Important message

The information here applies to social and affordable homes. You should always refer to your tenancy agreement for the full details and conditions on your rights and responsibilities in relation to your home.

If you no longer have a copy of your tenancy agreement, you get in touch with our customer service centre to request one.

If you rent privately or own 100% of your leasehold home, you should refer to your lease agreement, independent legal advice or the advice and guidance linked at the bottom of our main resident rights page for a full summary of your rights and responsibilities.

Everything you need to know about your rights in your tenancy agreement.

When you moved in, you should have been given an L&Q Tenancy Agreement and asked to sign it. This legal document sets out what you can expect of us (your rights) and, in turn, what we will expect from you during your tenancy (your responsibilities).

The list below describes some of the typical rights and responsibilities set out in your tenancy agreement. However, it’s important to note that different residents have different types of agreements.

These will vary depending on what type of tenancy you have, for example, social, affordable or shared ownership, and may be different if your landlord was not L&Q when you moved in.

The following sets out the typical rights in a social or affordable tenancy agreement and a summary of residents’ typical responsibilities in relation to these. Remember to always refer to your tenancy agreement for the full conditions of your rights and responsibilities that apply to you and your home.

If you’re a shared owner, slightly different rules apply to you. These are explained in the shared ownership rights section.

  • You may have the right to challenge an increase in your rent
    You may have the right to challenge an increase to your rent if you do not think it is reasonable in comparison to similar properties in your local area. This depends on the tenancy agreement you have with us and the method we use to increase your rent.

    Your agreement will also set out the rules we have to follow when setting your rent and any other charges.

    For social rented homes we must follow guidance provided by the government.

    You should seek independent legal advice if you do want to consider challenging an increase to your rent. You can find out more information on the Citizens Advice website. 

    Your responsibilities: you must pay your rent and any other charges on time (including during any challenge processes).

    If you’re experiencing difficulties paying your rent or any other personal circumstances are making this difficult for you, please get in touch with us as soon as possible. You can also find lots of useful information and tips on our cost of living support page.
  • You have a right to live in the property listed in your tenancy agreement
    You and the people that you told us about when you applied for housing have a right to live in the home your tenancy agreement applies to.

    Your responsibilities:     you must live at the property, and it must be your only or main home.

    The people who can live in your home are those you told us about when you applied for housing along with those who you've told us about since. Their details should be listed on your tenancy agreement. Before anyone else comes to live with you for more than four weeks, you must get our permission.

    You must not move out and sub-let your property to anyone else.

    You must also give us notice if you wish to end your tenancy. You’ll find instructions regarding how much notice is needed in your tenancy agreement.
  • You have a right to ‘peacefully occupy your home’
    You have the right to ‘peacefully occupy your home’ meaning that we will not ask you to let us into your home unless we need to:
    • carry out repairs to your home, or a home connected to yours
    • carry out safety checks and servicing on gas, electrical or water appliances that we provide (as required by law)
    • inspect the condition of your home (usually to help us plan necessary improvement work)
    • check on your safety or welfare, where we have cause for concern
    • repossess your home at the end of your tenancy
    As part of this right, we will give you at least 48 hours notice before we need to visit you (unless in an emergency, for example, to tackle major issues such as flooding, gas leaks or where we have urgent concerns for your safety). Some tenancy agreements may require us to provide a different length of notice. Please check your tenancy agreement to see if this applies to you.

    Your responsibilities: you must give us access to your home when needed to carry out health and safety inspections or works. Many of these are essential for your safety and for the safety of others who live in your home or building. Find out more about how your home meets health and safety laws.

    You, and anyone else who lives with or visits you, must look after your home, and treat your neighbours and L&Q staff the way you would like to be treated.

    If you live in a social or affordable-rented home, you’ll find more information about your repairs and maintenance responsibilities in our guide book (PDF).
  • You have the right to take in a lodger
    You have the right to take in a lodger while you are living in your home.

    Taking on a lodger may affect any benefits you claim. To find out more, visit our subletting and lodgers page.

    Your responsibilities: you must get our written permission before any lodger moves in. We will not refuse permission unreasonably.
  • If you die, your spouse, civil partner, partner or children who were living with you at the time of your death may have the right to inherit your tenancy
    Depending on your tenancy agreement, certain members of your family who were living with you at the time of your death may have a right to inherit your tenancy.

    There can only be one succession (meaning that if you inherited your tenancy from a family member, you can't pass it on again after your death). This is known as a ‘succession right’. There are lots of rules which apply to decide who may have this right. For more information on succession and the rules that apply to your tenancy agreement, please get in touch with our customer service centre.

    Your responsibilities: any family members wishing to apply for succession when a tenant passes away must contact us within one month of this happening.
  • You may have the right to exchange your home with a tenant of another housing association or council housing body
    This is known as ‘mutual exchange’.

    If you want to change your social rented home, you may be able to swap it with another tenant. This can be someone renting from a housing association or council housing body other than L&Q.

    Your responsibilities: you must have our written permission to mutually exchange your home.

    There are other rules that apply to decide who may have this right, and what you need to do for an exchange to happen. To find out more, visit our mutual exchange page.
  • You have a right to ask us to see the information we hold on our systems about you
    This is known as a ‘subject access request.’

    You can find out more about how to request information we hold on our systems about you on our privacy policy page.
  • You have a right to complain about your home or the services that L&Q and our contractors provide to you
    Our aim is always to give you the best service we can, but we accept that from time-to-time things can go wrong.

    You can make a complaint if you're unhappy with the service you receive from us, and can find out more about how to do this in our complaints section. Our process complies with rules set out by the Housing Ombudsman to make sure we are dealing with your complaint fairly.
  • Your right to a home that is fit for human habitation
    As well as the rights stated in your tenancy agreements as outlined above, you have a right to a home that is fit for you to live in, and free from hazards. You can find more information about these rights on our homes fit for habitation page.