Park (mobile) homes

Your rights and obligations

Your rights and obligations are listed in a written agreement with the park (or site) owner. This sets out:

your minimum legal rights and obligations, like your right to keep your park home on its pitch

the rules, charges and services

You have 28 days to review it before signing.

You still have rights and obligations as a park home resident even if you do not have a written agreement.

Park home owners have different rights and responsibilities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Keeping your home in good condition

You must:

repair your home when necessary

keep the outside of your home and pitch clean and tidy, including any fences or outbuildings that you own or use on your pitch

Site licence

Privately owned sites must have a licence from the local council. The park owner must clearly display the licence. It will usually have conditions for:

how many homes can be in the park

services and amenities

health and safety

Complain to the park owner about conditions in your park. Contact your local council if you cannot sort out the issue with the park owner.

You could be forced to leave if you live on a site without planning permission for residential use.

Renting a park home

You have a rent contract if you pay rent to a landlord. It does not have to be in writing.

If you do not have a written contract

You should be able to stay for a year from the date you moved in even if you do not have anything in writing.

If you have a written contract

A written contract should say how long you can live in your home.

During this time your landlord can still ask you to leave if:

your contract says they can ask you to leave with 4 weeks’ notice

you break the rules (‘terms’) of your contract and it says the owner can ask you to leave as a result

When your contract ends

Your landlord can ask you to leave as long as they give you 4 weeks’ notice. If you do not leave the owner can ask the court for an ‘eviction order’ which forces you to leave.

If your landlord tries to evict you

If your landlord tries to evict you (force you to leave), you’ll have more rights to stay if you live on a ‘protected site’.

A protected site is a mobile home park which has planning permission to have residents living there throughout the year. A holiday park is not a protected site.

Your right to stay also depends on:

what your rental contract says

whether your home is counted as a ‘dwelling house’, which means you have rights from tenancy laws

To be a dwelling house your park home must be:

your permanent residence – where you live most or all of the time

connected to mains electricity or water

unmovable or so large that it cannot be moved in one piece, for example you cannot drive it or tow it away yourself

Types of tenancy

The type of tenancy you have depends on the date you moved in and started paying rent. You will have:

a regulated tenancy if you moved in and started paying rent before 15 January 1989

an assured or assured shorthold tenancy if you moved in and started paying rent on or after 15 January 1989

Getting advice

Tenancy rights can be complicated and depend on your situation. You should get legal advice if you think your landlord is treating you unfairly.

You can also contact Citizens Advice, the Leasehold Advisory Service or charities such as Shelter or Age UK if you have questions.

Find out about call charges

Charges

Pitch fee

You have to pay a ‘pitch fee’ to the park owner to rent the land your park home sits on.

The park owner can propose to change it once a year. They must give you 28 days’ notice in writing.

You or the park owner can apply to a tribunal to decide the pitch fee if you cannot agree on it.

Gas, water, electricity and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)

The Office of the Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) sets the amount the park owner can charge you for gas and electricity.

The park owner cannot charge you more for gas and electricity than they paid for it, including any connection charges.

For water, the park owner can only charge what the water company charges and a reasonable administration fee.

Charges for LPG are not regulated.

Selling or giving away a park home

Selling

The park owner gets up to 10% of the selling price (known as a ‘commission’) when you sell your home.

You’ll need to:

give the buyer certain information - for example about the commission and pitch fees

tell the park owner about the sale

assign (transfer) the pitch agreement to the new owner

tell the buyer to fill in a ‘Notice of Assignment form’ so they can pay the commission to the park owner

You must fill in the correct form for park home buyers and sellers to sell your home.

Park homes do not need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).

The park owner may be able to object to you selling your home. They must apply to a tribunal.

Giving away

You have the right to ‘gift’ (give away) your park home and pass on your agreement to a family member. Use the ‘Notice of proposed gift form’ to send the park owner proof of how you’re related to the family member.

Inheritance rules

Anyone will be able to carry on the agreement when you die if they’re:

a family member living with you at the time you die

your husband, wife or civil partner

Someone who is not living with you or is not your husband, wife or civil partner will have to get approval from the park owner to live there.

Read detailed information on buying, selling or gifting your park (mobile) home.

Park repairs and improvements

Park owners are responsible for:

keeping common areas (like shared paths) in good condition

repairing the area where your home sits (the ‘base’)

maintaining any services they supply to your home or pitch (like sewerage)

Park improvements

If the park owner plans to make improvements, they must:

give you at least 28 days’ notice in writing and let you know how you can comment on the plans

tell you if it will affect your pitch fee

They can go ahead with improvements even if most residents disagree.
The park owner can sometimes recover improvement costs through a pitch fee increase. If you disagree, you can apply to a tribunal. Contact the Leasehold Advisory Service for advice.

Residents’ associations

You can set up a ‘qualifying’ residents’ association to represent home owners in the mobile home park where you live.

Qualifying residents’ associations have certain rights and park owners should consult the residents’ association when they want to spend money on improvements or change how they run the park.

Park owners must give at least 28 days’ notice of any changes and take the association’s concerns into account before they make changes.

Setting up a qualifying residents’ association

Your association must include at least half of the home owners in your park. Residents who rent their homes cannot join.

You’ll have to keep certain records and documents, like:

an up-to-date list of members

a constitution

any other rules of the association

You’ll have to elect a:

chairman

secretary

treasurer

The chairman, secretary and treasurer can make administrative decisions. Members should vote on all other decisions.

You need to ask the park owner to ‘acknowledge’ your association. You can apply to a tribunal if they refuse. They can order the park owner to acknowledge your association.

Your association can continue to meet if it does not meet the qualifying conditions but the park owner will not have to talk to the association about park operations and management.

Settling disputes

If you have a dispute with the park owner that you cannot work out, you can apply to a tribunal. Decisions made by the tribunal are legally binding.

If your agreement says you must use an arbitrator, ignore it. You must use a tribunal instead.

The tribunal can settle certain disputes, for example:

changing a residence agreement

changing the pitch fee

moving a park home

damage and repairs to the site

transferring ownership of a park home to someone else

Find out more about the types of disputes the tribunal can solve.

Get help

Contact the Leasehold Advisory Service for advice if you’re not sure whether you have a case.

Call the tribunal if you have any questions about completing the form. The tribunal cannot give you legal advice.


Rent a room in your home

Becoming a resident landlord

You’re a resident landlord if you let out part of a property which is your only or main home.

If you only occasionally rent out part of your home (for example through short-term rental apps), check if you need to tell HMRC about this income.

If so, you’ll have certain rights and responsibilities:

you’re responsible for keeping the property safe and in good repair

a tenant or lodger doesn’t have the right to challenge the agreed rent

you may be able to earn £7,500 per year tax-free under the Rent a Room Scheme

you can give less notice to end a letting than if you rented out the property as a whole

Ask potential tenants or lodgers for references and follow them up before signing any agreement. Read the guide about letting rooms in your home for more information.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and your responsibilities

Your responsibilities as a resident landlord have not changed because of coronavirus. You can read more coronavirus and renting guidance for tenants and landlords.

The Rent a Room Scheme

The Rent a Room Scheme lets you earn up to a threshold of £7,500 per year tax-free from letting out furnished accommodation in your home. This is halved if you share the income with your partner or someone else.

You can let out as much of your home as you want.

How it works

The tax exemption is automatic if you earn less than £7,500. This means you do not need to do anything.

If you earn more than this you must complete a tax return.

You can then opt into the scheme and claim your tax-free allowance. You do this on your tax return.

You can choose not to opt into the scheme and instead record your income and expenses on the property pages of your tax return.

More information

Read the Rent a Room helpsheet for more detailed information on how to complete the form, and when it makes sense to opt out of the scheme.

Eligibility

You can opt in to the scheme at any time if:

you’re a resident landlord, whether or not you own your home

you run a bed and breakfast or a guest house

You cannot use the scheme for homes converted into separate flats.

Your lodger's tenancy type

The way you share your home with a lodger affects what kind of tenancy they have. This in turn affects their rights and how you can end the tenancy.

Your lodger is an excluded occupier

Your lodger is likely to be an excluded occupier if:

they live in your home

you or a member of your family share a kitchen, bathroom or living room with them

In this case, you only have to give them ‘reasonable notice’ to end the letting - and you will not have to go to court to evict them.

Reasonable notice usually means the length of the rental payment period. For example, if rent is paid monthly, you should give one month’s notice.

Your lodger has basic protection

Your lodger is likely to be an occupier with basic protection if:

they live in your home

they do not share any living space with you or your family

If your lodger will not leave when you ask them, you’ll need to get a court order to evict them.

The charity Shelter has advice on excluded occupiers and occupiers with basic protection.

The length of the let

A tenancy or a licence can be either:

periodic - run indefinitely from 1 rent period to the next

fixed term - last a set number of weeks, months or years

If you do not agree the length of a let, it will automatically become a periodic let.

Licences can be open-ended for informal arrangements, like allowing a friend to stay on an as-and-when basis.

Rent, bills and tax

Rent

You can charge what you want for rent but should agree the amount with your tenant beforehand. You can also ask for a deposit and you can accept Housing Benefit for rent.

You must provide a rent book for tenants who pay weekly.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and rent

Tenant responsibilities to pay rent have not changed because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Your tenant should continue to pay rent if they can. You can read coronavirus and renting guidance for tenants and landlords.

