Your responsibilities

As part of your tenancy agreement:

You must

• pay your rent in full and on time.
• be a considerate neighbour, ensuring that everyone who lives with or visits you does not cause a nuisance or annoy others.
• not use your home for any illegal or immoral purpose.
• ask permission to run a business from your home.
• live in your home – you cannot move out and allow someone else to move in.
• give us notice when you intend to move out.

You need to take care of your home and we expect that you will:

• not cause any damage.
• take out home contents insurance or provide proof of alternative insurance cover.
• keep us up to date with who is living in your home.
• keep your home and garden clean, tidy and free from rubbish in at least the condition they were when you moved in.
• keep your home in good repair – this means letting us know quickly if we need to do any repairs and doing the repairs you are responsible for.
• allow us access to inspect or carry out repairs we are responsible for.
• report damage that you, those that live with you or your visitors have caused.
• if you have gas appliances you need to give access as required for them to be serviced.
• not leave caravans, trailers, boats or other large items or untaxed vehicles on your drive or any shared area.
• return our calls when we need to speak to you and meet with us to review your tenancy.

If you breach your agreement we will inform you and take appropriate action. If it is serious, we will take legal action.

Our responsibilities

As your landlord we will:

• take account of your views.
• carry out the repairs we are responsible for.
• allow you to carry out your own improvements and alterations – but you need our permission first.
• allow you to take in lodgers – you do need our permission first and it must not cause overcrowding.
• allow you to exchange with another social landlord or council tenant – providing you have our permission first and that each landlord is in agreement.
• give you information about the services we provide and how we perform.
• consult you about any changes to your service.

You can also download a copy of the Tenancy Agreement here:

Stockfield Tenancy Agreement

Decorating your home

• You are responsible for keeping the inside of your home decorated and in good condition. You can choose paints and wallpapers to your own taste.
• Please don’t paint kitchen units, wall or floor tiles, electrical sockets or storage heaters as you will be re-charged for putting them back to how they were.

Gardens and sheds

• You are responsible for maintaining your own garden, keeping it clean, tidy and the grass cut.
• You’re also responsible for maintaining and repairing your garden or timber shed.
• If you have a shared garden, in most cases you will be responsible for paying a contribution toward the cost of us maintaining them.
• You are responsible for maintaining trees in your own garden. We are responsible for trees in the shared areas that we own and, if you live in a home nearby, you may have to contribute to the cost of this.

Parking and vehicles

• It is your responsibility to keep your driveway clean, tidy and free from rubbish. You or your visitors need to park considerately, using your own driveway or designated parking areas in shared car parks.
• Any vehicles are parked at your own risk; we do not accept any responsibility for loss or damage.
• You are not allowed to keep untaxed or un-roadworthy vehicles. We work with the police, local council and DVLA to deal with abandoned vehicles.
• You must seek our permission if you want to park caravans or motor homes on your drive or in communal parking areas.

Pests

• You are responsible for dealing with wasps, ants, insects, rats and other pests and vermin in your home.
• Your local authority will give you advice. We will only treat infestations if they are within the communal areas that we are responsible for.

Pets

• If you wish to keep a domestic pet you must ask our permission first. We won’t usually give permission for keeping livestock.
• If you have a pet, or have visitors with pets, it is your responsibility to make sure that they do not cause any annoyance to neighbours and to keep them under control and clean up after them.

Smoking in communal areas

• It is against the law to smoke in any of our indoor communal areas. If you smoke outside you are responsible for clearing up any cigarette ends etc.

Satellite dishes and TV aerials

• If you want to install a dish or external aerial, you will need our permission first. If there is a communal TV aerial we will maintain it. 

Partners moving in

• If you wish for your boyfriend, girlfriend or partner to move in but not be on the tenancy, you will need to ask our permission.

Joint tenancies

• If you have a joint tenancy, you are both responsible for all of the obligations of the tenancy. This includes paying the rent. If one person moves out, you are still jointly responsible for all obligations.
• If both joint tenants agree, you may be able to convert to a sole tenancy.
• However, if you and your joint tenant can’t agree, we can’t make this decision for you. You should always consider getting legal advice before you make these decisions. Ask us for advice if you are unsure.
• If you are the only tenant, in some circumstances you can ask for someone else to become a joint tenant with you, but first, you will need to ask our permission and you should also consider getting some legal advice beforehand.