Introductory council tenancies

An introductory tenancy is a one-year trial tenancy. It gives you the same rights as a secure tenancy but you can be evicted more easily.

You will automatically become a secure tenant after one year provided you do not break your tenancy agreement during your introductory tenancy.

You are an introductory tenant if you have been given a home through the council's waiting list, and

• Your tenancy started less than a year ago, and
• You do not live in accommodation that comes with your job

This applies to all new tenants.

An introductory council tenancy gives you many of the same rights as a secure council tenancy does but you can be evicted more easily.

 

If you are an introductory tenant, you cannot:

• Exchange your tenancy with any other tenant
• Transfer the tenancy, unless you are ordered to by a court, or in other very rare circumstances
• Exercise the right to buy (however, the period of introductory tenancy may count towards the right to buy )
• Take in lodgers or sublet all or part of the property
• Make improvements to the property without the council's permission

You will normally be an introductory tenant for 12 months from the date your tenancy started or the date you moved in - whichever is later. You will become a secure tenant automatically after this period if the council has not:

• Started action, during the 12-month period, to evict you, or
• Decided to extend your introductory tenancy by another six months.

If you have spent time as an introductory tenant in another property before your current tenancy started, this will count towards the 12-month trial period. The same applies if you had a starter tenancy with a housing association immediately before you got your council tenancy.

If you have a joint tenancy, the trial period ends as soon as one of the joint tenants has completed the trial period