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Moving out

Door Handle

If you are ready to leave your Guinness Trust home, the practical information you need is here. Specifically:

  • Giving notice: the procedure when you are ready to move out.
  • Rent arrears: why you can't leave them behind.
  • Finding a new home: ways to find a new home.

Giving Notice

Giving Notice
If you move out, you must give us at least 4 complete weeks' notice ending on a Monday. If you are joint tenants both tenants must sign the Notice to Quite for it to be valid. The Notice must be in writing. Our Notice to Quit sets out all the information that you need to give.

Fill in our Notice to Quit and send it your housing officer or local area office.

We will check that you have given all the necessary information including your new address. We will inspect your home and discuss any works that you may have to do before you leave. tell you how much rent you will need to pay to have a clear rent account when you leave.

Before you leave
Your home must be left clear and clean ready for the new tenant. This includes removing any items left in the garden or loft space. Any redecoration should be done before you move. Make sure you repair or replace any fittings that you have broken. Remove all the floor coverings including grippers, unless you have agreed with your housing officer to leave these for the new tenant.

You will be charged if anything is left for Guinness Trust to clear or if the property requires repairs, redecoration or cleaning other than for fair wear and tear.

You should also tell the utility companies and housing benefit office that you are moving out.

On the day that you move out
Make sure that you have made arrangements to pay all of your utility bills. You should take readings of all the meters and keep a written record. You should turn off all services before you leave.

Make sure the property is left clear and clean, including the garden, and that all doors and windows are securely shut.

Hand in all your keys including any gas, or electric prepayment keys/cards to your local office by 12 noon on the Monday that your tenancy ends. If you put them in the post you should do so by recorded delivery. You are responsible for the rent until we get the keys back. If we do not receive the keys, you will be charged the cost of changing the locks.

Rent Arrears

Moving out of your property is not a way to deal with your rent arrears. We take these debts seriously and we will expect you to pay them even after you leave us.

Although we prefer to reach an amicable arrangement with you, we are prepared to use tracing agencies and the courts if we have to. And local authorities often refuse to rehouse people who have outstanding housing debts.

So, before you leave us, you should talk to your housing officer and make an agreement to repay any debts, including rent arrears, court costs or rechargeable repairs.

If you have money problems, please talk to your housing officer immediately. And visit our Managing Your Money page for sources of free, independent financial and legal advice.

Finding your new home

You have a number of options:

  • Make a fresh application through a local authority.
  • Transfer to another Guinness Partnership property.
  • Exchange properties (and tenancies) with someone who is a tenant of the Guinness Partnership, another housing association or a local authority via one of our mutual exchange schemes.
  • Find supported or sheltered accommodation through Guinness Care and Support.