Moving Out...

This information tells you what to do if you want to leave your Helena property. It’s important you follow the four steps set out below – when you decide you want to end your tenancy. Crucially you need to give us four weeks’ notice and make sure all rent arrears are paid in full.

If you follow the four steps we ask of you in full – we will give you a one-off £100 cashback payment (see note below).

So what are the four steps to leaving Helena?

Step one: you must give us four weeks’ notice you are leaving – the last day should be a Monday.

Step two: you will need to allow us to carry out a home visit (details below)

Step three: Complete a check list of items (see below) including leaving your home in a good condition; arranging to have your gas and electricity meters read and tell us your actual moving date and your new address.

Step four: Lock up your home securely and hand in your keys to your neighbourhood office by midday on the Monday your tenancy ends.

What will you do on the home visit?

On the home visit we will agree with you the items you are taking with you and we will carry out a gas and electricity safety inspection. We will also agree what repairs, if any, need to be carried out to your property – and you must allow us access to carry these out. If you do not let us carry out repairs before you move out we can charge you if we have to do them afterwards.

You must also allow us to show round any people who might want to move into your home after you have left. We will give you reasonable notice of this.

What’s on my checklist of things to do?

Your ‘step three’ checklist includes:

1. Leave your home and garden in a clean and tidy condition as well as your decoration clean and intact. If we have to remove any items such as furniture or carpets we can charge you for this.
2. Arrange to have your gas and electricity final meter readings done.
3. Tell us the date you will actually move out – at least seven days in advance
4. Tell us your new address. We will send your cashback cheque (should you complete all four steps) to this address within 14 days of your move.
5. End your telephone agreement if you have one.
6. Turn of your water supply.
7. Leave gas and electricity appliances in a safe condition.
8. Provide details of your gas and electricity suppliers.
9. Leave any meter keys in the meter before leaving.
10. Tell Council Tax and Housing Benefit you are leaving. Please note Housing Benefit is only paid for the time you are living at the property. If you move out without giving us the four-week notice period, you will still owe us rent for this period but will not receive Housing Benefit.
11. Inform the post office of your new address.
12. Ensure all rent arrears are settled in full. If you leave owing any rent we will deduct this amount from the £100 cashback. If your rent arrears are more than £100 we will send you a bill for the final amount.

What if I change my mind?

As long as we have not already offered your home to someone else it is possible to change your mind during the four-week notice period. Try and let us know as soon as possible if you change your mind. The longer you leave it the more chance there is we will have offered your home to someone else.

Please note we may charge you for any costs we incur should you waste staff time through giving notice to leave and then cancelling without good reason.

Please note

People transferring from one Helena property to another, or those carrying out a “mutual exchange”, are not eligible for the £100 cashback payment.

Helena Homes reserves the right to withdraw the £100 cashback offer at anytime. In such circumstances we will give two weeks’ notice on neighbourhood office notice boards.

Click here to find out how to contact our local neighbourhood offices>
Click here to go to the top of this page>