Council wants to grant assured tenancies

Assured Shorthold Tenancy

Council wants to grant assured tenancies

Birmingham Council, the largest council in England, is calling for the right to offer assured and assured shorthold tenancies to its tenants. Currently local authorities are able only to grant secure tenancies, but the council is asking to be able to offer assured and assured shorthold tenancies as alternatives. It is also argued, in a report compiled for councillors, that this change would protect new homes from being lost through right to buy.

The move constitutes one of the council’s eight proposals to improve the well-being of the community, following the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. The cabinet minister for housing at Birmingham Council, John Lines, has said “With short-term tenancies, we could certainly give more assurances to the short-term homeless, particularly in the current recession.’

Inside Housing (Emily Rogers), 23rd June 2009