Ending a tenancy

You must give 4 full weeks’ notice in writing if you are moving out of your council home. Send your notice letter to your Neighbourhood Office or First Point, or you can visit either to sign a termination of tenancy form.

The document that you sign is legally binding and, once submitted, must be followed through (in exceptional circumstances this may be reviewed).

You must continue to pay your rent until your tenancy has ended, after which time you do not have any right to stay in your former home.

You do not have to give 4 weeks’ notice if you are transferring to another Sheffield Council tenancy or moving into a residential care home.

After you give us your notice to quit, we will give you a date and time to return your keys and any access fobs you have. If you do not, you will be charged for the use of your former home until you hand in the keys or we change the locks (which you will be charged for).

Up to date rent

When you hand in your keys, your rent account must be clear. If you are unable to pay any arrears in full, we can set up a weekly payment plan to clear your debt.

If you are not moving to another council property, you must give us a forwarding address and telephone number. If you do not, we will take steps to find you using tracing agents and debt collectors.

We may also take legal action to recover the debt and you could be disqualified from the Housing Register, preventing you from getting a council home in the future.

Clearing your home and garden

You must leave your property clean and tidy. If you do not clear your property of all personal belongings, excluding items that belong to us, we'll charge you for clearance. The minimum fee for clearance is £283.20. You may incur further charges after we complete the clearance.

Inside the property

Before leaving your address and returning your keys you must:

• remove all your personal possessions
• ensure the property is tidy and free of rubbish
• remove all carpets/floor coverings unless you had prior agreement from a member of staff to leave them

We'll charge you if there's any damage to the property or if any rubbish is left behind.

Gardens

If your property has a garden, it should be left tidy, and free of rubbish. It should be at least as good as it was when let.

Whilst you're a tenant, it's your responsibility to maintain the garden. Therefore, we will charge you if you leave the property and:

• the garden is excessively overgrown
• you have amended the boundary and we have to re-instate this
• you leave any rubbish in the garden or outbuildings

Keys

You will have been issued a minimum of 2 keys to all doors and/or communal keys or fobs. You need to return these to your Area Housing Office/First Point. If fewer keys or fobs are returned than you were given at the start of the tenancy, we will charge you the cost to replace them.

Bulky waste collection

Sheffield City Council tenants can get help with removing bulky items. You can arrange one free collection of 12 items in a 12 month period. Find out more on the Bulky waste collection page or call 0114 273 4567.

Donate unwanted items to charity

Someone may make use of your unwanted items such as furniture or electrical appliances. If your unwanted items are in good condition, then consider giving them to a charity.

Alterations, home improvements or damage

You need to put right any damage caused by yourself, family or guests.

If you have removed doors, fires or other fittings which were there when you moved in, you must leave satisfactory replacements that are in good working order. We will charge you if you do not.

Although any home improvements or fittings you have installed normally become the property of the city council, you can claim money back for improvements you have made to your council home before you give up your tenancy. Ask at your Neighbourhood Office or by completing the Tenants Compensation Scheme form.

Pets

Remember to make arrangements for your pets when you move. Check whether your new property allows animals – if you break your tenancy conditions, you could face court action.

If you need to re-home your pets, contact the RSPCA or another animal charity for advice.

Gas, water and electricity

Before you leave, make sure you have turned off all the taps and, if possible, turn the water off at the stop tap.

Remember to get in touch with your utility suppliers with final readings of gas, electricity and water meters.

Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and Council Tax

If you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support, make sure you continue to receive it by telling the Benefits Service what your new address is as soon as possible. If you don’t receive either, you must let the Council Tax Office know of your move.