You and your tenant can get advice from Shelter, Citizens Advice and The Money Advice Service.

Council Tax

You will be responsible for Council Tax and can include part of the cost in the rent you charge. You must tell your council if having a tenant means you’re no longer entitled to a single person discount.

If you’re unsure who should pay Council Tax, check with your local council.

Utility bills

If you pay the utility bills for the entire house, you can include a charge in the rent or install pre-paid meters.

You can only charge the amount you’ve paid for gas and electricity plus VAT or you could face civil proceedings. Read Ofgem’s rules on the resale of gas and electricity for more information.

Income Tax

Income Tax is payable on rental income you receive.

If you’re not in the Rent a Room scheme, you’ll be charged Income Tax on any rental income you get after business letting expenses. Examples of business expenses include:

insurance

maintenance

repairs (but not improvements)

utility bills

If you’re in the Rent a Room Scheme, you’ll pay Income Tax differently.

Capital Gains Tax

You may have to pay Capital Gains Tax when you sell your home if:

you let out all or part of it

you’ve taken in more than 1 tenant or lodger at a time

However, you may be entitled to Private Residence Relief and Letting Relief.

Deposits

Resident landlords are not legally required to protect tenants’ deposit with one of the government-approved schemes.

Your local council may guarantee rent for a potential tenant who can’t afford a deposit.

You may have to pay other taxes if you run a bed and breakfast, or provide meals or cleaning services for guests. Contact HM Revenue and Customs for more information.

Ending a letting

How to end an excluded tenancy or licence

If your lodger is an excluded occupier, you only need to give them ‘reasonable notice’ to quit.

Usually this means the length of the rental payment period – so if your lodger pays rent weekly, you need to give 1 week’s notice. The notice does not have to be in writing.

You can then change the locks on your lodger’s rooms, even if they’ve left their belongings there. You must give their belongings back to them.

How to end a non-excluded tenancy or licence

If your lodger is an occupier with basic protection, you must serve them a written ‘notice to quit’. The notice period will depend on the tenancy or agreement, but is often at least 4 weeks.

If your lodger does not leave, you’ll need to get a court order to evict them.

Your lodger ends the tenancy

Your lodger can end the tenancy by giving you notice. They cannot do this during the fixed term of the tenancy, unless there’s a break clause.

The amount of notice they need to give depends on the tenancy agreement, if there is one. Otherwise, it’s usually at least 4 weeks (if they pay weekly) or 1 month (if they pay monthly).

You and your tenant can end a tenancy at any time if you both agree.

Change of ownership

If you stop living in your home, the tenants can still stay there, but their tenancy type may change to reflect that you no longer live there.

If you sell your home and the new owner plans to live in the property as a resident landlord, they must:

give notice to a tenant within 28 days that they intend to live there

move in within 6 months of the sale

Until the new owner moves in, tenants will have more protection through tenancy laws, because during this time there’s no resident landlord. Their rights will depend on when they moved in. Find out about tenants’ rights in ‘Private renting: tenancy agreements’.

If you die, a tenancy will usually continue as though you were still resident, until someone else takes ownership.

Houses in Multiple Occupation

Your property may be classed as an House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) if you let rooms to more than 2 people.

There are extra safety requirements and standards for HMOs and you’ll often need a licence.

If someone in an HMO becomes ill with coronavirus (COVID-19), you do not have to find alternative accommodation for the other tenants. You also cannot make someone leave their home because they have coronavirus. Read the coronavirus and renting guidance for tenants and landlords.


Renting out your property

Landlord responsibilities

You’re a landlord if you rent out your property. As a landlord you must:

keep your rented properties safe and free from health hazards

make sure all gas and electrical equipment is safely installed and maintained

provide an Energy Performance Certificate for the property

protect your tenant’s deposit in a government-approved scheme

check your tenant has the right to rent your property if it’s in England

give your tenant a copy of the How to rent checklist when they start renting from you (you can email it to them)

There are different rules if you rent out property in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and your responsibilities

Your responsibilities as a landlord have not changed because of coronavirus. However, you should follow the government’s coronavirus advice.

Read the coronavirus and renting guidance for tenants and landlords.

Fire safety

It’s your responsibility to:

fit and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms

follow fire safety regulations for property in a purpose-built block of flats or for houses and property adapted into flats

Health and safety inspections

The Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) is used by your council to make sure that properties in its area are safe for the people who live there.
This involves inspecting your property for possible hazards, such as uneven stairs.

If you own a property and rent it out, the council may decide to do an HHSRS inspection because:

your tenants have asked for an inspection

the council has done a survey of local properties and thinks your property might be hazardous

HHSRS hazard ratings

Inspectors look at 29 health and safety areas and score each hazard they find as category 1 or 2, according to its seriousness.

You must take action on enforcement notices from your council. You also have the right to appeal enforcement notices.

The council can do any of the following if they find a serious hazard:

issue an improvement notice

fix the hazard themselves and bill you for the cost

stop you or anyone else from using part or all of the property

Financial responsibilities

You have to pay:

Income Tax on your rental income, minus your day-to-day running expenses

Class 2 National Insurance if the work you do renting out property counts as running a business

If you only occasionally rent out your property or part of your home (for example through short-term rental apps), check if you need to tell HMRC about this income.

If you have a mortgage on the property you want to rent out, you must get permission from your mortgage lender.

Regulated tenancies

There are special rules for changing rents and terms for regulated tenancies (usually private tenancies starting before 15 January 1989).

Making repairs

You must keep your property in good condition, and any gas or electrical systems must meet specified safety standards.

When doing repairs in your property, make sure you keep you and your tenants safe from coronavirus (COVID-19).

There is more information about doing repairs and maintenance in section 3 of the coronavirus and renting guidance for tenants and landlords.

There are different rules around making repairs if you rent out property in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

When you can enter the property

You have a legal right to enter your property to inspect it or carry out repairs. You must give your tenants at least 24 hours’ notice, although immediate access may be possible in emergencies. Your tenants have the right to stay in the property during the repairs.

You’re normally responsible for repairs to:

the structure of your property

basins, sinks, baths and other sanitary fittings

heating and hot water systems

anything you damage through attempting repairs

If your property is seriously damaged by a fire, flood or other similar incident, you do not have to rebuild or renovate it. However, if you do, you cannot charge your tenants for any repairs made.

Common areas

If you own a block of flats, you’re usually responsible for repairing common areas, like staircases. Councils can ask landlords to fix problems in common areas, or to repair a tenant’s flat that’s been damaged by another tenant.

What happens if repairs are not done properly

If you refuse to carry out repairs, tenants can:

start a claim in the small claims court for repairs under £5,000

in some circumstances, carry out the repairs themselves and deduct the cost from their rent

If you do not make repairs to remove hazards, your tenants can ask the council to inspect the property under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and to take any action that is necessary.

If the council finds serious hazards, it must take enforcement action to make sure the hazard is removed.

If the property is temporarily unfit to live in

You can ask tenants to move out during major repairs. Before this happens, you should agree in writing:

how long the works will last

the tenants’ right to return

details of any alternative accommodation

You cannot repossess a property to do repairs. However, if you’re planning substantial works, or want to redevelop the property, you can apply to the courts for an order for your tenants to leave. The courts are more likely to grant this if you provide alternative accommodation.

Repairs and charging rent

If the repairs are very disruptive, your tenants may be able to claim a reduction on their rent known as a ‘rent abatement’. This will depend on how much of the property is unusable.

You may have the right to increase the rent after carrying out repairs and improvements, depending on the tenancy agreement.

Rent increases

The tenancy agreement should include how and when you’ll review the rent.

There are special rules for increasing regulated tenancy rents.

When you can increase rent

For a periodic tenancy (rolling on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis) you can usually only increase the rent once a year.

For a fixed-term tenancy (running for a set period) you can only increase the rent if your tenancy agreement permits this. Otherwise, you can only raise the rent when the fixed term ends.

How you can increase the rent

If a fixed-term tenancy agreement says how the rent can be increased, you must stick to this.

For a periodic tenancy, you can:

agree a rent increase with your tenants and produce a written record of the agreement that you both sign

use a ‘Landlord’s notice proposing a new rent’ form, giving your tenant at least a month’s notice

There are different rules around increasing rent if you rent out property in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The rent increase must be fair and realistic - that is, in line with reasonable rents on the open market.

If your tenants do not agree

If your tenants think the rent increase is unfair, they can ask the First Tier Property Tribunal to decide the right amount.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and rent

Tenant responsibilities have not changed because of coronavirus. Your tenant should continue to pay rent if they can.

If your tenant is unable to pay their rent, you can agree a different way to pay. For example, you can agree to accept a lower rent payment for a set amount of time and they pay off the rent arrears later.

Read the coronavirus and renting guidance for tenants and landlords.

You and your tenant can get advice from Shelter, Citizens Advice and the Money Advice Service.

Settling disputes

You can often sort out disputes with your tenants without going to court:

Speak to your tenants about your concerns.

If this does not work, write a formal letter setting out the problem.

Use a mediation service, which is usually cheaper and quicker than going to court.

As a last resort, you can take your tenants to court.

There are different rules for settling disputes if you rent out property in Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Going to court

If you take legal action, the case may go to a small claims court. Small claims cases are those worth less than £10,000 (or £1,000 if the case is about repairs to a property).

