Tenancy Strategy

The Tenancy Strategy is currently under review.

Overview

Haringey's Tenancy Strategy 2014-2016 (PDF, 85KB) sets out our approach to:

  • Affordable rent and capped rent
  • Succession rights
  • The housing register and allocations

Registered providers of social housing in the borough must have due regard to the Tenancy Strategy when formulating policies relating to:

  • The kinds of tenancies they grant
  • The circumstances when they will grant a tenancy of a particular kind
  • The length of any fixed-term tenancy
  • The circumstances in which they will grant a further tenancy on the ending of an existing tenancy.

The Strategy has been written in response to the Localism Act 2011. The Act contains a range of housing reforms, including new flexibilities on tenure. These flexibilities have allowed social housing providers (local authorities and Registered Providers) to replace lifetime tenancies with fixed-term tenancies, and increase rents to up to 80% of market rent levels. The Localism Act also abolished family members’ statutory right of succession to a secure tenancy.

Key policies

Lifetime Tenancies

  • Haringey Council will continue to offer lifetime tenancies to new tenants, following an introductory period

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Guidance to Registered Providers

  • Haringey Council encourages Registered Providers to continue to provide lifetime tenancies
  • When Registered Providers choose to award fixed-term tenancies, we would expect the length of tenancy to be no less than 5 years.
  • We expect that the following households will continue to receive lifetime tenancies:
    • Vulnerable groups
    • Residents in sheltered or extra-care housing
    • Those that are 60 or older
  • Where a Registered Provider is using fixed-term tenancies, our expectation is that they will have a clear set of policies and procedures that will set out what considerations will be taken into account at the point that the review is made.
  • We expect any changes to be clearly communicated to the tenant.

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Affordable Rent

  • The models for the funding of new housing has changed in recent years. Historically, rents for social housing in London have been set considerably below market levels. In Haringey, social rents equate to approximately 35% of local market rents. The national subsidy system for new housing introduced in 2011 reduced the capital funding substantially, requiring a shift to revenue funding. Subsidy levels in Haringey have fallen from approximately £120,000 per property in 2010 to £35,000 in 2014. Rents under the ‘affordable rent’ model can now be charged at up to 80% of the market rent levels in an area.
  • Where housing providers develop properties using the affordable rent model, rents should be set so that households on low incomes and benefits can access them

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Succession Rights

  • The Localism Act 2012 changed the rules for succession for social housing tenants. For tenancies created before 1 April 2012 existing rights of succession will continue. For tenancies created on or after 1 April 2012 only a spouse, civil partner or a person who lives with them as if they were a spouse or civil partner will have a statutory right to a succession, and such a succession can only happen once.
  • The council will apply these rules in its own stock, although we will consider exceptions on a case by case basis.
  • We would encourage other providers to take a similar approach.

For more information read the Cabinet report from 14 October 2014.

 

Attached files

FilenameFiletypeSize
Haringey's Housing Allocations Policy 2015PDF 552.42 KB
Summary of Housing Allocations Policy 2015 (PDF, 276KB)PDF 276.04 KB

Page last updated:

March 30, 2021