Your tenancy agreement

Animal

Includes livestock, bird, reptile, fish or mammal.

Anti-social behaviour

Acting in a way that is likely to cause, nuisance, annoyance, harassment, alarm or distress to anyone.

Assignment

Transferring your tenancy to someone else. The law only allows assignment in the following situations:

• You can exchange your home with another council or housing association tenant if both landlords agree.
• If there are legal proceedings in matrimonial cases, your tenancy can be assigned to your spouse, partner or civil partner following a court order.
• You can assign your tenancy to someone who would qualify to succeed to your tenancy (see ‘succession’) if you were to die.

Exchange

To swap tenancies with another council or housing association tenant.

Fixtures and fittings

For example, kitchen units and appliances; sanitary ware; plumbing, shower and heating systems; electrical circuits; sockets; switches; lamp holders; doors; locks; glazing; fitted wardrobes and shelves; fires and surrounds;, aerials; sheds; conservatories; and garages.

Garden

Lawns, hedges, flower beds, trees, shrubs, outside walls, fences, paths and yards.

Home

The whole of the property let to you under this agreement, including the house, garden and any garage within your garden; but not including shared areas.

Improvement

Any alteration or addition to the home.

Institutional abuse

Is the mistreatment of people brought about by poor or inadequate care.

Indictable offence

A crime for which a grand jury rules that there is enough evidence to charge a defend ant with a crime. These crimes include murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, grand theft, robbery, burglary, arson, conspiracy, fraud, and other major crimes, as well as attempts to commit them

Landlord

North Tyneside Council

Lodger

A person who pays you money to let them live in the home with you.

Neighbours

Everyone living in the local area, such as other tenants, people who own their own homes, and local businesses.

Partner

A person you live with as a husband or wife, or in a same-sex relationship that has been registered as a civil partnership.

Rent

Payment made by a tenant for occupation of the home.

Shared areas

The parts of the building which all tenants or other people can use, for example halls, stairways, entrances, landing, shared gardens, lawns and landscaped areas.

Sublet

Giving another person the right to live in part of your home, with our agreement.

Succession

If you die, your husband/wife, civil partner or partner may be entitled to ‘succeed to’ the tenancy if they are living with you at the time of your death. By law only one succession to a tenancy can take place. This means that your successor is unable to pass on the tenancy to anyone else. If the tenancy is a joint tenancy only one of the other joint tenants still living in the home can succeed to the tenancy.

Vehicle

This includes, for example, car, motorbike, bike, moped, boat, caravan, van, minibike, trailer and mobility scooter.

Visitor

People who are not registered with us as part of your household, but who come and see you at your home.

We

North Tyneside Council, North Tyneside Homes and agents acting on their behalf.

Written permission

Our letter giving you permission to do something.

You

The tenant, and in the case of joint tenants, any one or all of the joint tenants.