The courts provide a free mediation service for small claims cases, which can take place over the phone.

If you want to get your property back because your tenants owe you rent money, you can make a possession claim online.

You must follow specific rules if you want to evict tenants.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and possession claims

The court process for possession claims is different because of coronavirus.

You must tell the court if your tenant and their dependants have been affected by coronavirus. For example, if they lost income because of coronavirus, which meant they were not able to pay your rent.

Free advice for disputes

You can get free advice about disputes or housing problems from Citizens Advice or Shelter.

In Wales, you can contact Shelter Cymru.

You might be able to get free and confidential legal advice from Civil Legal Advice (CLA) as part of legal aid, if you’re in England and Wales.

A solicitor can also help you, but they might charge a fee.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

If you let your property to several tenants who are not members of the same family, it may be a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’ (HMO).

The rules about HMOs are different in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Your property is an HMO if both of the following apply:

at least 3 tenants live there, forming more than one household

toilet, bathroom or kitchen facilities are shared

A household consists of either a single person or members of the same family who live together. It includes people who are married or living together and people in same-sex relationships.

If someone in an HMO becomes ill with coronavirus (COVID-19), you do not have to find alternative accommodation for the other tenants. You also cannot make someone leave their home because they have coronavirus. Read the coronavirus and renting guidance for tenants and landlords.

Licences

An HMO must have a licence if it is occupied by 5 or more people. A council can also include other types of HMOs for licensing.

Find out if you need an HMO licence from your council.

Risk assessment

The council has to carry out a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) risk assessment on your HMO within 5 years of receiving a licence application. If the inspector finds any unacceptable risks during the assessment, you must carry out work to eliminate them.

Reporting changes

You must tell the council if:

you plan to make changes to an HMO

your tenants make changes

your tenants’ circumstances change (for example they have a child)

Paying tax and National Insurance

When you rent out property you may have to pay tax.

Running a property business

You have to pay Class 2 National Insurance if your profits are £6,515 a year or more and what you do counts as running a business, for example if all the following apply:

being a landlord is your main job

you rent out more than one property

you’re buying new properties to rent out

If your profits are under £6,515, you can make voluntary Class 2 National Insurance payments, for example to make sure you get the full State Pension.

You do not pay National Insurance if you’re not running a business - even if you do work like arranging repairs, advertising for tenants and arranging tenancy agreements.

Property you personally own

The first £1,000 of your income from property rental is tax-free. This is your ‘property allowance’.

Contact HMRC if your income from property rental is between £1,000 and £2,500 a year.

You must report it on a Self Assessment tax return if it’s:

£2,500 to £9,999 after allowable expenses

£10,000 or more before allowable expenses

Register for Self Assessment

If you do not usually send a tax return, you need to register by 5 October following the tax year you had rental income.

Register now

Declaring unpaid tax

You can declare unpaid tax by telling HMRC about rental income from previous years. If you have to pay a penalty it’ll be lower than if HMRC find out about the income themselves.

You’ll be given a disclosure reference number. You then have 3 months to work out what you owe and pay it.

Do not include the £1,000 tax-free property allowance for any tax years before 2017 to 2018.

Property owned by a company

Count the rental income the same way as any other business income.

Costs you can claim to reduce tax

There are different tax rules for:

residential properties

furnished holiday lettings

commercial properties

Residential properties

You or your company must pay tax on the profit you make from renting out the property, after deductions for ‘allowable expenses’.

Allowable expenses are things you need to spend money on in the day-to-day running of the property, like:

letting agents’ fees

legal fees for lets of a year or less, or for renewing a lease for less than 50 years

accountants’ fees

buildings and contents insurance

interest on property loans

maintenance and repairs to the property (but not improvements)

utility bills, like gas, water and electricity

rent, ground rent, service charges

Council Tax

services you pay for, like cleaning or gardening

other direct costs of letting the property, like phone calls, stationery and advertising

Allowable expenses do not include ‘capital expenditure’ - like buying a property or renovating it beyond repairs for wear and tear.

You may be able to claim tax relief on money spent on replacing a ‘domestic item’. This is called ‘replacement of domestic items relief’.

Domestic items include:

beds

sofas

curtains

carpets

fridges

crockery and cutlery

You must have only bought the domestic item for use by tenants in a residential property and the item you replaced must no longer be used in that property.

The replacement of domestic items relief is available from:

the 2016 to 2017 tax year for individuals and partnerships

1 April 2016 for companies

Furnished residential lettings

You may be able to claim ‘wear and tear allowance’:

for the 2015 to 2016 tax year for individuals and partnerships

on or before 31 March 2016 for companies

Furnished holiday lettings

For furnished holiday homes, you may be able to claim:

plant and machinery capital allowances on furniture, furnishings and so on in the let property, as well as on equipment used outside the property (like vans and tools)

Capital Gains Tax reliefs - Business Asset Rollover Relief, Entrepreneurs’ Relief, relief for gifts of business assets and relief for loans to traders

You can only claim these if all the following apply:

the property is offered to let for at least 210 days a year

it’s let for more than 105 days a year

no single let is more than 31 days

you charge the going rate for similar properties in the area (‘market value’)

If you own the property personally, your profits count as earnings for pension purposes.

You can download helpsheets to help you with your tax return:

capital allowances

furnished holiday lettings

Commercial properties

You can claim plant and machinery capital allowances on some items if you rent out a commercial property - like a shop, garage or lock-up.

Working out your profit

You work out the net profit or loss for all your property lettings (except furnished holiday lettings) as if it’s a single business. To do this, you:

add together all your rental income

add together all your allowable expenses

take the expenses away from the income

Work out the profit or loss from furnished holiday lettings separately from any other rental business to make sure you only claim these tax advantages for eligible properties.

Making a loss

Deduct any losses from your profit and enter the figure on your Self Assessment form.

You can offset your loss against:

future profits by carrying it forward to a later year

profits from other properties (if you have them)

You can only offset losses against future profits in the same business.

Changing a regulated tenancy (fair rent)

There are special rules for changing rents and terms for regulated tenancies (sometimes called ‘fair rents’) which usually started before 15 January 1989.

There are different rules for increasing rents in regulated tenancies in Scotland and rent-controlled tenancies in Northern Ireland.

When you can increase rent

You can only increase the rent up to the maximum set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) - check the register of rents to find out what it is.

You can ask VOA to review the rent every 2 years, or earlier if something has affected the value, so that it remains fair. Your rent might increase or decrease.

Download and fill in a fair rent form to get your rent reviewed. Send the completed form to the VOA Network Support Office by post.

Email the VOA Network Support Office if you have any questions about increasing your rent.

If the fair rent increases

You must serve a notice of increase of rent on your tenant. You can charge the new rent from the date it’s registered.

Fill in a ‘notice of increase’ form (available from legal stationers) and send it to your tenant.

You can backdate your notice of rent increase for up to 4 weeks.

Cancel a registered rent

Download and fill in an application form to cancel a registered rent and send it to the address on the form, for example if the tenancy stops being regulated, or you and the tenant agree to cancel it.

It may take up to 6 weeks to cancel a registered rent.


Right to Manage: a guide for landlords

The Right to Manage

The Right to Manage (RTM) lets some leasehold property owners take over management of the building - even without the agreement of the landlord.

As a landlord, the leaseholders in your building will send you notice if they plan to do this. If they’re successful, you’ll still own the building but they’ll manage it.

This means they’ll be responsible for things like:

collecting and managing the service charge

upkeep of communal areas (such as communal hallways and stairs)

upkeep of the structure of the building (such as the roof)

dealing with complaints about the building from other leaseholders

Qualifying leaseholders can use the Right to Manage for any reason - they don’t have to prove the building has been badly managed.

Right to Manage companies

To use the right, leaseholders must set up an RTM company and follow certain procedures. The RTM company can manage the building directly, or pay a managing agent to do it.

As landlord, you have the right to be a member of the RTM company and to vote on decisions. You get at least 1 vote. How many votes you’ll get depends on how many flats you own in the building.

The RTM company must pay for any costs you incur during the management transfer process - even if it doesn’t end up managing the building.

Qualifying

To qualify for Right to Manage:

the building must be made up of flats (houses don’t qualify)

at least two-thirds of the flats in the building must be leasehold - with leases that were for more than 21 years when they were granted

at least 75% of the building must be residential - for example, if there’s a shop in the building, it can’t take up more than 25% of the total floor area

you must live somewhere else if there are less than 4 flats in the block - unless the block was purpose-built as flats, rather than converted from another type of building

any number of owners can set up an RTM company - but at least half of the flats in the building must be members of the company before it can actually take over management

Notices

Normally, the leaseholders will contact you once they’ve set up an RTM company. You may get a ‘right to information’ notice from the company - asking for the information they need in order to claim their Right to Manage.

You receive a ‘notice of claim’

If you receive a ‘notice of claim’ it means that the RTM company intends to take over management of the building. It will tell you:

the date you must respond by

the date the RTM company intends to take over management of the building

You can:

accept the claim

dispute the claim - the notice of claim will tell you when you need to do this by, but the deadline can’t be less than 1 month from the date of the notice

Disputing the claim

You can dispute the claim by serving a counter-notice to the Right to Manage (RTM) company. In it, you must give reasons why you think the company isn’t entitled to manage the building.

You can dispute the claim if you think:

the building doesn’t qualify

the RTM company doesn’t comply with the legal requirements

the RTM company members don’t represent half the flats in the building

You can’t dispute the claim for any other reason.

