Assured tenancies with housing associations
Most housing association tenants have assured tenancies.
Assured tenancies are lifelong tenancies which only end if either:
you choose to leave and give notice
your housing association evicts you
Some housing associations give new tenants starter or assured shorthold tenancies. You can be evicted more easily from these types of tenancy.
You could have a secure tenancy if it started before 15 January 1989 or you had a secure tenancy from the same housing association before you moved into the home you live in now.
Check your agreement or ask your landlord if you're not sure of your tenancy type.
Passing on an assured tenancy if you die
A housing association tenancy can usually only pass on once to a partner who you live with.
Your assured tenancy can only pass to other family members who you live with if your agreement says this can happen.
Find out more about succession rights in a housing association tenancy.
Swapping homes or transferring your tenancy
You need permission to:
assign your tenancy to a partner or family member
swap homes with another council or housing association tenant
Right to buy
You do not have the same right to buy as council tenants.
You may have a preserved right to buy your home if it was transferred from the council to a housing association while you were a tenant.
Or you may be able to buy your home under another scheme called the right to acquire.
Find out about buying your home on GOV.UK.
Rent increases
Housing association rents usually go up every April.
Your landlord usually has to give you 4 weeks' notice of a rent increase.
Repair rights
You have the right to:
gas safety checks each year
get repairs done by the housing association
live in a safe home without damp and other hazards
Find out about repairs and maintenance in housing association homes.
Staying away from your home
You have to live in the property as your main home.
You can go away for a short time. For example, if you:
go on holiday
visit or stay with family
work away during the week
You might need to be away for a longer period. For example, if you:
spend time in hospital
You must plan to return and make sure the rent is paid while you're away.
Check the universal credit rules when away from home.
Ask someone you trust to check your post if you're away for more than a month.
If your housing association think you moved out, they could give a notice to end the tenancy.
Ending your tenancy
You can give a legal 'notice to quit' to end your tenancy.
You must give at least 4 weeks' notice and sometimes you have to give longer.
Ask your landlord about the notice period.
The housing association might let you end your tenancy earlier if you need to.
For example, if you have to leave because of domestic abuse or violence.
Eviction from an assured tenancy
The housing association must give you notice and go to court if they want to evict you.
They must normally prove that you broke the rules of your tenancy. For example, if you:
have rent arrears
are involved in criminal or antisocial behaviour
Last updated: 13 May 2025
