As a tenant you have rights and responsibilities and so do we as your housing association and landlord.

We will support you with every part of your tenancy, from explaining the terms and conditions of your tenancy agreement to moving home or ending your tenancy.

You can read about the standard of service you can expect from us by downloading our tenancy management service standard below.

Tenancy types

We offer a range of different tenancies and we give you the one most appropriate for you and your home. You can read more about this, and the standard of service you can expect from us, by downloading the service standard below.

Starter tenancies

When you move into one of our homes, we help you understand your responsibilities as a new tenant, including the terms of your tenancy agreement. We also make sure you have the right support to keep your tenancy and live successfully in your home.

You can read about the standard of service you can expect from us by downloading our starter tenancies service standard.

Keeping your tenancy

Whether you’re a new or current tenant, we help you to understand all the things you’re responsible for as a tenant. We also make sure you have the help you need to successfully keep your tenancy and stay in your home.

You can read more about this, and the standard of service you can expect from us, by downloading our service standard below.

Tenancy fraud

Tenancy fraud is illegal and can stop people in genuine need of a home from getting one. Tenancy fraud can include:

• Providing false information to move into a home.
• Not using the home as your main address or abandoning it.
• Subletting it to someone else.
• Not telling us when someone has died so that someone else can live there.

If you suspect that tenancy fraud may be taking place, call us on 0300 333 6540 or email enquiries@bvt.org.uk.

You can read more about tenancy fraud, and the standard of service you can expect from us, by downloading our service standard.

Temporary and permanent rehousing

Sometimes, through no fault of your own, you may be asked to leave your home so we can carry out repair work. There may also be very rare occasions where your home is deemed unsafe. In these circumstances, we may offer your alternative accommodation, sometimes referred to as a ‘decant.’

In the first instance, we’ll look to move you to another Bournville Village Trust home or try and secure alternative temporary accommodation. You can understand more about the temporary and permanent rehousing service you can expect from us by downloading our service standard.

Entering your home

We take a measured and reasonable approach to entering your home when we need to. Sometimes there are legal reasons why we need to enter your home, including carrying out important safety checks and services. We use the information we have about you and your home to cause minimal disruption.

You can understand more about why we need to enter your home, and the service you can expect from us, by downloading our service standard.

Home contents insurance

Home contents insurance is designed to help protect your possessions, whether they get broken, damaged or stolen.

To help you decide whether home contents insurance is right for you, we’ve teamed up with Thistle Tenant Risks and Great Lakes Insurance UK Limited, which provide the My Home Contents Insurance Scheme – a Tenants Contents Insurance policy designed for tenants living in social housing.

The My Home Contents Insurance Scheme can offer you insurance for the contents of your home including cover for items such as furniture, carpets, curtains, clothes, bedding, electrical items, jewellery, pictures and ornaments.

For further information, please call Thistle Tenant Risks on 0345 450 7288 or visit the thistlemyhome.co.uk

Limits and exclusions apply. A copy of the policy wording is available on request. The National Housing Federation working in partnership with Thistle Insurance Services Ltd. Thistle Insurance Services Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority Firm Reference Number 310419.   Registered in England under No. 00338645. Registered office: Rossington’s Business Park, West Carr Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7SW. Thistle Insurance Services Ltd is part of the PIB Group. Data Protection Privacy Policy is online at https://www.thistleinsurance.co.uk/Privacy-Policy

Keeping a pet

We allow pets in some of our rented homes but it’s important you get our permission first. If you’re given permission, you must make sure your pet’s behaviour doesn’t impact your neighbours and your garden is secure.

If a pet’s behaviour isn’t well managed, you could risk having permission for keeping a pet taken away and breaching your tenancy.  To speak to us about a pet, please call us on 0300 333 6540 or email enquiries@bvt.org.uk

Risk and alert register

Our risk and alert register helps us maintain a safe working environment for our staff and manage risks related to some customer behaviour. You can understand more about this by downloading our service standard.