If you receive Universal Credit or Housing Benefit and would like to end your tenancy:
- If you're in receipt of Universal Credit and are thinking of ending your tenancy, please contact your Rent Officer on 01204 328000 before submitting your termination notice to discuss your tenancy end date.
The tenancy end date will affect the amount of Housing Costs you get in your last month, so it is important to discuss this with us before ending your tenancy as you may not receive all your Housing Costs in the last month of your tenancy.
Please note that if you receive Housing Benefit (which is different to Universal Credit) and you leave the property before the end of the agreed termination period, this benefit may stop and you will be responsible for paying full rent.
How to end your tenancy:
- Ending your tenancy correctly is important to ensure you are able to move out with as little fuss and cost as possible.
The process works slightly differently if you’re ending a tenancy due to a bereavement. If you’re ending a tenancy due to bereavement, please tap here for details.
You’ll need to give us four weeks’ notice to end a tenancy by completing and returning the Termination Notice, which you can download below:
The notice period begins from the first Monday after we receive the notice. Please note that if you give less than four weeks’ notice or hand in your keys early, we’ll still charge your rent for the full notice period.
It’s important to ensure that all rent, service charges, and any other outstanding payments to us are cleared before your tenancy ends.
Please contact us as soon as possible if you need to change, extend, or cancel your termination.
It's important to notify us of the following:
If you are/the tenant is going into a nursing home or hospital:
- Please tell us the date the tenant is due to go into the nursing home or hospital and (if applicable) the date the stay becomes permanent.
- Return the tenancy termination form (above) to end the tenancy.
If you are/the tenant is going to prison:
- If you're going to prison, are on remand, or serving a prison sentence, it's important to let us know.
- A relative, probation officer, or prison liaison can contact the office to discuss your options.
- Please note that if you're receiving Universal Credit (including housing payments) or Housing Benefit, this may stop depending on how long you'll be away.
- It might be best to end the tenancy, especially if you're likely to be away from home for more than 13 weeks.
- Return the tenancy termination form (above) to end the tenancy.
Need help to end your tenancy? No worries.
We’re here if you need us. Just give us a call on 01204 328000, use our webchat, or tap here for a full list of ways to get in touch.
How do I go about handing in the keys, and when do I need to hand them in?
After you've finished clearing the property:
- Please ensure all windows are closed and external doors are locked and secure before returning the keys to us.
Please don’t post the keys to us or leave them in the property as this could delay the tenancy end date.
You’ll need to hand all keys back to us, including any window, shed, outside storage cupboards, bin storage, garage, communal entrance door keys and fobs.
If the property has a key safe and you know the code, please inform us of this when you return the keys.
Returning the keys at an allocated appointment time:
- All keys and fobs will need to be returned to our main office at an allocated appointment time immediately following the Sunday termination date.
We’ll provide you with an allocated appointment time by letter once we acknowledge receipt of the Termination Notice.
Our office address is:
Valley House,
98 Waters Meeting Road,
Bolton,
BL1 8SW.
You should only attend at the allocated appointment time. If the appointment we’ve given you isn’t convenient, please call us on 01204 328000 to rearrange the appointment.
We’ll also send you a reminder of your appointment date and time by phone, text, or email – so please ensure you provide us with an up-to-date contact number and/or email address.
Once you’ve returned the keys, a member of staff will provide you with a receipt for your records.
If you fail to return all keys and any fobs, we’ll need to charge for the cost of replacing the locks at the property.
Please note: handing in the keys without giving the full notice required does not end the tenancy. If you give less notice, or hand in the keys early, Be One Homes will still charge rent for the full notice period.
How should the property be left?
- Please clear the entire property including loft space, store cupboards, outbuildings, garages, and gardens.
You must remove all furniture, carpets, laminate flooring, and personal belongings. The only exceptions are items belonging to the local council (if there was a furnished tenancy agreement with the council, for example).
Any furniture, possessions, or rubbish left in the property or gardens after the tenancy has ended will be disposed of, and we’ll charge the relevant costs if necessary. To avoid any unnecessary additional costs, please ensure that the property is left clean, tidy, and clear of all possessions and rubbish.
If there are any disabled aids in the property, including a walking frame, bath aids, or a wheelchair, please arrange for them to be sent back to the provider. There’s usually a sticker with a contact telephone number and a reference on each item.
