Guidance for registered providers - flexible tenancies
The aim of flexible tenancies is to make sure that social housing is allocated to those who need it most.
A flexible tenancy has a fixed start and finish date and usually lasts for 5 years. At the end of the fixed term, the tenancy will either:
- end
- or be renewed
However, flexible tenancies have not been widely adopted. This is due to a number of issues and concerns:
- resource intensive to administer
- not providing the expected flexibility of use of stock
- risk of legal challenge
- tenant concerns over security and sense of belonging
- the sustainability of the community
Therefore, when deciding whether to use or continue using flexible tenancies, we encourage local social landlords to consider whether the administration costs involved would reduce the resources available to:
- prevent homelessness
- keep properties in a good state of repair
- make sure they can meet the requirements of the:
- Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023
- new consumer standards
We expect tenancy sustainment and tenant wellbeing to be a key priority for local social landlords.