If you are giving up your tenancy then you will need to contact us by completing our Housing contact form.
How to end the tenancy on your Council home
If you want to end your tenancy you must give the us at least four weeks’ written notice.
We may agree with you to accept less than four weeks’ notice but you must discuss this before you plan to end the tenancy.
Notice periods always end on a Monday.
If you do not give proper notice you will continue to be responsible for the rent and other payments.
You must allow employees and contractors of the Council to access your home to inspect its condition before you leave.
You must report all repairs that are needed at the home before you leave, and replace or repair broken items that belong to the Council.
If you do not, work will be carried out and you may be charged for doing so.
If you have a joint tenancy, either tenant can end the whole tenancy.
A joint tenancy will end after four weeks’ written notice of termination has been given by either one of the joint tenants.
We may grant a sole tenancy to the remaining joint tenant but this is discretionary.
We may also arrange to carry out an asbestos survey during the notice period.
Moving out of your Council home
At the end of the four-week notice period, you must give us vacant possession of your home.
You must return all the keys to the us before 12noon on the Monday at the end of the notice period.
Keys handed in late may result in you being charged an extra week’s rent or, if you fail to return your keys, we can recharge you for changing locks and obtaining new keys.
You must pay all rent and other charges which are due up to the date of the end of your tenancy, including any arrears.
You must not allow any person to remain living in your home when your tenancy has ended.
If you have any lodgers, sub-lessees or animals, they must leave by the time your tenancy ends.
When your tenancy ends, you must leave your home clean and tidy.
We will charge you the cost of making good any damage you have caused (not including fair wear and tear). For example, we could charge you for the cost of cleaning the sink, toilet, gully or drain, or for moving rubbish or unwanted furniture you have left behind.
You must make sure gas, electricity and water supplies are off and household appliances switch offs are done safely and properly and that this meets legal requirements and includes certification when appropriate.
If you remove any fixtures or fittings which you have installed, you will be responsible for putting the property back to the way it was before you altered it.
If you fail to do this we may charge you for this work.
When you leave your home, it is your responsibility to ensure that we are provided with your forwarding address in writing.
If you fail to supply this, we can continue to treat the property as your address for the purposes of serving letters and notices.
We will dispose of any furniture left in the premises or in any associated store sheds or garages on receipt of your keys.
A Surrender of Tenancy disclaimer can be sent for you to complete in readiness of your move.
Removal of bulky items from your Council home
Please make use of our bulky waste service for the removal of these items.
Returning your Council home keys
Keys should be returned to The London Borough of Havering, 48 Farnham Road, Harold Hill RM3 8DX.
There is a secure drop box located at the front of the building.
Please place keys into an envelope with the address of the property you are returning the keys for clearly stated and please include a forwarding address.
Useful contacts
Call 01708 432900 and ask the Rehousing Department to start the process or email rehousingandterminations@havering.gov.uk.