Change of tenancies

Assignment

An assignment is the means by which a tenant can, during his / her lifetime, transfer his / her secure tenancy to someone else.

It is important to remember that following an assignment the original tenancy still exists just with a new person, no new tenancy should be created.

Succession

Succession is the means by which a secure tenancy passes on the death of the original tenant, to someone else statutorily entitled so that the latter individual becomes the tenant in place of the first.

Survivorship is the means by which a surviving joint tenant becomes the sole tenant on the death of the other joint tenant.

This counts as a succession for the purposes of subsequent requests to succeed.

Only one assignment or succession can take place for each council tenancy. The only exceptions to this rule is mutual exchanges and assignments due to the Matrimonial Causes Act.

Tenancy exchange of mutual assignment

This is the process whereby two or more secure tenants agree to assign their tenancies to each other. Both tenants need not be council tenants.

Exchanges can involve secure or assured tenants of housing associations / trusts.