Tenancy services


When you become a Council tenant your main responsibilities are to:

  • pay rent
  • report any repairs you need
  • keep your home in a good condition
  • keep to your tenancy agreement

Each of our services have adopted service standards to let you know what you can expect from our services.  Click here to read our service standards.

When you start a tenancy you get a copy of our tenant's handbook. The handbook provides you with basic information and tells you where you can access services, advice and more detailed information about issues that may affect you during your tenancy.

We manage properties on 340 estates spread across Newcastle.  Managing these estates well is a crucial and highly visible part of our work.  Click here to find out more about how we manage your estate.

Council homes across Newcastle are being improved to meet the Government's Decent Homes standard. YHN's 'Modern Homes Investment programme' is on course to improve around 25,000 Council homes by 2010.

If you are a secure Council tenant you have the Right to Buy your Council home.  Right to Buy is a government scheme to allow secure tenants the right to purchase their home at a discounted price.  Our Right to Buy Team deals with all Right to Buy sales of Council homes in Newcastle upon Tyne.

You may be eligible for housing benefit - our Advice and Support Team can give you advice. You can also use the Web Benefits Calculator to get an instant online estimate of any benefits you are entitled to.  This will give you an idea of how much you may be able to claim.  For a full evaluation, you will need to complete a Housing and Council Tax Benefit Claim Form, available here.

We are working to make sure that our customers know where to go for the right financial products, including free face-to-face advice, affordable credit and banking.  Click here to find out about how getting a basic bank account, or joining a local Credit Union, could help you organise your finances better and help you sustain your tenancy.

Your Homes Newcastle strongly advises all tenants to take out household contents insurance.  You can do this either through a scheme arranged by Newcastle City Council or by making your own private arrangements.  Click here for advice about household contents insurance.

We also produce a newsletter for our tenants and leaseholders.  'Homes + People' is sent out every three months, giving you latest news about our services.  Find out more and read past editions here.

Our customers have access to a wide range of support services, ranging from advice and support through to the hire of furniture and personal safety equipment.  You can get information about these different services using the menu on the left hand side of the page.

Information films

You can watch short films which give you information about Your Homes Newcastle and how we can help you.