Leasehold Valuation Tribunal

If the members of the RTM company think you’re wrong, the company must apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT) within 2 months of the date of the counter-notice. The LVT will then decide if the RTM company can manage the building.

Transferring management of the building

If you accept the Right to Manage (RTM) company’s notice, or if you dispute the claim and the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT) decides against you, the management of the building will transfer to the RTM company.

The date the RTM company takes over management responsibilities is called the ‘date of acquisition’. This will be:

on the date given on the notice of claim - if you accept the claim

3 months after the LVT decision becomes final - if you disputed the claim and lost

3 months after agreement - if you originally disputed the claim but later came to an agreement with the RTM company

You must transfer any money you have from service charges on the acquisition date - or as soon after as is reasonably possible.

Ongoing management

The RTM company must tell you at least 30 days before approving:

assignment (selling or transferring the flat into someone else’s name)

a sublet

a charge to leaseholders

If the lease says your consent is needed, the RTM company must give you 30 days’ notice before approving:

any changes to the structure of the building

any changes to the use of the building

For other approvals they must tell you at least 14 days in advance.

Read the Leasehold Advisory Service’s guide on The Right to Manage for a detailed explanation of how Right to Manage works.


Tenancy agreements: a guide for landlords (England and Wales)

Overview

A tenancy agreement is a contract between you and your tenants. It sets out the legal terms and conditions of the tenancy. It can be written down or oral.

A tenancy can either be:

fixed-term (running for a set period of time)

periodic (running on a week-by-week or month-by-month basis)

Rights and responsibilities

Both you and your tenants have certain rights and responsibilities, whether or not there is a tenancy agreement.

Tenancy types

Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs)

The most common form of tenancy is an AST. Most new tenancies are automatically this type.

A tenancy can be an AST if all of the following apply:

you’re a private landlord or housing association

the tenancy started on or after 15 January 1989

the property is your tenants’ main accommodation

you do not live in the property

A tenancy cannot be an AST if:

it began or was agreed before 15 January 1989

the rent is more than £100,000 a year

the rent is less than £250 a year (less than £1,000 in London)

it’s a business tenancy or tenancy of licensed premises

it’s a holiday let

the landlord is a local council

Other tenancies

There are other tenancies that are not as common as ASTs, including:

excluded tenancies or licences

assured tenancies

regulated tenancies

Excluded tenancies or licences

If you have a lodger living in your home and share rooms with them, like a kitchen or bathroom, you may have one of these. This usually gives your lodger less protection from eviction than other types of agreement.

Assured tenancies

Tenancies starting between 15 January 1989 and 27 February 1997 may be assured. Your tenants have increased protection from eviction with this type of agreement.

Regulated tenancies

Tenancies starting before 15 January 1989 may be regulated. Your tenants have increased protection from eviction and can apply for a ‘fair rent’.

What you should include in a tenancy agreement

The tenancy agreement should include:

the names of all people involved

the rental price and how it’s paid

information on how and when the rent will be reviewed

the deposit amount and how it will be protected

when the deposit can be fully or partly withheld, for example to repair damage caused by tenants

the property address

the start and end date of the tenancy

any tenant or landlord obligations

which bills your tenants are responsible for

It can also include information on:

whether the tenancy can be ended early and how this can be done

who’s responsible for minor repairs (other than those that the landlord is legally responsible for)

whether the property can be let to someone else (sublet) or have lodgers

The terms of the tenancy must be fair and comply with the law. You can use a model agreement as a template.

You cannot have anything in your tenancy agreement that may indirectly discriminate against your tenants.

Changes to tenancy agreements

You must get the agreement of your tenants if you want to make changes to the terms of their tenancy agreement.

Preventing discrimination

You cannot discriminate against or harass your tenants on the grounds of:

age

being or becoming a transsexual person

being married or in a civil partnership

being pregnant or on maternity leave

disability

race including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin

religion, belief or lack of religion or belief

sex

sexual orientation

If you get managed payments from your local council

When your tenants move to Universal Credit, you can help them set up their new rent payments.

You can read more about Universal Credit and how it affects landlords.

Ending a tenancy

If you want your tenants to leave, you must give them notice in a particular way, including certain information and warnings. This depends on the type of tenancy agreement and its terms.

Assured shorthold tenancies (ASTs)

In some circumstances, you can take back your property without giving any reason. To do this, and all of the following must apply:

you’ve protected your tenants’ deposit in a deposit protection scheme

the date they must leave is at least 6 months after the original tenancy began (the one they signed on first moving in)

they have a periodic tenancy - or they have a fixed-term tenancy and you are not asking them to leave before the end of the fixed term

How much notice you need to give

You must give your tenants written notice that you want the property back (‘notice to quit’) and the date they must leave. The notice period you give them must be at least:

2 months if you gave notice before 26 March 2020

3 months if you gave notice between 26 March 2020 and 28 August 2020

6 months if you gave notice on or after 29 August 2020

If you gave a section 8 notice, the notice period is sometimes shorter, depending on the reason for eviction.

This change is because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

During the fixed term

If you’re still in the fixed term, you can only ask your tenants to leave if you have a reason for wanting possession that’s in the Housing Act 1988.

Examples of reasons include:

your tenants are behind with rent payments (‘in arrears’)

your tenants have used the property for illegal purposes, for example selling drugs

If you gave your tenant notice before 26 March 2020, you would have needed to give them up to 2 months to leave, depending on the reason.

Because of coronavirus, in most cases you must now give them a longer notice period.

If you gave your tenant notice between 26 March 2020 and 28 August 2020, period must have been at least 3 months.

If you gave your tenant notice on or after 29 August 2020, the notice period must be at least 6 months. It can be shorter in some cases, for example if you evict them for antisocial behaviour.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has information on reasons for possession for a property let on an AST.

Assured tenancies

You will need to use one of the reasons for possession in the Housing Act 1988.

Excluded tenancies or licences

If you live with a lodger and share rooms with them, you’ll often have an excluded tenancy or licence.

In this case, you only need to give ‘reasonable notice’ to quit. Usually this means the length of the rental payment period – so if you collect rent monthly, you’ll need to give 1 month’s notice.

The notice does not have to be in writing.

Non-excluded tenancy or licence

You can end the agreement at any time by serving a written ‘notice to quit’. The notice period will depend on the tenancy or agreement, but it’s usually at least 4 weeks.

Break clauses

If there’s a break clause in the tenancy agreement, you can give your tenants notice after this. However, you do not have a guaranteed right to possession during the first 6 months of the tenancy.

If your tenant does not leave the property

You cannot remove your tenants by force. If the notice period expires and your tenants do not leave the property, you can start the process of eviction through the courts.

If your tenants want to leave

Tenancies

The tenancy agreement should say how much notice your tenants need to give before they can leave the property.

Tenants are responsible for paying rent for their entire fixed-term tenancy. They can move out early without paying rent for the full tenancy if:

there is a break clause in their tenancy agreement

you agree to ending the tenancy early

They can also leave if their tenancy is up after giving their notice (whether it is fixed-term or not).

Licence agreements

If the licence automatically runs out after a specific date and your lodger wants to end the agreement, they should let you know this before the licence runs out.

If your tenant dies without an executor or a will

The tenancy is transferred temporarily to the Public Trustee if a tenant dies:

without a will

with a will but without an executor

You cannot take back a property automatically even if the tenancy was due to end.

You may be fined if you try to repossess a property without following the rules.

Reclaim your property

You must:

post or deliver a letter to the tenant’s last known address saying you’re giving written notice

email a copy of your notice and a completed NL1 form to the Public Trustee

pay an application fee to the Public Trustee to register the notice

Give notice

Address the written notice to: “The Personal Representative of  [full name of the tenant who died] of [last known address for the tenant who died]”.

Email the notice and NL1 form to the Public Trustee

Order a NL1 application form to register a notice from OyezStore or from Shaws. The form costs no more than £8.26.

You’ll get it by post. Email a copy of the notice and a scan of your completed NL1 form to osptcontrolunit@ospt.gov.uk.

You must buy a new form for each application - you cannot use a photocopy. You can make your own version of the form, as long as it’s laid out in the same way and includes all the relevant information.

Pay the application fee

It costs £40 to register the notice. You can only pay by Bacs. Transfer the fee to the following account:

Sort code | Account number | Account name

80 26 50 | 10014069 | The Public Trustee

Include the name of the deceased in the payment reference.

Get a decision about your application

The Public Trustee will register or reject your application. You should get an email within 15 working days of the Public Trustee getting your application and payment.

If your application is registered, you’ll be told the date it was put in the register.

If your application is rejected, for example because it’s incomplete, you’ll be told why the Public Trustee cannot register it.

You can search the Public Trustee’s register if your notice is registered, for example to check that you can legally rent the property again or sell it.


Challenge your Council Tax band

Challenging your band

Council Tax bands are based on how much a property was worth on:

1 April 1991, for England and Scotland

1 April 2003, for Wales

You might be able to challenge your Council Tax band if you have evidence that suggests the band is wrong.

When you can challenge your band

You can challenge your band if you have been paying Council Tax on your property for less than 6 months.

