Assigning your tenancy or leaving a joint tenancy
You can use this page to:
- apply to transfer your tenancy to another person
- apply to be removed from a joint tenancy, leaving the other tenant as the sole tenant
Transferring your tenancy to another person
An assignment is the legal transfer of a tenancy from the current tenant to another person.
Once the transfer is complete, the new tenant takes on all the rights and responsibilities of the tenancy. We do not create a new tenancy agreement. Instead, everyone involved signs a legal document called a Deed of Assignment.
A tenancy can only be assigned once.
A mutual exchange does not count as an assignment because the right to exchange homes is included in the tenancy agreement.
If you want to transfer your tenancy, you must apply for our written permission. We can only approve the assignment if you meet the eligibility criteria.
You cannot assign a tenancy to create a joint tenancy.
Applying to leave a joint tenancy
If you are a joint tenant and want to leave the tenancy, you can apply to be removed. If we approve your application, the remaining tenant will become the sole tenant.
If you want to want to be removed from a joint tenancy, you must apply for our written permission. We will consider your application and let you know what happens next.
A Housing Officer will deal with enquiries and applications for tenancy assignments.
If you want to transfer your tenancy, you can apply online using the application for assignment of tenancy form, or by speaking to your Housing Officer if you need support.
If you want to want to be removed from a joint tenancy, you can apply online using the application to leave a joint tenancy form, or by speaking to your Housing Officer if you need support.
Applications will usually fall into one of these categories.
Joint to sole tenancy
This is when both joint tenants agree that one person will be removed from the tenancy.
If approved, the remaining tenant becomes the sole tenant.
Assignment to another household member
This is when the current tenant wants to leave the property and transfer the tenancy to someone who already lives there as their main home.
Once we receive your completed application, we will review the information provided and check our records.
We may refuse an application if:
- there are current breaches of the tenancy agreement, including rent arrears
- the tenancy has already been assigned or succeeded in the past
- the person taking over the tenancy would not meet the criteria for succession if the current tenant had died
You can find more information on our right to succession page.
A Housing Officer will complete the relevant checks and make a recommendation. The final decision will be reviewed and authorised by a Team Leader.
As part of the assessment, we will also look for any signs of tenancy fraud. If we have concerns about the information provided, we may need to make further enquiries.
We will provide our decision in writing within 28 days of receiving all the information we need.
If your application is refused, you can ask us to review the decision.
You must ask for a review within 21 days of receiving the refusal.
The review will be carried out by a manager who was not involved in the original decision.
We will record the reasons for the review decision and write to you with the outcome within 28 working days.
Learn more about how we manage tenancies by reading our tenancy policy.
