Manage my Council tenancy

On this page you will find information on key policies and information that will help you successfully manage your tenancy with the Council.

Policies and performance information for tenants

As a landlord the council has a range of responsibilities to our tenants and our tenants have responsibilities to stick to the policies and rules we set which are there to keep themselves, their community and their property safe. The following list are links to our key tenant policies:

General council policies covering areas such as how to provide feedback and anti-social behaviour are available on the Your Council, Our Policies page.

Information on how we are performing as a landlord can be found on our performance page.

Do we have your latest details?

Making sure your details are up to date is important in case we need to get hold of you for any reason.

You should let us know if:

  • you change your phone number or email address
  • your family circumstances change

 It’s easy to do - log in to MyAccount or contact us.

Repairs

As a council tenant, there are some repairs and maintenance tasks which you are responsible for and some that we are responsible for as your landlord. You can find out more information on our repairs and maintenance page as well as how to report a repair.

Contents insurance

We do not automatically insure the contents of your home if you are a resident with us. It is your responsibility as a tenant to insure the contents of your home should they be damaged by fire, theft, vandalism or water damage such as burst pipes.

We do offer a special household contents insurance scheme to all Council tenants, arranged with Royal and Sun Alliance. Cover starts from under £1 per week. 

There are two cover levels available, Simple and Simple +.

Simple cover includes cover for:

  • most of your household goods and contents including pedal cycles and computer equipment when in your home - they’re covered against loss or damage caused by specific events such as theft, fire and flood.
  • lost or stolen keys, freezer contents, your own legal liability to the public and the cost of alternative accommodation
  • improvements you’ve made to your home such as fitted kitchens, bathrooms, wardrobes, laminate flooring, patio doors etc (but not conservatories).
  • some accidental breakage cover for mirrors, ceramic hobs in free standing cookers and glass which forms part of the furniture in the home

 Simple + adds the reassurance of full accidental damage cover.

You also have the option to add cover for personal belongings, hearing aids, wheelchairs or pedal cycles to either level of cover.

Please contact Royal and Sun Alliance to set up your contents insurance or download and complete the household contents insurance form 2023 (PDF File, 641kb) and return to the address on the front.

A copy of the Royal and Sun Alliance Insurance Product Information Document (PDF File, 74kb) is available to view. 

Royal and Sun Alliance:
03456 718 172
RSA, URIS Group, Quay Point, Lakeside Boulevard, Doncaster, DN4 5PL.

Utility bills

Choose provide helpful guide covering various types of energy bill problems that people can face. The guide covers areas like what to do when your bills are too high or how to correct an error on your bill.  They also have a guide detailing grants available to those with utility bill debt.

Compare the Market lets you compare different utilities, insurance and banking providers, to make sure you’re getting the best deals.

Managing your money

The easiest and safest way to pay your rent is by direct debit. To set up a direct debit, contact us, or call 0800 561 0010. 

For advice on managing your money and help with debt issues, visit our financial advice page.

For help with housing benefit call 01636 650000 or visit out housing benefit page.

Find out more about Universal Credit on the gov.uk website, or watch the video below.

Improving your home

If you’re thinking of making changes to your home you need to let us know first. Contact us with details of your plans and wait for written permission before you start any work. Take a look at the repairs and maintenance page to find out what improvements we will make.

Getting involved

If you’re a tenant or a leaseholder and you want to be more involved in your community, or in shaping our services, please visit our get involved page.

Ending your tenancy

When ending your tenancy with us you must give us at least four weeks' notice in writing. Contact us to give your notice or ask any questions.

Payment of rent is required until the date of the end of your tenancy and you have left the property.  If you do not give proper notice regarding the end of your tenancy you’ll continue to be liable for rent, even after you have left the property.

Leaving the property in good condition

You’ll need to leave your property clear and in a good condition or you’ll be charged for the cost of any repairs, cleaning and clearing required at the property.

You must remove all your furniture, personal belongings and rubbish from your property (including gardens, outbuildings and communal areas) by the date your tenancy ends.

You’ll be responsible for all reasonable removal and/or storage charges when items are left in the property and these will be stored for one month only. If any items are not collected after one month, we will dispose of them and you will be responsible for the reasonable costs of disposal.

You must make sure that the house and gardens, including any fixtures and fittings that you have installed or improvements you have made, are in good condition and good working order. If anything is not, we will put things right and charge you for doing so.

When your tenancy ends, you must leave your property and hand the keys in to us at or before the date and time we have agreed. If we have to change the locks at your property we will charge you for doing so.