If any alterations have been made to the property without our permission, you’ll need to ensure that the property is put back to its original condition, otherwise we’ll have to charge to remove them.
What happens when you carry out the final inspection of the property?
- Once the keys have been returned, we’ll conduct a full inspection and assess the property for any damage and repairs needed.
If any repairs are needed as a result of any wilful or accidental damage, or as a result of alterations for which the tenant did not have permission, we’ll need to charge for the cost of repairs.
We’ll also charge to remove any rubbish or unwanted belongings left behind.
Which repairs will you charge for?
- A repair is chargeable when we’ve been called out to a repair that isn’t our responsibility to fix. In these cases, we’ll charge the appropriate amount to cover our costs.
We also charge for repairs if we have to fix property damage caused by a member of the household or a visitor, when we’re given false information to attend to a repair, or when a property is left in a different state as to when the tenant moved in.
Here are some examples of when repairs may be charged:
- Correcting unauthorised alterations to the property.
- Replacing glass broken by accident or neglect.
- Dealing with an infestation.
- Clearing rubbish from the property or garden.
- Reinstating any fireplaces or heating appliances that have been removed.
- Replacing lost keys.
- Repairing damage caused by forced entry when keys have been lost or access for gas servicing has been denied.
- If a repair is reported which is false or exaggerated. For example, claiming a repair is an emergency when it isn’t.
- If access to the property is not granted at the appointment time and we have to reschedule the visit.
- If there's an electrical fault caused by a fuse blowing or a problem with one of the appliances owned by the tenant.
There are goods or items I no longer need at the property. What can I do with them?
You could try Emmaus, a registered charity that receives and re-sells quality used goods.
Here are some examples of items they’ll collect:
- Tables and chairs.
- Beds and bedroom furniture.
- Sofas and suites.
- Bric-a-brac.
- Electrical goods, such as fridges and washing machines.
- Adult clothing.
- Children's clothing, toys, and furniture.
- Cycles and children's bikes.
Please note: upholstered goods need a current BS fire label. Unfortunately, gas cookers cannot be collected by Emmaus.
If the property isn’t in Bolton, please contact the local council or visit their website.
Do I need to tell my utility providers?
- Yes. You'll need to notify your gas, electricity, and water providers that you have changed address, the date you leave, and supply a final meter reading where possible.
If you don’t notify your utility providers, you may be liable to pay the usage until the next tenant moves in.
If you have gas/electric prepayment meters, please leave the prepayment card/key in the property when you leave.
How do I redirect mail to my new address?
- You can ask Royal Mail to temporarily redirect mail to a new address.
You can tap here to apply to temporarily redirect mail on the Post Office website (you’ll need to open an account with them if you don’t already have one), or you can visit your local Post Office branch.
Please note that there’s a charge for this service.
See our checklist for ending your tenancy
There’s a lot to do when moving. We’ve put together this checklist to help summarise the key steps you need to take. Make sure you’ve:
- Completed a termination form to end your tenancy and provided a minimum of four weeks' notice.
- Cleared all outstanding rent and debt on your account.
- Put a reminder in your diary of when to hand your keys in.
- Provided us with all up to date contact numbers, including your mobile number, so we can remind you when to hand in your keys.
- Arranged to fix any damage to the property and are aware of the standards required.
- Returned the property to its original state if you have made any unauthorised alterations.
- Left the property in a good, clean condition and removed all rubbish from the property.
- Contacted the Post Office to redirect your post.
- Informed everyone - including us - of your new address.
- Informed all utility suppliers you're moving and provided final readings to them where necessary.
- Left all prepayment keys and cards in the property.
- Advised Housing Benefit of any changes in circumstances.
- Completed and returned to us a Housing Benefit Overlap form if there was an overlap in tenancies.
- Removed all furniture, laminate flooring, carpets, and personal belongings from the:
- Property
- Loft
- Garden
- Outhouse and/or garage
And have left only the items that belong to the local council (for example, if you rented a furnished tenancy).
If you have further questions about ending a tenancy:
If you’d like to speak to someone about the process, please call 01204 328000 or email homefinderenquiries2@beonehomes.com. You can also tap here for a full list of ways to get in touch.
