Other council tenancy queries

Reporting empty properties

Council housing is in high demand and we want to make sure that we use our limited stock to house people who need it.

For that reason, we will use the powers available to us to take back possession of any property that we believe to be abandoned. We welcome information from the public about council properties that appear to be unoccupied. We may not be aware that the tenant has left. 

To report an empty property, contact a local housing office.

If you have left your council property

If you are temporarily leaving your council property, but intend to return, you should notify the local housing office of this to avoid us assuming it is abandoned. You are responsible for the rental payments, even if you are not staying in the property for a time. Failure to pay the rent may lead to us assuming the property is abandoned.

The council has grounds to start action to repossess the property if the tenant (and his/her partner, if appropriate) have been absent from the house without reasonable cause for a continuous period of more than 6 months, or are no longer living there as their principal home (whether or not the rent has been paid).