If you’ve been paying Council Tax on your property for more than 6 months you can only challenge your band in specific circumstances. These include if:

your property has changed - for example, it’s been demolished, split into multiple properties or merged into one

your property’s use has changed - for example, part of your property is now used for business

your local area has changed - for example, a new supermarket has been built

Before you challenge your band

Contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) to explain why you think your band is wrong. You must be able to provide evidence that supports your opinion. The VOA may be able to review and change your band without you needing to challenge it.

There’s currently a reduced telephone service because of coronavirus (COVID-19). Only contact the VOA by telephone if you cannot email them.

How to challenge your band

If the VOA has reviewed your band and you do not agree with their decision, you can then formally challenge your band.

Find your property’s Council Tax band on the valuation list.

Select your property. From ‘Council Tax band details’ choose ‘Do you think this Council Tax band is wrong?’

From ‘If you think your Council Tax band is wrong’ choose ‘Check if you can formally challenge your Council Tax band’.

Answer the questions on the checklist to find out if you can make a challenge.

Select ‘Make a formal challenge against your Council Tax band online’ to fill in the challenge form.

Provide evidence that supports your challenge in the ‘Formal challenge details’ section.

You must continue paying your Council Tax while the challenge is happening.

You can also appoint someone else to challenge on your behalf.

If you’re in Scotland use the Scottish Assessors website to check your Council Tax band, then follow the link ‘Make a proposal’.

Evidence that supports your challenge

You must send evidence that your council tax band is wrong to the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you’re in England or Wales.

If you’re in Scotland, use the Scottish Assessors website to check what evidence you need.

Evidence you can send

Send the addresses of up to 5 similar properties in a lower Council Tax band than yours.

They must be the same as your property in:

age

style and design

size (the VOA will also consider properties that are larger than yours)

type (for example, they must be semi-detached houses if you live in a semi-detached house)

They must also be either:

in the same street or estate - if you live in a town or city

in the same village - if you live in the countryside

Evidence from house prices

You can also use the price that your property or similar properties sold for as evidence, if the sales were between:

1 April 1989 and 31 March 1993 - if your property is in England

1 April 2001 and 31 March 2005 - if your property is in Wales

You can look up property sale prices online from 1995 onwards.

Compare the sale prices to what the properties were valued at:

Council Tax band | Properties is in England - value in April 1991 | Properties in Wales - value in April 2003

A | Up to £40,000 | Up to £44,000

B | More than £40,000 and up to £52,000 | More than £44,000 and up to £65,000

C | More than £52,000 and up to £68,000 | More than £65,000 and up to £91,000

D | More than £68,000 and up to £88,000 | More than £91,000 and up to £123,000

E | More than £88,000 and up to £120,000 | More than £123,000 and up to £162,000

F | More than £120,000 and up to £160,000 | More than £162,000 and up to £223,000

G | More than £160,000 and up to £320,000 | More than £223,000 and up to £324,000

H | More than £320,000 | More than £324,000 and up to £424,000

I | - | More than £424,000

If the sale prices are different from the Council Tax bands the properties are in, send:

the addresses of the properties

the sale prices

the dates the properties were sold

If your property is in England, you’ll also need to send proof of the sale prices, such as:

a letter from a solicitor

the contract for the sale

Do not send data about average house prices in your area from websites such as Nationwide House Price Index, Nethouseprices, Rightmove or Zoopla.

After you make a challenge

You’ll get a decision from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) within 4 months. They’ll either:

change your Council Tax band - your local council will revise your bill and adjust your payments

tell you why your band cannot be changed

If you disagree with the VOA’s decision

In England, if you make a formal challenge and disagree with the VOA’s decision, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal.

If you’re in Wales, send it to the Welsh Tribunal.

The Valuation Tribunal is independent of the VOA. It’s free, but you have to pay your own costs.

You must appeal within 3 months of getting the VOA’s decision. You may be able to get the time limit extended if you cannot apply in time.

If the tribunal agrees with you, the VOA will change your band and the council will update your bill.

Get help

The Valuation Tribunal has guidance on:

what you need to do for the hearing

preparing for the hearing

You can also contact the tribunal for help.


Council Tax

Working out your Council Tax

You’ll need to know 3 things:

the valuation band for your home in England and Wales or in Scotland

how much your local council charges for that band

whether you can get a discount or exemption from the full bill

You may be able to get Council Tax Reduction (this used to be called Council Tax Benefit) if you’re on a low income or get benefits.

You can challenge your Council Tax band if you think your home is in the wrong valuation band.

Changes that may affect your Council Tax band

Your property may be revalued and put in a different band in some circumstances, for example if:

you demolish part of your property and do not rebuild it

you alter your property to create 2 or more self-contained units, for example an annexe - each unit will have its own band

you split a single property into self-contained flats

you convert flats into a single property

you start or stop working from home

the previous owner made changes to your property

there are significant changes to your local area, like a new road being built

a similar property in your area has its Council Tax band changed

Ask the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) if you want to know if changes to your property will affect your Council Tax band.

Who has to pay

You’ll usually have to pay Council Tax if you’re 18 or over and own or rent a home.

A full Council Tax bill is based on at least 2 adults living in a home. Spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying the bill.

You’ll get 25% off your bill if you count as an adult for Council Tax and either:

you live on your own

no-one else in your home counts as an adult

You’ll usually get a 50% discount if no-one living in your home, including you, counts as an adult.

You will not have to pay any Council Tax if everyone in your home, including you, is a full-time student.

Apply for a Council Tax discount.

Who does not count as an adult?

These people are not counted as adults for Council Tax:

children under 18

people on some apprentice schemes

18 and 19-year-olds in full-time education

full-time college and university students

young people under 25 who get funding from the Skills Funding Agency or Young People’s Learning Agency

student nurses

foreign language assistants registered with the British Council

people with a severe mental impairment

live-in carers who look after someone who is not their partner, spouse, or child under 18

diplomats

Contact your local council if you’re unsure about whether you can get a discount or who’s responsible for paying.

People on apprentice schemes

To show that you do not qualify as an adult for Council Tax, you’ll need a declaration from your employer stating that:

you will not be paid more than £195 a week

the training leads to a qualification accredited by a body recognised by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) or the Scottish Vocational Education Council (SVEC)

If you get a Council Tax discount by mistake

You must tell your council. If you do not, you could get a fine.

The council may ask you to pay back the discount.

Discounts for full-time students

Households where everyone’s a full-time student do not have to pay Council Tax. If you do get a bill, you can apply for an exemption.

To count as a full-time student, your course must:

last at least 1 year

involve at least 21 hours study per week

If you study for a qualification up to A level and you’re under 20, your course must:

last at least 3 months

involve at least 12 hours study per week

You’ll get a Council Tax bill if there’s someone in your household who’s not a full-time student, but your household might still qualify for a discount.

Discounts for disabled people

People who are severely mentally impaired are not included when working out Council Tax.

You also are not included if you’re a live-in carer looking after someone who is not your partner, spouse, or child under 18.

Apply for a Council Tax discount.

Disabled Band Reduction Scheme

You may be eligible for the scheme if you live in a larger property than you would need if you or another occupant were not disabled.

You’ll have to show that you’ve either:

an extra bathroom, kitchen or other room that you need for the disabled person

extra space inside the property for using a wheelchair

The property must be the main home of at least 1 disabled person. This can be an adult or a child - it does not have to be the person responsible for paying the Council Tax.

Check if you qualify for the scheme.

Second homes and empty properties

You may be able to get a discount if you have a second home or an empty property - it’s up to your council to decide.

Councils can charge extra Council Tax for empty properties.

Second homes

You may pay less Council Tax for a property you own or rent that’s not your main home.

Councils can give furnished second homes or holiday homes a discount of up to 50%. Contact your council to find out if you can get a discount - it’s up to them how much you can get.

Empty properties

You’ll usually have to pay Council Tax on an empty home, but your council can decide to give you a discount - the amount is up to them. Contact your council to ask about a discount.

You can be charged up to double your Council Tax if your home has been empty for 2 years or more (unless it’s an annexe or you’re in the armed forces).

The rules are different in Scotland.

When you do not pay Council Tax

If you’re selling a property on behalf of an owner who’s died, you won’t need to pay Council Tax until after you get probate as long as the property remains empty. After probate is granted, you may be able to get a Council Tax exemption for another 6 months if the property is both:

unoccupied

still owned and in the name of the person who died

Some homes do not get a Council Tax bill for as long as they stay empty. They include homes:

of someone in prison (except for not paying a fine or Council Tax)

of someone who’s moved into a care home or hospital

that have been repossessed

that cannot be lived in by law, for example if they’re derelict

that are empty because they’ve been compulsory purchased and will be demolished

You may get a discount if your home is undergoing major repair work or structural changes, for example your walls are being rebuilt.

If your property’s been refurbished

Your council will tell you when you have to start paying Council Tax if you’ve been carrying out major home improvements on an empty property or building a new property.

You’ll get a ‘completion notice’ that tells you the date you must start paying Council Tax.

If your property’s derelict

Your property’s only considered derelict if it:

is not possible to live in it, for example because it’s been damaged by weather, rot or vandalism

would need major structural works to make it ‘wind and watertight’ again

You can challenge your Council Tax band if you think a derelict property should be removed from the Council Tax valuation list.

Paying your bill

Your Council Tax bill tells you:

how much you have to pay for the year

how that amount has been worked out

the dates you have to pay

The cost is usually split into 10 monthly payments. Contact your council immediately if you’re having trouble paying - they can help you, for example by spreading your payments over 12 months instead of 10.

