Starter Tenancies

A starter tenancy is a probationary or trial tenancy which initially lasts for 12 months.  During that period you have fewer rights and less protection from eviction than an ' assured tenant'. The purpose is to enable you to prove that you can run the tenancy successfully. If you do, you will be granted the full rights of an assured tenant at the end of your ‘starter’ period.  However if you fail to abide by the rules, your tenancy can be ended.

Starter Tenancy FAQ
 

Can I be evicted?

Yes, if we are not satisfied with the way you have run your tenancy, you can be evicted more easily than an assured Tenant. We would give you at least two months written notice before asking a court to grant an order for possession if you did not move out. 

Our starter tenancy policy outlines the circumstances in which we would seek to do this, but possible reasons for eviction include not paying the rent, causing a nuisance to neighbours, using the property for illegal activities, not keeping your home and gardens clean and tidy, or breaking any other rules of your tenancy agreement.

How are my rights affected?

During your Starter Tenancy period we would not normally allow you to carry out a mutual exchange, buy or acquire your property, take in a lodger or sublet part of your home. However you would gain some of these rights if you became an assured tenant at the end of the period.

When will I become an assured tenant?

Provided there are not any problems, you will automatically become an assured tenant after 12 months. However this will not happen if we have served a Notice Requiring Possession on you. We can also extend your starter tenancy by up to six more months, if we feel that you are not conducting it satisfactorily.

Why do Weaver Vale issue starter tenancies?

The aim of starter tenancies is to make sure that your tenancy works well for you, us and your community. We want to encourage tenants to behave respectfully towards their neighbours, and to discourage them from breaching the conditions of the tenancy agreement. We want to spot any potential problems early on, and try to help customers sustain their tenancies. And we want to reassure our customers that, if they are suffering from anti-social behaviour, we are able to take effective action to bring it to an end.