Eastbourne Borough Council (EBC) offer joint tenancies to adults who are married or have lived together as a couple for more than 1 year in a heterosexual/gay/lesbian relationship. We will not normally grant the joint tenancy if you owe rent or have broken a condition of your tenancy. Joint tenancies will not be granted to siblings or two people from different generations e.g. father and son, mother and daughter.
This means that both tenants are jointly and severally liable for making sure that the tenancy conditions are kept to. For example, if a joint tenant does not pay the rent we can ask the other joint tenant to pay all of the arrears. Both tenants have an equal right to live in the home until the tenancy is ended. Either tenant can end a joint tenancy without the authority of the other by giving 28 days notice.
Once you request to have the tenancy changed to a joint tenancy your Area Housing Officer will need to visit you at home and complete the appropriate paperwork. This will then be considered accordingly and you will be notified of the outcome.
Provided that it is still your main home, you will be able to keep your tenancy if you go away for a while; however, if you are going away for any length of time it is always a good idea to let us know your plans in case there is a problem with your home. Contact your Area Housing Officer for further details.
We can change the terms of your tenancy, but only by serving you with a Notice of Variation. This gives you at least 4 weeks notice of the changes. We have to give you an opportunity to comment upon the proposed changes and consider any comments you have made.
