Assigning your tenancy

What is assigning my tenancy?

You can assign the tenancy of your home to someone else in certain circumstances. Circumstances might include:

Where you may decide you want to leave your home and set up home elsewhere because of your personal circumstances.
Where the tenancy of your home is the subject of divorce proceedings.
If your relationship is breaking down.

What does this mean for me?

We recognise that a request to assign a tenancy might mean that you are going through a difficult time. Our housing colleagues may ask some questions to ensure that you have thought carefully about your decision and that you're not being forced into doing it. If you need some more specialist help, we may suggest that you seek advice from the citizens advice bureau or a solicitor. If you hold a joint tenancy, we have to give advice to all parties about their rights.

If you assign the tenancy to someone else, you lose all legal rights to the tenancy and you won't be able to get them back.
If you assign the tenancy and the new tenancy asks you to leave, you could be left without a place to live, as we won't have to find you a new home.
Assigning your tenancy could change how much housing benefit your household can get.
Assigning your tenancy counts as a 'succession' and only one succession is allowed. This means that the person who you assign the tenancy to can't assign it to someone else. Also, if they were to die, the tenancy couldn't be passed on to someone else. (Link to succession information).

What do I have to do?

Your housing officer will come and visit you to discuss your request, and to give any help and advice you might need. Our income team will also get in touch to help with any questions about your rent or any benefits you might get.

You will be asked to sign an assignment document. This is a legally binding document and both parties, on the tenancy, will have to sign it.

We expect the person you are assigning your home to, will have lived with you for at least a year, or has been given rights to the home under a Court agreement.

As with a Joint Tenancy, please be sure to clear any outstanding arrears before making your request, but don't let this stop you from asking us about Assignment of tenancy, if you do owe money on your account. Your income officer can work with you to reduce and clear any debt.