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Change in circumstances

Ways in which you can change your tenancy agreement

Notification to tenants

Your tenancy agreement is governed by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014. We've produced a summary of the changes you can make.

Tenancy agreement

Your tenancy agreement is the document you sign when you agree to become the tenant of your home.

It is a contract between you and us and records information such as your name, the date you became our tenant and the rent. It also lists the other conditions you must keep to as a tenant.

There are a number of ways you can apply to have your tenancy agreement changed.

Joint tenancy

You may want to share the responsibilities of your tenancy with someone who has lived and has been registered on your household composition for at least a year. In this case, you should apply to your local housing office for a joint tenancy.

Transferring your tenancy

If you are leaving to live somewhere else, you can apply to transfer your tenancy to your partner or a member of your family who has lived with you for at least a year. In this case, you should apply to your housing office to transfer your tenancy.

Succession to tenancy

If you die, your partner or any adult (including a carer) permanently living in your home can take over your tenancy. This is what we call a 'succession to tenancy' and to qualify the house must have been their only or main home and they must have lived in the property for a period of at least 12 months.

A tenancy may only be succeeded twice. If the tenant dies and they were the second person to succeed the property, no one living with them will have an automatic right to take over the tenancy in the same way. However, they can apply to have the tenancy transferred to them. Staff in our housing office will be able to give you more advice about this.

If the property in question has been specially designed or adapted for a person with special needs, for example a disability, and no surviving residents have a need for that adaptation then succession rights are restricted.

Page last updated:
11 Aug 2023

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