We are happy to either post or email you a copy of your tenancy agreement. Please contact the Service Centre on 020 7613 8080 who will conduct a quick security check with you. Once you have successfully passed this security check your tenancy agreement will be sent out to you.

In order to change details on your tenancy you will need to write a letter, addressed to Service Centre, Newlon House, 4 Daneland Walk, Hale Village, London, N17 9FE, with details of the changes, proof of identity and documents to support the changes. Following approval these changes will then be implemented on our system. The following are acceptable proof:

• Minimum of two forms of ID – either a passport, driving licence, marriage or birth certificate

• Proof of Income – details of any benefits you receive and payslips (either: two monthly, three fortnightly or six weekly slips)

• Proof of a bank account – a bank statement showing benefits and salary being paid into it

• Two passport sized photos of the tenant(s), with their name(s) on the reverse

• Passport style photos of all children aged five and above, with their name(s) on the reverse

• Proof of existing address – utility bills and / or bank statements

You can request to add another occupant to your tenancy by writing a letter, addressed to Service Centre, Newlon Housing Trust, Newlon House, 4 Daneland Walk, Hale Village, London, N17 9FE, detailing who you would like to add, your relationship to them, their full name and their date of birth.

You will need to provide supporting documentation when adding an occupant. Typically we need to see something that confirms your relationship with the occupant, for instance a birth certificate or a marriage certificate. Once we have received all of the information we will process it and then inform you of the outcome.

Please note that additional occupants do not automatically have the right to inherit a tenancy. This will be assessed at the appropriate time.

You should also be aware that if you allow other people to move into your home, we will not necessarily take responsibility if this makes the household overcrowded.

If you want to add someone as a joint tenant then you should check your tenancy agreement, as it must clearly state that you can do so. Both yourself and the other applicant will need to be using your property as your sole or principal home. We will only consider applications from married couples and other co-habiting couples who have lived together for more than 12 months, where there have been no breaches of tenancy and as long as the accommodation is suitable for your housing needs. Applicants for a joint tenant under the age of 18 will not be accepted.

In order to remove a joint tenant from your tenancy, a request must be put in writing and sent to us. Both you and the other joint tenant must be explicitly clear that you are happy and willing to remove one party from the tenancy and allow the other to take over the tenancy solely.

If a decision cannot be reached between you and the other joint tenant then the decision will either be made through the courts or in rare extenuating circumstances we will intervene. Once we receive a request to remove a joint tenant we will contact the resident within 10 working days to process it.

Please email customerservice@newlon.org.uk to find out more.

As a Newlon resident if you want to move to another social housing home there are a few options to choose from.

Mutual exchange

The best option to choose is a mutual exchange. This allows you to swap homes with another Newlon resident or a resident from another housing association or local authority. It is available to residents who have a secure, assured, or five year fixed term tenancy. First you need to find another tenant who wants to swap..

Other options for moving home

Housing Moves is the Mayor of London’s housing mobility scheme that allows tenants of London boroughs or housing associations to move outside their existing borough to a different part of London.

Seaside & Country Homes is a scheme for tenants aged 60 or older which helps around 150 households to move from London each year to homes in desirable seaside and countryside locations.

You can also try contacting your local council, as they may be able to offer advice or assistance in finding you a suitable home.

Shared Ownership

Depending on your circumstances you could consider the possibility of becoming a homeowner through Shared Ownership. Newlon provides affordable homes across north and east London, designed to help people on lower to middle incomes take a first step on the property ladder. You can see which homes we have available on our dedicated sales site at www.newlonliving.co.uk.

You can find out more about all these options in the moving to another home section of the website.

As a Newlon resident if you want to move to another social housing home the best option is to consider an exchange with another resident. Mutual exchange allows you to swap homes with another Newlon resident or a resident from another housing association or local authority. It is available to residents who have a secure, assured, or five year fixed term tenancy.

First you need to find another tenant who wants to swap.

To find another Newlon tenant who wants to swap their home you can read our quarterly mutual exchange board, which contains an up to date list of other Newlon tenants also looking to move home. This is distributed with our newsletters but you can also download it on our website at www.newlon.org.uk/publications/mutual-exchange. If you find a tenant you would like to swap with you can apply by filling in the Mutual Exchange application form. To advertise your property in this leaflet please call the Service Centre on 020 7613 8080 or email customerservice@newlon.org.uk.

You can also search wider via the HomeSwapper mutual exchange scheme, which is the largest organisation for social housing residents wishing to move home. Thousands of people join every month to move locally or across the UK. HomeSwapper makes daily checks for new swaps and you can log on anytime to view them. It can also send you ‘match alerts’ to ensure that you don’t miss out on your ideal home. If you are interested in a swap you can contact the other resident and arrange to view each other’s properties. We have partnered with Home Swapper so it is free for Newlon residents to use. You can join by registering at www.homeswapper.co.uk.

Residents with an assured or secure tenancy occasionally move from one Newlon property to another via a transfer.

However, due to the high demand for transfers and the very low numbers of properties available for people to transfer to, we can only consider transfers in the following exceptional circumstances:

• Medical Transfer – where we need to help someone move urgently due to health reasons
• Decants – when we have to move people due to the poor condition of their property

Newlon’s definition of medical need is where an applicant or a member of their household’s current housing conditions are having a major adverse effect on their health and this will be substantially improved by moving to alternative accommodation. We use independent medical advisors to assess this.

