Moving Home

Transfers

If you find that your home is no longer suitable for your needs you may consider applying to transfer to a different one of our properties and we will consider your request based on your housing need. We normally give priority to people who need to move because their home has become too small or too large for their needs, or because of ill health. We will also consider cases where tenants are struggling to cope in their current homes.

If you wish to apply for a transfer, please contact your Housing Officer and they will be able to help you with your request.

You can apply for a transfer if you have kept your home in a good state of repair and decoration, your rent account is up to date, your tenancy has been well managed and your home is no longer suitable for your needs. Once we have received your application for a transfer, we will let you know whether we can accept you on the transfer list. As we have a small number of properties available each year, acceptance onto this list does not guarantee a transfer. Your Housing Officer will be able to give you information on other moving options that you can consider.

Where we may not have a suitable home for you to move to then you have the option to apply for a move through Property Pool Plus - you’ll find more details on how to apply here - Property Pool Plus.

Exchanges

Most of our tenants have the right to exchange with another Prima Group customer, housing association or local authority tenant. It is important to get our permission before any exchange takes place.

Before an exchange is allowed you would need to make sure:

• Your rent is paid up to date

• There is no court action against you for possession of the property

• Properties are the right size for the new tenants, not overcrowded or under-occupied

We give our tenants free access to House Exchange, the UK’s biggest not-for-profit home swap scheme for social housing tenants. All you need to do is visit their website at www.houseexchange.org.uk and register your details - make sure to select ‘Prima Group’ in the landlord section when you register. You can search either locally, regionally or nationally for your ideal home. If you don’t have access to the internet, please contact us on 0151 452 0202 for more information.

You can also search Property Pool Plus for potential mutual exchange partners here and follow the links on the page to the areas you are wanting to move to - Mutual Exchanges - Property Pool Plus.

Ending Your Tenancy

If you want to end your tenancy, there are a few things you need to do before you leave. You normally need to give us 28 days written notice. Please fill in the online form using the button provided to let us know you want to move and we’ll let you know what to do next. One of our team will arrange to visit you to inspect your home and discuss any tenancy matters.

Keys for your home can be handed in at any of our offices by noon on the final Monday of your notice period. If you don’t hand them in, you may be charged a further week’s rent.

Your home should be left in a clean and tidy state, with no damage and no belongings left behind. If there is any damage or you have made alterations without our permission then we will charge you the cost of repair or making good.

Reporting a Bereavement

If you need to let us know about the death of a tenant or you think you qualify to succeed, you can use the online form below. You should notify us within a month of the tenant’s death, we will also ask you for a copy of the death certificate and the name and address of the next of kin.

Ending a Tenancy Following a Bereavement

We know that losing a relative is a difficult time, so below is an easy checklist of things to do when reporting to us the death of a relative and clearing their property.

When a tenant passes away, dealing with their affairs, such as terminating their tenancy, can often appear difficult, especially if you are unsure of the procedure. The following points will hopefully help with any concerns that you may have and ease you through the process. If there is anything else you are not sure of, just ask. We are here to help.

1. Let us know as soon as you can about your relative’s death

Please tell us when your relative has passed away and the date you expect the tenancy to end. By this date, the property will need to be cleared of personal possessions and the keys returned to one of our offices.

There are different rules for joint tenancies, please contact us to discuss or see below to find out more.

2. Returning the keys

All tenancies are ended on a Monday. All the keys must be returned to Prima Group by 12 noon. Alternatively, keys can be left in a key safe outside the property if one is fitted, if agreed with a member of staff, on the tenancy end date. Please do not leave any keys in the property – return them directly to us and you will be given a receipt for them.

If you have any problems with returning the property or any questions, please let us know.

3. Time taken

You can take up to four weeks to hand back the property but during this time full rent will be charged.

If the tenant was receiving Housing Benefit, this is automatically cancelled from the date of death, so arrears occur.

4. Clearing the rent account

There may be occasions where there is a credit balance or money owing on the account. To help us close the account we need details of the following:

• A copy of the death certificate;

• The name and address of the next of kin or executor of the deceased;

• If there is likely to be any money in the estate.

We will advise you of the amount of credit or balance on the account as soon as the account is closed. If there is no money in the estate, the next of kin or executor needs to advise us of this. We will then write any balance owing off.

5. Who else to inform

We suggest that you contact the following:

• Council Tax office

• Post Office to re-direct any mail

• United Utilities for water supply

• Gas and electricity provider

Reporting a Bereavement of Someone I Live With

When a tenant dies, the tenancy they hold will automatically pass to any joint tenants. If there are no joint tenants, the tenancy may pass from the person who died to another person who lived with them at the time of their death - this is called 'succeeding a tenancy'.

In some cases, we must agree by law to this 'succession'. In other cases, we allow this to happen.

If there are no joint tenants, the tenancy can pass to:

• Their partner (their husband, wife, civil partner or the person who had been living with them as part of a couple), as long as that person had been living with the tenant when they died.

• If there is no partner, it can pass to a relative (parent, child, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece) if they had been living with the tenant for the previous 12 months.

Anyone who takes over the tenancy in this way is called a successor.

Succession can only happen once. If you are already a successor (you have taken over the tenancy from someone else), you do not have the right to pass the tenancy on to anybody else. We may however agree to give you a new tenancy agreement and allow you to stay in the property.

Although you may have the right to succeed, we may decide to move you to alternative suitable accommodation if the property is too big for you, has been substantially adapted for a person with special requirements or is designated for use by a particular group such as older people. We will help you through this process, letting you know the steps to take and finding you alternative accommodation.

If no one applies to take over a tenancy within one month of the death, the tenancy will end.

If someone dies while still an introductory or demoted tenant, the person who succeeds in this tenancy will only become a secure tenant on the date stated in the tenancy agreement.

We hope that we have covered most of the questions often raised. If you still need help, please contact our Customer Experience Team.