Tenancy strategy

We work in partnership with a variety of housing providers in both the social and private sectors operating in our borough. This provides the council with a variety of forums at which to set expectations and encourage landlords in our area to offer the longest and the most secure tenancy possible and actively support those tenants to sustain the tenancy. These include:

• The Homelessness Forum
• The Accredited Landlord Scheme
• The Strategic Housing Forums
• Strategic Housing Network (to be set up)

Objective one: secure life-time tenancies is our preferred approach

• offer lifetime tenancies, for all Welwyn Hatfield tenants in a council home from the outset or at the end of a current flexible fixed term tenancy.
• expect Registered Providers working in our area to support our preferred approach to secure tenancies.
• encourage all Registered Providers using fixed term tenancies to review this approach and put in place a process for transitioning tenants onto lifetime tenancies.
• utilise our accredited landlord scheme (PAL) to educate private sector landlords on the benefits of longer-term tenancies and encourage provision of them.
• encourage all landlords to make tenancy agreements as accessible as possible. This may mean considering posting tenancy agreements online and using websites that meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Objective two: tenants have a clear understanding of their tenancy

• Review, revise and consult on a new tenancy agreement for residents of Council owned homes, with a view to writing in plain English and making clearer the responsibilities of both tenant and landlord.
• Implement a process to transition tenants, currently on flexible fixed term tenancies over to lifetime tenancies, fully explaining the change and implications for them under the new tenancy type.
• Publish a Tenancy Policy that aligns with this Tenancy Strategy and which details the different types of accommodation, tenancy and residents’ rights concerning tenancy reviews, length of tenancy, expectations of the tenant and termination of tenancies.
• Provide comprehensive information on our website and through our Private Sector Housing and Housing Needs teams, for private rented tenants that explains the types of tenancy available and the rights and responsibilities as a private sector tenant.

Objective three: enable tenants to keep their tenancy for as long as they need them

• We work to proactively to support tenants to sustain their tenancies, taking early action to address any concerns which could put their tenancy at risk, with evictions sought only as a last resort once all other avenues have been exhausted without success.
• We expect all partner Registered Providers to offer support to tenants to sustain their tenancy whether this is ongoing or a one-off intervention and to approach tenancy issues with the same helpful proactive approach we adopt.
• Set rents and service charges using fair and transparent calculations to enable residents to manage their finances, in accordance with The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 economic and consumer regulatory standards and our Rent Policy and set expectations for Registered Providers in our borough to do the same.
• For those whose needs change, we will work with both tenant and landlord to ensure support and information is available to make informed choices, including access to adaptations or by considering mutual exchange and using the Council’s Allocation Scheme and Choice Based Lettings website to move to a more appropriately sized and accessible home.

Objective four: if a tenancy ends or is under threat of ending, tenants are assisted to prevent homelessness

• Provide a tenancy sustainment service that supports all tenants at risk of homelessness and provides early interventions to keep the tenancy running.
• Ensure Registered Providers realise their responsibilities under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 and work with the council at the earliest opportunity if a tenancy is likely to end.
• Work with Registered Providers and other landlords so they are confident and able to provide support for tenants at risk of their tenancy ending.
• Encourage and support Registered Providers to assist residents who are under-occupying their homes, especially where there is an affordability issue, to move to a home of the right size by mutual exchange or via our housing needs register in accordance with our housing allocations policy.
• Work in partnership with landlords in the private rented sector.