The council can take action to reclaim any debts you owe if you get behind with your payments.

Ways to pay

You can usually pay your Council Tax online.

You can also use ‘Paypoint’, ‘Payzone’ or ‘Quickcards’ for cash payments at post offices, banks, newsagents and convenience stores.

Check your bill to find out which other payment methods you can use.

If you’ve overpaid

Contact your local council if you’ve paid too much Council Tax and have not received an automatic refund.


Council housing

Apply for a council home

You apply for council housing through your local council.

Each council has its own rules.

You’ll usually have to join a waiting list and you’re not guaranteed to get a property. Ask your council how long you’re likely to have to wait.

You can apply if you’re 18 or over (some councils let you apply if you’re 16 or over).

You may be able to apply even if you do not live in the area.

Waiting lists

Councils decide who gets offered housing based on a ‘points’ or ‘banding’ system.

Points and bands are based on housing need. For example, you’re likely to be offered housing first if you:

are homeless

live in cramped conditions

have a medical condition made worse by your current home

Once you’re high enough on the list, your council will contact you about an available property.

Choice-based lettings

Some councils have a choice-based letting scheme. This lets you tell your council which properties you’re interested in. It depends on the council, but once you’ve been accepted onto the waiting list, the basic steps are:

Find a property: check in local papers, on council websites, in council offices or in local libraries.

Check you can apply for it: some properties are only suitable for single people, families or disabled people.

Apply: this is known as ‘bidding’, but it does not involve money. You can bid online, by phone or by text.

Get the council’s decision.

Getting an offer

Normally you only have a short time to accept a housing offer. If you do not accept it, you can usually stay on the waiting list (or bid for other properties), but you may be put lower down the list.

You may be taken off the list temporarily if you keep rejecting offers.

You can appeal if you’re not happy with your council’s decision.

Types of tenancy

Your tenancy agreement is a legal document and tells you all the rules about living in your property.

Different council tenants have different tenancies. These give you different rights and responsibilities.

Introductory tenancy

New council tenants may be offered an introductory tenancy. These usually last 12 months and are like a ‘trial’ period.

You automatically become a secure or flexible tenant after 12 months, unless your council has either:

started action to evict you

extended your introductory tenancy for a further 6 months

There are limits to what you can do with an introductory tenancy, for example you cannot:

make major improvements to the property

swap your property with another council tenant

apply to buy your property through the Right to Buy scheme

Secure tenancy

As a secure tenant, you can normally live in the property for the rest of your life, as long as you do not break the conditions of the tenancy.

You can:

rent out rooms - but you cannot sub-let the whole property

buy your property through the Right to Buy scheme

swap your home with another council or housing association tenant - with your council’s permission

transfer your tenancy to someone else in some circumstances

make improvements to your home - you’ll need permission from your council for some types of work

Scottish secure tenancy

You’ll usually have a Scottish secure tenancy if you rent your home from the council, a housing association or housing co-operative in Scotland.

Flexible tenancy

As a flexible tenant, you have tenancy for a fixed period. This is usually for at least 5 years, though in some cases it may be between 2 and 5 years.

At the end of the fixed period the council may decide to:

offer you another fixed-term tenancy

offer you a secure tenancy

not renew your tenancy

They must explain their reasons if they decide not to renew your tenancy and give you a chance to challenge the decision.

As a flexible tenant you can:

Joint tenancy

Under a joint tenancy, all the tenants share equal responsibility.

You can apply for a joint tenancy at any time if you’re married or in a registered civil partnership. You must usually have lived together at the property for at least 12 months if you’re a cohabiting couple or related (like brother and sister).

Transferring your tenancy

Secure and flexible tenants may be able to transfer a tenancy to someone else, or, in some circumstances, pass on a tenancy to someone when they die.

Secure tenancies granted before 1 April 2012 can be transferred or passed on only once. For example, if you take over a tenancy when someone dies, you cannot pass on the tenancy to someone else when you die.

Some secure and flexible tenancies granted from 1 April 2012 may mean you can transfer or pass on your tenancy more than once - check your tenancy agreement.

To transfer a tenancy, complete a ‘request to assign tenancy’ form, available from your local council’s housing department.

Ending your tenancy

Your tenancy can only be ended if:

you give the council 4 weeks’ notice in writing

the council evicts you

the council needs to move you, for example to redevelop the property - it should offer you a new property and a new tenancy with no less security

Secure tenancies can also end if:

the council needs to move you, for example to redevelop your property – it should offer you a new property and a new secure tenancy

you transfer your tenancy to someone else or swap homes

Ending joint tenancies

If only one of you wants to end the tenancy and the other joint tenant(s) wants to stay in the property, your council may:

give the remaining tenant(s) a new tenancy at the same property

not give them a new tenancy, for example because the property could be offered to another couple or family

If one joint tenant dies, the tenancy continues for the surviving tenant(s).

If you and your partner divorce or your relationship breaks down and you cannot agree on who gets the tenancy, a court can decide this.

Repairs and maintenance

You’re likely to be responsible for things like:

fixing a curtain or shower rail

getting keys cut if you lose them

arranging and paying for any damage you or your visitors have caused in your home to be put right

Your council is responsible for making sure:

the structure of your property is kept in good condition – this includes the walls, ceiling, roof and windows

gas and electricity appliances work safely

shared parts of a building or housing estate are kept in good condition

Your council will have a published policy setting out the timescales in which it will carry out different types of repairs.

You should get several weeks’ warning of any work needed.

You can request a repair to your council property to fix an urgent problem.

Leaving your home

You may have to leave your home if major works are needed on the building. Your council must find you somewhere to live while work is carried out and pay for the cost of this.

You may also get money from your council to pay for the cost of moving and the inconvenience it causes.

If council works damage your property

The council should repair any damage caused by maintenance or building work. You may be able to get a reduction in your rent if the repairs cause a lot of disruption.

Your own home improvements

The kind of improvements you can make to your council property depends on the type of tenancy you have.

Introductory tenants are usually limited to minor improvements like redecorating inside.

If you’re a secure tenant, you have the right to carry out improvements to your property. These include:

installing a new bathroom or kitchen

building an extension

putting up a garden shed or greenhouse

installing a new gas fire or fireplace

cavity wall insulation

redecorating the outside of a house

fitting an aerial or satellite dish

You might need your council’s written permission for work you do. Contact your council if you’re not sure.

Complaints

Follow these steps if you have a problem with your council housing:

Complain to your council - they should have a complaints policy that you can follow.

Make a complaint to a ‘designated person’ (your MP, a local councillor or a tenant panel) if you cannot resolve the problem with your council.

Contact the Housing Ombudsman if you and your council still cannot resolve the problem.

Council housing fraud

You’re likely to lose your tenancy and you could lose your right to council housing in the future if you’re caught committing housing fraud.

You may be fined or sent to prison if the fraud is serious.

Housing fraud includes:

not telling the truth when applying for a property - for example claiming to have children when you do not

sub-letting a property without permission

living in a property after someone has died without the right to do so

How councils check for housing fraud

Councils will check:

a tenant’s housing record against other records - for example Housing Benefit or the Electoral Roll

that the genuine tenant lives at the property - for example asking to see the tenant’s passport and tenancy agreement

Checks can happen at any time during a tenancy, without any warning.

Report suspected housing fraud

Most councils have a telephone number for people to report suspicious behaviour. You do not have to give your name or address when reporting suspected fraud.

Buy your council home

Under the Right to Buy scheme, you can apply to buy your council home if:

it’s your only or main home

it’s self-contained

you’re a secure tenant

you’ve had a public sector landlord for 5 years - for example a council, housing association or NHS trust


Housing association homes

Apply for a home

Housing associations offer similar types of housing as local councils – often to people on a low income or who need extra support.

You can apply:

directly to a housing association

often through your local council

You can apply to more than one housing association at a time.

Waiting list

Once you apply, you’ll be put on a waiting list.

Housing associations normally offer housing to people most suited to that particular property. You may have to wait a long time for a suitable property to become available.

Housing associations are also known as Registered Social Landlords or Private Registered Providers of Social Housing.

Types of tenancy

Your rights and responsibilities depend on the type of tenancy you have.

Your tenancy agreement is a legal document that tells you all the rules about living in your property.

Starter tenancy

New housing association tenants may be offered a starter tenancy. These usually last 12 months and are like a ‘trial’ period.

You become an assured or fixed term tenant after 12 months, unless your housing association has either:

started action to evict you

extended your starter tenancy

Assured and fixed-term tenancies

At the end of your starter tenancy you’ll be offered either:

an assured tenancy - meaning you can normally live in your property for the rest of your life

a fixed-term tenancy - usually lasting for at least 5 years (your landlord will decide whether it’s renewed)

You rights may include:

buying your home

having your home repaired

swapping your home with another council or housing association tenant

Ending your tenancy

Your tenancy can be ended if:

you give the housing association 4 weeks’ notice in writing

the housing association evicts you

you transfer your tenancy to someone else or swap homes

the housing association needs to move you (eg to redevelop your property) - it should offer you a new property

Standard of your home

Your landlord has to make sure that your home meets certain standards. It must be:

safe and free from ‘category 1 hazards’ - these are things that can cause death or pose a serious danger to your health (eg by causing lung cancer, 80% burn injuries, loss of limbs, poisoning)

in a reasonable state of repair

equipped with reasonably modern facilities

warm enough

If you have concerns about the standard of your home you can make a complaint.

