Housing association homes
Types of tenancy
Your rights and responsibilities depend on the type of tenancy you have.
Your tenancy agreement is a legal document that tells you all the rules about living in your property.
Starter tenancy
New housing association tenants may be offered a starter tenancy. These usually last 12 months and are like a ‘trial’ period.
You become an assured or fixed term tenant after 12 months, unless your housing association has either:
- started action to evict you
- extended your starter tenancy
Assured and fixed-term tenancies
At the end of your starter tenancy you’ll be offered either:
- an assured tenancy - meaning you can normally live in your property for the rest of your life
- a fixed-term tenancy - usually lasting for at least 5 years (your landlord will decide whether it’s renewed)
You rights may include:
- buying your home
- having your home repaired
- swapping your home with another council or housing association tenant
Ending your tenancy
Your tenancy can be ended if:
- you give the housing association 4 weeks’ notice in writing
- the housing association evicts you
- you transfer your tenancy to someone else or swap homes
- the housing association needs to move you (eg to redevelop your property) - it should offer you a new property