Understanding your council tenancy
We want you to feel happy, secure and supported in your Camden home.
If you need advice about your tenancy, your Neighbourhood Housing Officer (NHO) is there to help.
Starting your tenancy
Your introductory tenancy lasts 12 months. After this, you’ll automatically become a secure tenant unless you break the conditions of your introductory tenancy.
Find out more about the different types of tenancy.
Your tenancy agreement
When you sign your tenancy agreement, you accept certain tenancy conditions. These include things like:
- paying your rent on time
- taking good care of your home
- giving us access for repairs or inspections
- being considerate of your neighbours
Find out more about your tenancy agreement and conditions.
Paying your rent and bills
There are lots of ways to pay your rent and you can choose what works best for you.
Find out more about paying your rent and bills.
Tenancy visits
We carry out regular visits during each tenancy to understand your needs and gather information about who lives in your home.
Find out more about tenancy visits.
Improving or altering your home
As a secure tenant, we want you to make your home your own.
You can decorate and lay carpets in your home without our permission. View tenant responsibility for maintenance and repairs.
If you want to make changes to your home’s fixtures and fittings, you must:
- ask for permission in writing
- get any necessary planning permission
Find out about making alterations or improvements to your council home.
Lodgers and subletting
If you’re a secure tenant, you can have a lodger or sublet part of your home.
If you decide to sublet, you must not:
- sublet all of your home
- sublet without our permission
- profit from subletting
- cause your home to become overcrowded
Find out more about lodgers and subletting.
Downsizing
If your council home is too big, you can downsize to a smaller property with fewer bedrooms. If you’re 60 or over, we can support you through the process. You may be eligible for a downsizing payment.
Find out more about downsizing your council home.
Right to buy
The Right to Buy scheme means that most council tenants with a secure tenancy have the right to buy their home at a discount.
Find out about Right to Buy.
Swapping your council home (mutual exchange)
If you're a council or housing association tenant, you may be able to swap your home with another tenant. This is known as mutual exchange.
Find out how to swap your council home.
Staying in a council home when someone dies (succession)
If a council tenant dies, their tenancy can be passed on to someone else. This is called tenancy succession.
Find out more about succeeding a council tenancy.
Ending your tenancy
You may want to move from your council home or need to end a tenancy on behalf of someone else. Find out more about ending your tenancy.
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Explore options to get involved
There are lots of opportunities to get involved in your local neighbourhood or to work with us to improve housing services. You can:
- join a residents panel
- set up a Tenant and Resident Association (TRA)
- apply for a grant to improve your neighbourhood
Find out how to get involved.