Agenda item - Adopting a new Tenancy Management Policy

Report of the Corporate Director of Adults, Housing and Health. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader)

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST FOR ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Approved the adoption of the draft Tenancy Management Policy to come into effect from 4 November 2025.

2. Delegated authority to the Director of Housing in consultation with the Cabinet member for Housing and Planning to make any future modifications to this policy required by changes to legal or regulatory requirements arising in the three-year period before the policy is due for review.

Reasons for decision

?This newly drafted clear and accessible policy would outline the Council’s

approach to tenancy management for Council tenants and for their wider households. It would also help the Council meet the Social Housing Regulator’s consumer standards, specifically the Tenancy Standard and the ?Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard.

Alternative options considered

?The Council could have continued with a range of tenancy policies and updated each one individually instead of introducing one comprehensive policy for this service. This option was rejected because it would not meet

the Council’s needs or those of its tenants. Introducing this new policy

will assist the Council to meet the Social Housing Regulator’s Transparency,

Influence and Accountability Standard requirement to deliver fair, reasonable,

accessible and transparent policies. This option would also not meet our

commitment to introduce updated policies in the Housing Strategy 2024 –

and the Housing Improvement Plan 2023.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, and Deputy Leader of the Council introduced the report.

It was explained that the Council were committed to ensuring that its 20,000 tenants, leaseholders, and their families lived in safe, well-maintained homes.

The Cabinet Member explained that the Tenancy Management policy was an important next step in the transformation of landlord services, noting that it aligned with broader plans to enhance housing services for tenants and leaseholders and to improve the quality of council homes.

It was noted that the proposed policy outlined the Council’s approach to providing an efficient and effective tenancy management service which had tenancy sustainment at its core. It also helped the Council to meet the government’s Social Housing Regulator’s consumer standards.

The insights and experiences of our residents, particularly through the Tenancy Management Continuous Improvement Group and online consultation, played a key role in shaping this policy. This Group, comprising tenants, ensured ongoing resident engagement and co-creation in housing policies. I expressed my gratitude to the Group for their invaluable input, which helped this policy better reflect the needs of our communities.

In response to comments and questions from Councillors Das Neves and Barnes, the following information was shared:

It was explained that the Council prioritised the safeguarding of vulnerable residents, and that it undertook welfare checks and reviews of likely safeguarding risks. It was additionally explained that one of the most important stages of monitoring a tenancy was when a tenant first moved in, and it was noted that the Council would undertake a series of visits during this period to understand if there were any vulnerabilities and ensure that residents were successfully safeguarded.
It was explained that all of the activities that were underway as part of the proposals were part of works that the Council was already undertaking, ensuring that there were no extra costs.
It was explained that the Council maintained quality dashboards of tenant management, which could be shared with Members upon request,