As a social housing tenant you can help run a maintenance service.

Complaints

Follow these steps if you have a problem with your housing association home:

Complain to your landlord - they should have a complaints policy that you can follow.

Make a complaint to a ‘designated person’ (your MP, a local councillor or a tenant panel) if you can’t resolve the problem with your landlord.

Contact the Housing Ombudsman if you and your landlord still can’t resolve the problem.

Buying your home

As a housing association tenant, you might be able to buy your housing association home at a discount.


Right to Acquire: buying your housing association home

Overview

Right to Acquire allows most housing association tenants to buy their home at a discount. You apply using the Right to Acquire application form.

You can apply to buy your housing association home if you’ve had a public sector landlord for 3 years. These landlords include:

housing associations

councils

the armed services

NHS trusts and foundation trusts

Eligible properties

Your property must either have been:

built or bought by a housing association after 31 March 1997 (and funded through a social housing grant provided by the Housing Corporation or local council)

transferred from a local council to a housing association after 31 March 1997

Your landlord must be registered with the Regulator of Social Housing.

The home you want to buy must also be:

a self-contained property

your only or main home

Joint applications

You can make a joint application with:

someone who shares your tenancy

up to 3 family members who’ve lived with you for the past 12 months (even if they don’t share your tenancy)

Who doesn’t qualify

You can’t use Right to Acquire if:

you’re being made bankrupt

a court has ordered you to leave your home

you’re a council tenant – you may be able to use Right to Buy instead

you have ‘Preserved Right to Buy’

Discounts

You can get a discount of between £9,000 and £16,000 on the price of your property.

The amount of discount you’ll get depends on where you live in the UK.

Your landlord will tell you what discount you’ll get when you apply to buy your home. You can also download a table of discounts, broken down by location.

Your discount might be reduced if you’ve used Right to Acquire or Right to Buy in the past.

Applying

Fill in the Right to Acquire application form

Send it to your landlord.

Your landlord must say yes or no within 4 weeks of getting your application (8 weeks if they’ve been your landlord for less than 3 years). If your landlord says no, they must say why. You can’t appeal against the landlord’s decision.

If your landlord agrees to sell, they’ll send you an offer. They must do this within 8 weeks of saying yes if you’re buying a freehold property, or 12 weeks if you’re buying a leasehold property.

Your landlord might offer you the choice of buying your home, or another empty one that they own. You don’t have to accept the other property and your landlord doesn’t have to offer you one.

Your landlord’s offer

If your landlord agrees to sell, their offer will tell you:

the price they think you should pay for the property and how it was worked out

your discount and how it was worked out

a description of the property and any land included in the price

estimates of any service charge (for a flat or maisonette) for the first 5 years

any known problems with the property’s structure, eg subsidence

Deciding to buy

Once you get your landlord’s offer, you have 12 weeks to tell them that you still want to buy.

If you don’t reply, the landlord will send you a reminder (called an ‘RTA4’). You’ll have a reasonable time (at least 28 days) to reply. If you don’t, your landlord will send a final reminder (called an ‘RTA5’). If you don’t reply to that, your landlord can drop your application.

You can pull out of the sale and continue to rent at any time.

If you disagree with the landlord’s offer

Contact your landlord and tell them why.

If you think your landlord has set your home’s market value too high, you must write to them within 3 months of getting the offer and ask for an independent valuation.

A district valuer from HM Revenue & Customs will visit your home and decide how much it’s worth. You have 12 weeks to accept their valuation or pull out of the sale.

Selling your home

If you sell your home within 10 years of buying it through Right to Acquire, you must first offer it to your old landlord.

The property should be sold at the full market price agreed between you and the landlord.

If you can’t agree, a district valuer will say how much your home is worth and set the price. You won’t have to pay for their valuation.

If the landlord doesn’t agree to buy your home within 8 weeks, you can sell it to anyone.

Paying back your discount

If you sell your home within 5 years of buying it, you’ll have to pay back some or all of the discount you got.

If you sell within the first year, you’ll have to pay back all of the discount. On top of this, the amount you pay back depends on the value of your home when you sell it. So, if you got a 10% discount, you’ll have to pay back 10% of the selling price.

If you sell after the first year, the total amount you pay back reduces. You pay back:

80% of the discount in the second year

60% of the discount in the third year

40% of the discount in the fourth year

20% of the discount in the fifth year

Help and advice

The Money Advice Service offers free, impartial advice about money, including buying a home and taking out a mortgage.

You can also get advice on Right to Acquire from:

Citizens Advice

Shelter

your local Law Centre


Right to Buy: buying your council home

Overview

Right to Buy allows most council tenants to buy their council home at a discount. Use the eligibility checker on the Own Your Home website to find out if you can apply.

There are different rules for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

You can apply to buy your council home if:

it’s your only or main home

it’s self-contained

you’re a secure tenant

you’ve had a public sector landlord (for example, a council, housing association or NHS trust) for 3 years - it does not have to be 3 years in a row

Joint applications

You can make a joint application with:

someone who shares your tenancy

up to 3 family members who’ve lived with you for the past 12 months (even if they do not share your tenancy)

Ex-council homes

If your home used to be owned by the council, but they sold it to another landlord (like a housing association) while you were living in it, you may have the Right to Buy. This is called ‘Preserved Right to Buy’.

Ask your landlord if this applies to you.

Other ways to buy your home

If you were not living in your home when it was sold by the council you may still be able to buy it through the Voluntary Right to Buy pilot.

Discounts

You can get a discount on the market value of your home when you buy it if you qualify for Right to Buy.

The maximum discount is £84,600 across England, except in London boroughs where it is £112,800. It will increase each year in April in line with the consumer price index (CPI).

The discount is based on:

how long you’ve been a tenant with a public sector landlord

the type of property you’re buying - a flat or house

the value of your home

If you’re buying with someone else, you count the years of whoever’s been a public sector tenant the longest.

You’ll usually have to repay some or all your discount if you sell your home within 5 years.

You might get a smaller discount if you’ve used Right to Buy in the past.

Working out the discount

Use the Right to Buy calculator to find out how much discount you could get.

There are different discount levels for houses and flats.

Houses

You get a 35% discount if you’ve been a public sector tenant for between 3 and 5 years.

After 5 years, the discount goes up 1% for every extra year you’ve been a public sector tenant, up to a maximum of 70% or £84,600 across England and £112,800 in London boroughs (whichever is lower).

Flats

You get a 50% discount if you’ve been a public sector tenant for between 3 and 5 years.

After 5 years, the discount goes up by 2% for each extra year you’ve been a public sector tenant, up to a maximum of 70% or £84,600 across England and £112,800 in London boroughs (whichever is lower).

If your landlord has spent money on your home

Your discount will be less if your landlord has spent money building or maintaining your home:

in the last 10 years - if your landlord built or acquired your home before 2 April 2012

in the last 15 years - if you’re buying your home through Preserved Right to Buy, or if your landlord acquired your home after 2 April 2012

You will not get any discount if your landlord has spent more money than your home is now worth.

Applying

Fill in the Right to Buy application form (RTB1 notice).

Send it to your landlord.

Your landlord must say yes or no within 4 weeks of getting your application (8 weeks if they’ve been your landlord for less than 3 years). If your landlord says no, they must say why.

If your landlord agrees to sell, they’ll send you an offer. They must do this within 8 weeks of saying yes if you’re buying a freehold property, or 12 weeks if you’re buying a leasehold property.

Your landlord's offer

If your landlord agrees to sell, their offer will tell you:

the price they think you should pay for the property and how it was worked out

your discount and how it was worked out

a description of the property and any land included in the price

estimates of any service charges (for a flat or maisonette) for the first 5 years

any known problems with the property’s structure, for example, subsidence

Deciding to buy

You have 12 weeks after you get your landlord’s offer to tell them you still want to buy.

The landlord will send you a reminder if you do not reply to the offer. You have 28 days to reply to the reminder, or the landlord could drop your application.

You can pull out of the sale and continue to rent at any time.

If you disagree with the landlord’s offer

Contact your landlord and tell them why.

If you think your landlord has set your home’s market value too high, you must write to them within 3 months of getting the offer and ask them for an independent valuation.

A district valuer from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will then visit your home and decide how much it’s worth. You have 12 weeks to accept their valuation or pull out of the sale.

Appeals

You can appeal to a tribunal if you’re stopped from buying your home because it’s suitable for housing elderly people.

You must appeal within 56 days of the council turning down your application.

Delays

Your landlord must complete parts of your Right to Buy application within set time limits.

You could get a reduction in the sale price if they do not.

Applying for a reduction because of a delay

Fill in the ‘Initial notice of delay’ form (RTB6) and send it to your landlord.

Your landlord must then either move the sale along within 1 month or send you a ‘counter notice’. The counter notice will say that they’ve already replied or explain why they cannot speed things up.

If your landlord does not reply within a month of getting the RTB6, fill in the ‘Operative notice of delay’ form (RTB8). This means that any rent you pay while you’re waiting to hear from your landlord could be taken off the sale price.

You can do this each time your landlord is late getting back to you.

Selling your home

If you sell your home within 10 years of buying it through Right to Buy, you must first offer it to either:

your old landlord

another social landlord in the area

The property should be sold at the full market price agreed between you and the landlord.

