Ending Your Tenancy

There is so much you need to do when you are moving home, and it can be easy to forget some of the important things.

Giving notice

If you wish to end your tenancy with us, please let us know as soon as possible. We require a minimum of four weeks notice. Simply get in touch, and we will take you through the required process.

Ending a tenancy due to bereavement

Coping with the death of a friend or relative is a difficult time, so we aim to make ending a tenancy following bereavement as simple as possible.

You should notify us as soon as possible following the bereavement, so that we can support you though the process from giving the required notice to ending the tenancy.

Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most government organisations in one go.

Complete bereavement form What to do after someone dies

Your responsibilities

You must leave the property in a safe and clean condition when you move out, by:

Removing all items of furniture and personal belongings
Filling and smoothing over any holes in the walls
Removing any non-standard fixtures and fittings
Clearing and tidying your external space, including gardens (grass cutting and trimming of overgrown bushes)
Clearing and sweeping outhouse buildings
Clearing the loft of any items stored
Arranging selection of any mobility aids with Social Care Direct

Social Care Direct

Mutual exchange

If your home no longer meets the need of you or your family, have you thought about swapping it for another? The process is straight forward, and is not restricted to our homes. Simply register your home on Durham Key Options or through your Local Authority.

Mutual exchange

Pre-termination visits

A repairs and maintenance inspector will assess the condition of your home during a pre-termination visit, prior to the end of your notice period. Your Housing Adviser will agree on the most mutually beneficial way for you to end your tenancy.

Moving into another one of our homes

If you are transferring to another one of our homes, your notice period and your rent arrangements will be fully explained to you when you sign up for your new home. If you’re no longer going to be a tenant, it is important that you make arrangements to pay any debts or arrears owed to us upon the termination of your tenancy.

Charges

We will carry out a property inspection where we may charge you a fee for any work that is required as a result of, damage, neglect, unauthorised alterations or removal of belongings. If you agree to undertake your own work, you may still be charged if the work is not completed to the correct standard.

Handing in your keys

Before your moving out day, your Housing Adviser will contact you to arrange the collection of your keys. A key safe box can also be fitted if agreed by your Housing Adviser.

Cleaning

Any non-standard flooring (including carpets and laminate) will need to be removed unless your Housing Adviser has given you permission to leave it. You must sweep, vacuum and mop all floors, clean all cupboards, work surfaces, toilets, bathrooms, skirting boards, door casings and doors.

Paying your rent

You can check your rent balance anytime using our app or by getting in touch with your Rent Advisor.

If you receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, there may be a delay in showing your most up-to-date balance.

When you're ready, you can pay your rent online using the link below

Pay Your Rent

Furniture and belongings

If you have any furniture or belongings which you no longer want but need to be cleared from the property, we recommend you get in touch with a local charity that will often remove the items for free. Your Local Authority can also collect some items at a charge.

Large item collection

Change of address

Before you move, we recommend that you notify:

Utility companies to provide final meter readings. Including gas, electricity, water, TV license, internet and telephone
Postal companies to ensure that you continue to receive your post. We do not take responsibility for any post received at the property once you have returned the keys to us
Family and friends
Banks and building societies
Schools and colleges
Doctors, dentists and other health providers
Newspaper and magazine subscriptions
Any Care Connect services provided by Durham County Council

Care Connect

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.