing ending on a Sunday - this is because tenancies always commence on a Monday.
- If you hand in keys without giving written notice you are liable to be charged rent for a notice period of four weeks.
- You will be visited by a housing officer to discuss moving on.
- All keys to the property must be returned to the Housing Department by 12 noon on the Monday - the day following the last day of your tenancy. You must give the Council vacant possession. If all keys are not returned by this time you can be charged additional rent.
- The property (including the garden and loft area) must be left empty, in good condition and repair. The property will be inspected after you leave. If your misuse or neglect has damaged the property we will charge you the cost of repair or cleaning.
- You are responsible for removing all your personal items from the property including any carpets and rubbish. We accept no responsibility for any items left behind and will charge you for the cost of removal.
- If you do not return the keys to the property we will charge you for changing the locks.
- You will need to ensure that your rent account is up to date.
- You will need to let the service companies - gas, water, electricity, telephone etc know that you are moving. Otherwise you will continue to be charged for the services after you have left.
- You must inform the Council Tax department that you are moving.
What do I need to do to be considered for a move?
If you want to transfer to another property you must meet the following conditions before we will consider your application:
- In normal circumstances you will be expected to have a clear rent account.
- The interior of the property should be clean, damage free and in good decorative order.
- If you have a garden it should be well maintained and tidy.
How can I move to another property in the Wealden area?
You will need to fill in a transfer application form (pdf 261kb) which you can get from the Housing Department. The form will ask you the areas and type of property you want to move to. In choosing which areas are your priority you need to be aware that in most of the Wealden villages we have very limited housing stock.
If you limit your choice of areas to villages only the waiting time for a move will be considerable, often several years. Usually we get more vacancies in the south of the District, particularly Hailsham. Increasing the number of areas you would consider moving to can help speed up your chances of being moved.
When you have completed and returned the form your application will be added to the Housing Register. Once you have joined the register your application will be considered when a suitable vacancy comes up.
Vacancies can come either through our own housing stock or through vacancies in properties owned by housing associations.
How do we decide who gets a transfer?
When deciding which applicants on the Housing Register will be given priority for a transfer we use the following factors:
- medical needs
- if your present home is too large for your household's needs
- if your present home is overcrowded
- social reasons - these could include needing to move nearer to relatives or for employment
- when a move would assist us to make better use of our housing stock
Are tenants allowed to exchange with another tenant?
Another way of trying to move is to look for an exchange. An exchange is when you arrange to swap your home with another tenant. The tenant you exchange with can be a Wealden Council tenant or a tenant of another Council or housing association. Before exchanging both tenants must have their landlord's permission.
Permission can be withheld if either tenant is in rent arrears or if the property is not suited to either of the household's needs.
How do I find someone to exchange with?
To find another tenant to exchange with you can advertise in shops and newspapers. You can also advertise in the Wealden District Council Exchange Register - to join complete the relevant section on the transfer application.
The Exchange Register is distributed throughout the District - at the Council receptions at Hailsham and Crowborough and the libraries in Polegate, Heathfield and Uckfield. If you do decide to advertise in the Exchange Register your telephone number will be published and anyone interested will contact you directly.
My present home is too large - is there any help available?
We recognise that housing needs change and that can mean that properties can become too big. For example - children grow up and leave home which can result in a smaller family occupying a three-bedroom home.
As we have such a demand for family size properties we do offer incentives for tenants to move to smaller properties. For further information and a leaflet explaining how this cash incentive scheme works contact the Housing Department.
How can I try to move to another part of the Country?
There are two schemes that can help you move to another area, the Home swap scheme and Homes Mobility Scheme, for helping people to move around the country. This is a scheme where your landlord tries to assist you to move. For more information contact the Housing Department on 01323 443322.
Can I buy my home?
If you are a secure tenant and meet certain conditions you will have the Right to Buy your home. Discount on the selling price is calculated depending on the length of your tenancy.
Certain properties are excluded from the Right to Buy - including homes specifically designed for disabled and elderly tenants.
Where can I get housing advice from?
The Housing Advice team is available if you have an urgent housing emergency - this could include:
- Fire
- Flood
- Domestic violence
During office hours contact the Housing Department on 01323 443363. If you have an emergency when the offices are closed contact Lifeline, our 24 hour response service on 01323 410051.
