Shian

: 0208 985 7120     :info@shian.org.uk

Tenancy types

We provide people with homes under a number of different tenures.

They include:

  • permanent assured tenancies
  • starter tenancies
  • fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies
  • intermediate rent tenancies
  • rent to buy tenancies, and
  • licences.

We also provide home ownership options.

We explain agreements more below

Most of our tenants hold assured tenancies.

As an assured tenant, your tenancy has no end date. If your tenancy is going well, we only have the right to end it for a small number of reasons (for example, if we needed to demolish or carry out significant works to your home).

However, we can also end your tenancy if, for example, you:

  • fail to pay your rent
  • harass your neighbours or cause a nuisance
  • fail to look after your home
  • allow illegal activities to take place in your home
  • gave false information to get re-housed, or
  • break other conditions of your tenancy.

In all of these cases, we would first have to go to court for permission to take back your home.

For assured tenancies, we set your rent following Government guidelines. We can’t change any other conditions of your tenancy without consulting you, unless the Government changes the law.

In recent years, we have issued all tenants who are new to social housing with a starter tenancy when they first move in to one of our properties.

Your starter tenancy is designed to give you time to prove you will be a good tenant, by paying your rent on time and keeping to the rules of your tenancy. If things go well, your starter tenancy will convert to either a fixed-term tenancy or an assured tenancy after 12 months (unless we extend the starter period by a further six months).

Your fixed-term tenancy allows you to live in your home for a certain amount of time (often five years).

In the last year of your tenancy, we will carry out a review to make sure that your home is still suitable for your needs and to check that you have been a good tenant. If the answer is ‘yes’ to both, we will normally be able to give you a new fixed-term tenancy, allowing you to continue living in your home.

Our fixed-term assured shorthold tenancies are mostly let at ‘affordable’ rents. We follow the relevant local authority’s guidelines in setting the affordable rent. This is generally around 60% of market rent – even though we are allowed to charge up to 80%.

We introduced intermediate and rent to buy tenancies to help working people who would like to own a home in future.

Both these tenancy types have rents set lower than in the private market (typically at least 20% less), for a good quality, recently built property. With a lower rent, the idea is that you will be in a position to save a deposit towards buying a home.

The tenancies themselves are assured shorthold tenancies that can be ended after six months, but which usually run for two or five years.

If your tenancy is a rent to buy tenancy, you have the option of buying a share in your home at any time during your five-year stay. But if you cannot take steps towards owning your home by then, you will usually need to move out.

We issue licences to people living in our hostels.

As a licensee, you have the right to occupy the property, but you don’t have the same rights as a tenant, so we have more say over whether you stay or go.

We also have more flexibility when it comes to managing your accommodation. For example, if you live in a single room, we have the right to move you to another.