What is a starter tenancy?
Grand Union gives all new tenants a starter tenancy. This usually lasts for 12 months and will convert to an assured tenancy or a five year fixed term tenancy at the end of the period if you have conducted your tenancy satisfactorily.
Your tenancy agreement explains what rights and responsibilities you have. You should read it carefully before signing it.
What happens during the first 12 months?
We will contact you, usually by telephone, within one week of your tenancy starting. They will then visit you within four to six weeks and again six and nine months later. These visits are to check that everything is going smoothly and there are no problems in managing your tenancy.
What if there are problems?
If there are problems in managing your tenancy, we will investigate to see if things can be sorted out and work with you to resolve the situation. If the problem is serious, or if you do not co-operate with us to find a solution, we may take steps to end your tenancy and you may lose your home.
What happens after 12 months?
At the end of the 12 months your starter tenancy will automatically converted to an assured tenancy or a fixed term tenancy, providing we have not started proceedings to end your tenancy or decided to extend your starter tenancy. We will write to you to confirm this.
If Grand Union decides to extend the starter tenancy for a further six months, we will write to you to inform you of this decision and the reasons why before the end of the first 12 months.
What rights do starter tenants have?
Tenants on a starter tenancy have broadly the same rights as assured or fixed term tenants, but do not have the following:
- right to exchange the tenancy (swap your home with another tenant)
- right to assign except by court order
- right to make improvements to their home and claim compensation for them
- right to acquire.*
* Please note that not all properties can be purchased under the right to acquire. View further information on Right to Acquire.
When your tenancy converts you will have the above rights, however there are some exemptions to the right to acquire as mentioned above. You will still need to get our written permission before you exchange, assign or make improvements.
Reasons why proceedings may begin to end a starter tenancy.
Examples are:
- rent arrears
- behaving in an antisocial manner (e.g. causing excessive or persistent noise, shouting, swearing)
- drug dealing or illegal use of drugs
- actual or threatened violence or abuse towards any person
- domestic abuse
- harassment
- damaging the property
- dumping rubbish
- unkempt gardens
- carrying out car repairs, which cause a nuisance
- causing parking problems
- allowing pets to cause a nuisance
- gaining a tenancy fraudulently
- sub-letting your property.
Please note the above list of examples is not exhaustive. Starter tenants have less security than assured or fixed term tenants and it is likely that the court will agree to end the tenancy in such circumstances.
If Grand Union decides to take court action against you to regain possession of the property, you can lodge an appeal, within 14 days of being served with the notice requiring possession, to the Successful Tenancies Manager.
Information on how to do this will be enclosed with the notice when it is served on you. The appeal will consider:
- if the notice has been served correctly
- if the action is appropriate
- if the decision to terminate the tenancy has been taken fairly.
You will be informed of the outcome in writing along with the next stage of your case.
If you have any further questions please contact our Customer Contact team.
