Tenancy policy

Some new tenants will still be offered a secure (lifetime) tenancy. These include:

• People who are moving into sheltered housing (this includes new tenants and tenants moving from a ‘general needs’ home or from other sheltered housing).
• People moving into a home specially adapted for their needs.
• People moving into a home specially designed/designated for a special needs group, for example, for people with mental health or learning disabilities.
• Existing tenants (whether they have a secure or flexible tenancy) who are ‘down-sizing’ from three bedroom or larger properties into a two or one bedroom property or tenants who are downsizing from a two bedroom to a one bedroom/bedsit property.
• Existing tenants who already had a secure tenancy granted before 1 April 2012 and who transfer to another home owned by Welwyn Hatfield. Important note: This does not apply to tenants granted a secure tenancy after 1 April 2012.
• Existing tenants who already had a secure tenancy granted before 1 April 2012 and who arrange to move through the mutual exchange scheme.

Important note on transfers and mutual exchanges: The secure tenancy will not be protected where the property which the secure tenant is moving into is let at affordable rent, intermediate rent, market rent, is a mortgage rescue property or a shared ownership lease.