You will also need to meet some other criteria, including having a clear rent account.

As a result of such high demand we advise residents to explore more realistic options if they wish to move to another social housing home. We recommend mutual exchange as the best route, which you can read about in the ‘moving to another home‘ section of the website.

If you would still like to apply for a transfer then please go to the transfers section.

If you wish to change your details on your transfer application then please contact us outlining what circumstances and changed and why, by emailing customerservice@newlon.org.uk.

Please note that you maybe asked to provide supporting evidence.

You may be able to purchase your home through either Right to Acquire or Right to Buy – though there are strict eligibility criteria. If you are deemed eligible and wish to proceed with the purchase then you will need to go through an application process.

To find out more about the eligibility criteria and the process, please go to the buying your home section of our website.

If you would like us to confirm your tenancy for an application you are making to another organisation, you will need to put your request in writing. We may call you to run through a couple of questions before issuing the letter. Please email customerservice@newlon.org.uk.

If you are a Shared Owner or tenant then you will not normally be permitted to sublet your property, other than in exceptional circumstances. If you are a Leaseholder (owning 100% of your property), then you may be permitted to sublet your property.

Please see the relevant question in the ‘Information for homeowners’ section of this Knowledge Base to learn more about this.

If you are a tenant you are allowed to take a lodger under certain circumstances. You will need to request permission from us first. We will also need to know personal details including the name, date of birth and gender of the lodger.

You must also check whether your lodger can legally rent in England as you risk a heavy penalty if they can’t. You can find out more about how to do this at www.gov.uk/check-tenant-right-to-rent-documents.

To request permission please contact our Service Centre on 020 7613 8080 or email customerservice@newlon.org.uk.

If you need to leave your home for an extended period, we are usually happy to allow you to make arrangements for someone to stay in your home and look after it while you are away. However, the arrangement must not benefit you financially.

Permission will only be granted if your rent account is not in arrears, you have a Direct Debit in place and there is no other breach of tenancy. Please contact our Service Centre or email customerservice@newlon.org.uk.

If you have any queries relating to your service charges, please contact our Service Centre on 020 7613 8080 or e-mail customerservice@newlon.org.uk.

Firstly you should ensure you have contacted all utility suppliers and informed them you are the current resident and therefore not responsible for the old bills. You should also provide suppliers with the initial meter readings when you first move in.

If further proof is needed then we are able to contact suppliers with proof of when your tenancy started. Please contact our Service Centre on 020 7613 8080 or email customerservice@newlon.org.uk to discuss. If after this you continue to receive old bills we are able to contact the supplier directly to discuss settling them.

Newlon does not provide insurance for the contents of your home including your personal possessions, furniture or other household items. We therefore recommend that you take out a home contents insurance policy to cover you against risks such as theft, fire, vandalism and burst pipes.

You can search for a good deal for home contents insurance by looking on price comparison websites, or contacting insurance providers directly.

If you rent your home from us then we are responsible for your buildings insurance. Please contact insurance@newlon.org.uk if you want more information.

You can request to be decanted from your home if you feel your property is no longer habitable. Please contact our Service Centre or email customerservice@newlon.org.uk. A surveyor will be booked to carry out an inspection. If an inspection has already taken place then the Lettings team will be in touch regarding re-housing requirements. If alternative accommodation is provided to you it could be permanent or temporary depending on the urgency and length of time that the works required will take.

Before any move you will be given a Decant Information Sheet outlining your responsibilities are.

If you are a Newlon tenant and would like to end your tenancy with us then you will need to provide us with at least four weeks notice. In order to do so you should complete and send a Notice to Quit (NTQ) form. You will need to send it to us via email, by post or by hand.

Under the terms of your tenancy agreement you are still responsible for the property and rent payments until the tenancy end date. Therefore we strongly recommend you do not leave the property before the four week notice period is over.

Find out more and get the NTQ form on the ‘ending your tenancy’ page.

Once you have returned the keys to your property you are eligible to receive your deposit back. The amount returned, if any, will be based on the condition of the property when vacating and whether you have any arrears. Once this has been calculated we will contact you and return any remaining deposit.

If a tenant has died and you wish to inherit the tenancy then you may have that right, the rules of which would be outlined in the tenancy agreement. This right is known as succession.

If you were married to the tenant, or you were their civil partner or common-law spouse, the you are usually able to inherit the tenancy under certain conditions. .

If you were the joint tenant of the person who died then all rights to the tenancy are automatically given to you, and take precedent over any other claims for succession.

To find out more, including the information you will need to provide, please contact us at customerservice@newlon.org.uk.

If you are planning to leave your property for an extended period of time, then your tenancy agreement may require you to contact us. As a general rule, if you are going to be away for more than 8 weeks you should notify us in writing.

You will still be responsible for your rent during this absence, and if you are in receipt of Housing Benefit it is your responsibility to ensure that your claim will continue while you are away.

You should also leave a contact number with us in case of emergencies, such as a leak into another property.

You are responsible for sorting out your energy supplier, and we do not do this on your behalf, so you are welcome to change as and when you wish. The only exception is where there is a communal heating system. In this case the energy provider cannot be changed as there is one central boiler that you share with other tenants.