Ending your tenancy

Ending your tenancy is an important decision.

If you are considering giving up your home with us because:

• You are struggling to pay your rent,

• Are having problems, or

• You are not sure where you are going to move.

Please speak to your Housing Officer. Alternatively, you can speak to Citizen’s Advice Denbighshire or Shelter Cymru.

As a tenant, you must:

• Give us at least 4 weeks’ notice, in writing, complete a ‘Notice of Termination’ form, signed by you, when you want to end your tenancy. If you have a joint tenancy, either of you or both can sign the letter.  This must be given to your Housing Officer. 

• The last day of a tenancy must be a Sunday, and the keys returned to our offices before 12 noon on the following Monday.

• Leave your home in good repair, clean and tidy, and clear your home of all your property and possessions.

• You must also:

  • Ensure you record final meter readings before you vacate the property

  • Pay any outstanding rent and other charges

  • Return keys only to your nearest Council office

  • Inform us / the Council of your new address

• If you do not give us vacant possession, you may be charged for:

  • Costs of clearing the property

  • Cleaning the property

  • Repairing any damage or neglect

  • Replacing any fixtures or fittings which you have removed and not replaced with alternatives of a reasonable and similar standard

  • Changing the locks

  • Re-instating excavated ponds etc.

In the event of a death:

A tenancy does not automatically end if a tenant passes away.

• Your tenancy may pass on to a joint tenant, spouse or civil partner, or a member of your family if they qualify to succeed.

• If the tenant has left a will, the tenancy can be brought to an end by a personal representative of your estate, giving 4 weeks’ notice in writing (max).

• If you have not left a will, legal responsibility of your tenancy passes to the Public Trustee, i.e. Denbighshire Housing/Denbighshire County Council.  We will give notice to any next of kin you may have.

When we want to end your tenancy:

There are a number of reasons why we might try to end your tenancy with us, including:

1. If you have caused a nuisance to neighbours

2. If you haven’t paid your rent, or have paid it late on a regular basis

3. If you move out and rent your home to someone else.

If we do want to end your tenancy, we must:

• Give you a legal notice of at least 4 week – which will be served to you once delivered to your address.

• If you fail to clear the property and or leave it in a state of disrepair, we will charge you for the costs of doing this ourselves.

• If you leave a person or animal at the property when you have moved out, we will take court action to remove them and charge you the cost.

Introductory tenants only:

• We can only end your tenancy if you have broken the conditions of your tenancy.

• We would issue you with a ‘Notice to Serve’ after a court order.  It will give you a starting date and you will then have four weeks to leave.

Secure tenants only:

• We would need to show you valid reasons to evict you.  These are ‘grounds’ and defined by law.

• You would receive a ‘Notice of Intention to seek Possession’ or ‘Notice to Intention to Demote’ your tenancy, saying our reasons for the notice.

• You have the right to a court hearing