Your tenancy
As a Westminster City Council tenant, you have a tenancy agreement between you and the council. This is a legal agreement between you and Westminster City Council and sets out both parties’ rights and responsibilities. When you sign a tenancy with us, you are given a signed copy of your tenancy agreement, please keep it safe.
Our tenancy policy sets out the types of tenancies available and the circumstances in which each will be offered. Please see your tenancy agreement to check which type of tenancy you have. Further information about your tenancy can be found in our Tenant’s Handbook.
Introductory tenancy
The majority of new tenants are on an introductory tenancy for a 12-month trial period. The tenancy agreement sets out when the introductory tenancy will end and whether you will become a flexible tenant or a secure tenant, subject to the satisfactory completion of the trial period.
We will contact and visit you during this period to check that you have settled into your home and to see if there is anything you need and to ensure that there are no breaches of tenancy. If there are any serious breaches of tenancy Westminster may seek to increase your introductory tenancy period or may terminate your tenancy at the end of the introductory period.
Flexible tenancy
Following the completion of a satisfactory introductory tenancy, the majority of new tenancies offered are flexible tenancies for a term of 5 years.
A flexible tenancy is a form of secure tenancy, which is for a fixed period. If we offer you a flexible tenancy, you can request a review if the length of flexible tenancy offered does not match our policy. You must ask for a review within 21 days of receiving the flexible tenancy offer and your request must be in writing. We will consider review requests within 21 days unless more information is needed.
At the end of the fixed period, we will carry out a review to decide whether a further tenancy should be offered or whether any changes are needed. We expect that most flexible tenants will be offered a new flexible tenancy at the same or another address at the end of the fixed term.
In certain circumstances (as set out in our policy), such as if you have breached your tenancy terms, we may apply to the county court to end the tenancy at the end of the fixed term, and the court has to award us possession if the fixed term has expired and the correct notices have been served. You will have the right to appeal before any referral is made to court.
To find out more about the flexible tenancy review process, please read our Flexible tenancy Frequently Asked Questions.
Secure tenancy
Secure tenancies are granted to:
- people moving into community supportive housing for older people
- any existing secure or assured tenant who has chosen to move to another social rented home
- statutory successors to secure tenancies
- leaseholders in renewal areas whose home is being demolished due to regeneration and it has been agreed that they can become a social housing tenant
If your tenancy started before September 2013 then you are most likely a secure tenant and will receive another secure tenancy if you move to a different council property
Secure tenants can keep their tenancy for as long as they live in the property provided it is their only or principal home and keep to the conditions of their tenancy agreement.
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