If you cannot agree, a district valuer will say how much your home is worth and set the price. You will not have to pay for their valuation.

You can sell your home to anyone if the landlord does not agree to buy it within 8 weeks.

Paying back your discount

You’ll have to pay back some or all of the discount you got if you sell your Right to Buy home within 5 years of buying it.

You’ll have to pay back all of the discount if you sell within the first year. After that, the total amount you pay back reduces to:

80% of the discount in the second year

60% of the discount in the third year

40% of the discount in the fourth year

20% of the discount in the fifth year

The amount you pay back depends on the value of your home when you sell it.

You may not have to pay back the discount if you transfer ownership of your home to a member of your family. You’ll need to agree this first with your landlord and then get a solicitor to do this for you.

Rural homes

Your former landlord may limit who you can sell your home to if your home is in:

a national park

an area of outstanding natural beauty

an area the government says is rural for Right to Buy

For example, you may have to sell your home to someone who’s lived or worked in the area for more than 3 years. This may mean you have difficulty getting a mortgage to buy your home.

Your landlord will tell you if this could apply to your home when you apply for Right to Buy.

Help and advice

You can get free advice about:

how to complete your Right to Buy application

whether the scheme is right for you

how much it will cost you

your eligibility

Ask your landlord about Right to Buy. They may also be able to help you complete the application form.

Right to Buy Agent service

The Right to Buy Agent service offers free advice on things like:

the Right to Buy process

eligibility

filling out your application form

where you can get financial and legal advice

what to do if your application is delayed

Money Advice Service

The Money Advice Service offers free, impartial advice about money, including buying a home and taking out a mortgage.

Other help

Read the Right to Buy summary booklet and the Right to Buy guidance.

You can also get advice on Right to Buy from:

the Own Your Home website

Citizens Advice

Shelter

your local Law Centre


Appeal a decision about a tree preservation order

When you can appeal

Your council makes decisions about work on trees protected by preservation orders.

You can appeal if you applied to cut down or carry out work on a protected tree and:

you disagree with the decision

a decision was not made within 8 weeks

You can also appeal if you disagree with a tree replacement notice you’ve been given.

There’s no fee for appealing.

Deadline for appealing

You must appeal:

within 28 days of the date on the council’s decision notice

before the date the tree replacement notice comes into effect

There’s no deadline if you’re appealing because your application was not decided within 8 weeks.

When you can expect a decision

Once your appeal is validated, you’ll normally get a decision within 27 weeks.

How to appeal

Fill in a tree preservation order appeal form or a tree replacement notice appeal form.

You also need:

a copy of the council’s decision or notice

any other documents that directly support your appeal

Email these documents with your completed appeal form to the council who made the decision and the Planning Inspectorate.

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you cannot currently appeal by post.

After you appeal

The Planning Inspectorate will check your appeal to make sure it’s valid. They’ll tell you what happens next and how long your appeal may take.

Their decision about your appeal will be based on:

the information you send

a site visit

your council’s documents, for example the tree preservation order

Your case officer will write to you if they need more information.

You’ll normally get a decision within 27 weeks.

Interested parties

The council may decide to contact anyone who commented on your original application (‘interested parties’). Your case officer will consider the statements any interested parties made.

Interested parties cannot make any further comments during the appeal but can withdraw their original statement.

If anyone behaves unreasonably

You can apply for an ‘award of costs’ if anyone involved in your appeal has cost you money by behaving unreasonably, for example missing deadlines. However, you might have to pay another party’s costs too.

You can complain about how the Planning Inspectorate handled your appeal. There’s no time limit for complaints.

If you disagree with the appeal decision

You can challenge the decision in the High Court if you think the Planning Inspectorate made a legal mistake.

Get advice from a lawyer if you’re unsure about this.


Appeal a decision about consent to display an advertisement

When you can appeal

Your local planning authority makes decisions about displaying an advertisement or sign on your house or building.

You can appeal against a decision about consent to display an advertisement if you disagree with it.

There’s no fee for appealing.

Only the person who made the application can appeal.

Deadline for appealing

If you disagree with a decision, you must appeal within 8 weeks of the date on the decision notice from your local planning authority.

If you’ve been sent a discontinuation notice, you’ll need to appeal before the date given on the notice.

When you can expect a decision

You’ll get a decision once your appeal is validated.

Check how long appeal decisions normally take.

How to appeal

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you cannot currently appeal by post. You can still appeal to the Planning Inspectorate online.

If you want to appeal more than one decision you must make a separate appeal for each.

You also need to send a copy of your appeal, including all supporting documents, to your local planning authority. The Planning Inspectorate will tell you how to do this.

Documents you must provide

You’ll need to submit copies of:

your original application

the local planning authority’s decision notice

all plans, drawings and documents you sent to the local planning authority

any letters or emails between you and the local planning authority

You’ll also need to submit any other documents that directly support your appeal, for example your grounds of appeal.

You can upload these documents when you appeal.

Comment on an appeal

No-one can comment on a planning appeal about displaying an advertisement or sign.

Your local planning authority must tell anyone who has commented on the original application (‘interested parties’) that there’s an appeal. They have to do this within 2 weeks of the appeal being started by the Planning Inspectorate.

Read the detailed guidance about taking part in an appeal.

After you appeal

The Planning Inspectorate will check your appeal to make sure it’s valid. They’ll tell you what happens next and how long your appeal may take.

The Planning Inspectorate will then consider your appeal. Check how long planning appeal decisions normally take.

If anyone behaves unreasonably

You can apply for an ‘award of costs’ if anyone involved in your appeal has cost you money by behaving unreasonably, for example missing deadlines. You can have costs awarded against you too.

You can complain about how the Planning Inspectorate handled your appeal. There’s no time limit for complaints.

If you disagree with the appeal decision

You can challenge the decision in the High Court if you think the Planning Inspectorate made a legal mistake.

Get advice from a lawyer if you’re unsure about this.


Appeal a high hedges decision

When you can appeal

Your council makes decisions about high hedges.

You can appeal against a high hedge remedial notice or the council’s decision not to issue one if you either:

complained to the council about the hedge

own, rent or occupy the land that the hedge is on

There’s no fee for appealing.

Deadline for appealing

You must appeal within 28 days of:

the remedial notice

your council’s decision either to take no action, or to change an existing remedial notice (withdraw, waive or relax)

When you can expect a decision

Once your appeal is validated, you’ll normally get a decision within 34 weeks.

How to appeal

Fill in a high hedges appeal form.

You also need:

a copy of the council’s decision

the remedial notice (if the council have issued one)

any other documents that directly support your appeal

Email these documents with your completed appeal form to the council who made the decision and the Planning Inspectorate.

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you cannot currently appeal by post.

After you appeal

The Planning Inspectorate will check your appeal to make sure it’s valid. They’ll tell you what happens next and how long your appeal may take.

Your appeal will be decided based on the information you send and a site visit. Your case officer will write to you if they require additional information.

You’ll normally get a decision within 34 weeks.

You can complain about how the Planning Inspectorate handled your appeal. There’s no time limit for complaints.

If you disagree with the appeal decision

You can challenge the decision in the High Court if you think the Planning Inspectorate made a legal mistake.

Get advice from a lawyer if you’re unsure about this.


Appeal a householder planning decision

When you can appeal

Your local planning authority makes decisions about householder planning applications.

You can appeal a householder planning decision if you disagree with it.

Householder planning applications cover small projects like extensions and loft conversions. There’s a different process to appeal a full planning decision.

There’s no fee for appealing.

Only the person who made the application can appeal.

Deadline for appealing

If you disagree with a decision, you must appeal within 12 weeks of the date on the decision notice from your local planning authority.

The deadline’s earlier if you’ve received an enforcement notice. You must appeal within 28 days of the notice.

When you can expect a decision

You’ll get a decision once your appeal is validated.

How to appeal

Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you cannot currently appeal by post. You can still appeal to the Planning Inspectorate online.

If you want to appeal more than one decision you must make a separate appeal for each.

You also need to send a copy of your appeal, including all supporting documents, to your local planning authority. The Planning Inspectorate will tell you how to do this.

Documents you must provide

You’ll need to submit copies of:

your original application

the site ownership certificate

the local planning authority’s decision notice

You’ll also need to submit any other documents that directly support your appeal, for example your grounds for appeal.

You can upload these documents when you appeal.

Comment on an appeal

No-one can comment on a householder planning appeal.

Your local planning authority must tell anyone who has commented on the original application (‘interested parties’) that there’s an appeal.

They have to do this within 5 working days of the appeal being started by the Planning Inspectorate.

Read the detailed guidance about taking part in an appeal.

After you appeal

The Planning Inspectorate will check your appeal to make sure it’s valid. They’ll tell you what happens next and how long your appeal may take.

The Planning Inspectorate will then consider your appeal. Check how long planning appeal decisions normally take.

If anyone behaves unreasonably

You can apply for an ‘award of costs’ if anyone involved in your appeal has cost you money by behaving unreasonably, for example missing deadlines. You can have costs awarded against you too.

You can complain about how the Planning Inspectorate handled your appeal. There’s no time limit for complaints.

If you disagree with the appeal decision

You can challenge the decision in the High Court if you think the Planning Inspectorate made a legal mistake.

Get advice from a lawyer if you’re unsure about this.