Your Rights
Here is a summary of your key rights. For more detail refer to your tenant handbook.
Right to occupy
You have the right to occupy your home without interference from us. However, you must give us, or our contractors, access to carry out repairs, servicing and improvement work.
Right to take in lodgers or sub-let your home
You have the right to take in lodgers or sub-let your home as long as the number of people living in your home is not more than the number stated in your tenancy agreement. If you want to sub-let your home you must first gain written permission from us.
Assured Tenants
Assured Tenants have the right to make improvements. However, Assured Shorthold Tenants do not have the right to make improvements.
As an Assured Tenant you may carry out improvement work to your home provided you have our written permission before you start any work.
We will not unreasonably refuse permission for improvements or changes but we may impose certain conditions.
Right to repair
You have the right to have certain urgent repairs done quickly and at no cost to you if the repair may affect your health and safety or security.
If we do not complete repairs within the target times, we will pay you compensation and you have the right to appoint an alternative contractor.
Right to consultation
We will consult you on matters affecting your home and your tenancy before making changes to the way your home is managed or maintain.
Right to information
You have a right to be informed about the terms of this tenancy, our policies, repairs obligations, tenant consultation, housing allocation and transfers and our performance.
Top
Right to exchange
Assured tenants have the right to
exchange your home with another tenant of a registered housing association or a local authority subject to first getting our written consent. Assured Shorthold tenants, however do not have the right to undertake a mutual exchange.
You must not exchange your home without our written consent or we may take legal action to evict.
Top
Right to succession
If you die, and you did not obtain your home through succession since the transfer of homes to Merthyr Valleys Homes, your tenancy can pass to one of the following people:
- A joint tenant
- Your spouse or partner providing they lived in the property as their one and only home
- A partner or other family member providing they lived in the property for at least 12 months prior to your death.
If your home is larger than the needs of the successor or has had adaptations that are not needed, we are likely to offer the successor an alternative property. If this is refused we may seek possession of the property through the courts
Top
Preserved right to buy
If you were an existing secure or introductory tenant of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council before transfer, you may have the right to buy your home at a discounted rate (between 32-70%). This is known as the preserved right to buy.
The amount of discount you can receive will depend on how long you have been a tenant, there is a cap of £16,000 on this discount. Please contact us to find out more by calling Customer Services on 0800 085 7843. If you a new tenant and did not transfer from the council then you do not have the preserved right to buy your home.
Top
Statutory Right to Acquire (516 of the Housing act 1996)
The Right to Acquire is a scheme giving eligible tenants of Merthyr Valleys Homes, the legal right to purchase the home they currently rent, as long as certain criteria are met. A flat rate discount of 25% of the market value is given but there is a cap of £16,000.
Top