Housing matters. Providing goodquality housing and an excellent housing service is basic to achieving our goal of a better future for County Durham.
Our customers are important to us, and this tenancy agreement helps us work with you to keep our neighbourhoods safe and peaceful. For example, we willhelp you solve problems and will take action if this fails. We will give you help and advice if you are the victim of antisocial behaviour.
As your county council, we provide many other services to keep your neighbourhood safe and healthy, often in partnership with other organisations and contractors. We ask that you cooperate with them too. You can access many of our services via our website, www.durham.gov.uk.
Durham County Council became a unitary authority in April 2009. We own housing stock in the former districts of Durham City, Easington and Wear Valley and directly manage the homes in Durham City through Durham
City Homes. Our two arm's-length management organisations (ALMOs)
managing the council-owned stock in the other two areas are:
- Dale & Valley Homes
- East Durham Homes.
What does this mean for you?
Durham City Homes and the two ALMOs manage council housing in Durham, Easington and Wear Valley and make improvements to homes. They are responsible for:
- managing tenancies and neighbourhoods
- arranging repairs
- letting homes
- collecting rent
- supporting vulnerable customers, and
- caretaking.
We monitor the standards and the targets that these organisations must
meet. We are responsible for:
- the right to buy your home
- rent policy
- tenancy agreements
- housing strategy
- lettings policy
- homelessness
- services for refugees and asylum seekers.
This tenancy agreement sets out your rights and responsibilities as a tenant,
and those of the Council.
This agreement is a contract between us and you, or anyone who takes over
as landlord or tenant. It does not give any rights or duties to anyone else.
When you sign this agreement you will become either an introductory or
secure tenant and you must comply with the conditions of the tenancy. We
will tell you which type of tenancy you have been given.
The tenant handbook, which is not part of this agreement, explains how to
access the range of services we provide to help you to manage and keep your tenancy.
