Glossary

A

Anti-social behaviour – acting in a way that causes distress or disturbs other people

Appeal – a way of challenging a decision that you do not agree with. Appeals are usually made in the court and not all decisions can be challenged in this way. Always get help before you start an appeal

Assignment – when an occupation contract is transferred from one person to another

AST – Assured Shorthold Tenancy; the most common type of tenancy if you rent from a private landlord. The main feature that makes an AST different from other types of tenancies is that your landlord can evict you without a reason

B

Bond scheme – a scheme that can provide a bond (or guarantee) to a private landlord as an alternative to a landlord taking a deposit. They are usually run by councils, housing associations or charities.

C

Common housing register – a waiting list for housing shared between the council and housing associations in the same area

Contract – a legal agreement between two or more people, such as an occupation contract with a landlord

Contract-holder – someone who is renting their home with an occupation contract

Council tax – a fee that councils charge for the local services it provides, like rubbish collection and libraries. It is usually paid monthly from April to January.

D

Deposit – a payment made to a private landlord at the beginning of an occupation contract. The money is held by the landlord to cover the cost of damage or unpaid rent. A deposit is sometimes referred to as a bond

Discharge of duty – if the council have accepted a homelessness duty to you, when they send you a ‘discharge of duty’ letter. This means they are no longer able to help you. This might happen if you accept or refuse a certain type of offer, or you stop being eligible to receive help

E

Emergency accommodation – short-term housing you might be able to get from your local council if you make a homelessness application

Eviction – being made to leave your property by your landlord or by a court order

F

Fixed Term Standard Contract – an occupation contract for a fixed amount of time, usually with a private landlord

G

Guarantor – someone who agrees to pay your rent if you don’t pay it

H

Holding deposit – a payment to a private landlord or letting agent to reserve a property

Homeless application – an application a person over 16 makes to the council if they are homeless or threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days

Housing officer – someone who works for a community landlord and helps to sort out  any housing problems that a person may have

 I

Illegal eviction – being forced to leave your property by your landlord without them following the right legal process. This is a criminal offence

Inventory – a list that a landlord makes which sets out all the things that come with the rental property, such as furniture, fixtures and fittings, along with a description and their condition

N

Notice – served by the tenant or the landlord to bring a renting agreement (like an occupation contract to an end)

O

Occupation contract – a renting agreement with a landlord. Nearly all renting agreements in Wales are occupation contracts. The different types of occupation contracts are defined elsewhere in this Glossary

P

Periodic Standard Contract – a rolling occupation contract with no fixed end date

Personal Housing Plan – if you have made a homelessness application the council might work with you to write  a ‘Personal Housing Plan’ (PHP) based on your  needs

Possession order – a decision from a court ordering a contraxt-holder to give up possession of their property to a landlord

Possession notice – a notice that a landlord gives to a contract-holder asking them to leave by a certain date. These types of notices would be given if a contract-holder has broken a term of the occupation contract. The landlord must get a court order if the contract-holder hasn’t left by the date.

Prevention duty – if you have made a homelessness application, the council might decide it owes you a duty to ‘help to prevent you from becoming homeless’

R

Relief duty – if you have made a homelessness application, the council might decide it owes you a duty to ‘help to relieve your homelessness’. This means that they must help you to find a suitable place to live

Rent arrears – rent which is owed by a contract-holder to their landlord

Rent– the amount you must pay to your landlord to live in the property. If you do not pay your rent you could be evicted

Rent Smart Wales – a service that is responsible for the registration and licensing of private landlords and letting agents in Wales

Repair obligations – these tell you what repairs your landlord must carry out and what repairs are your responsibility

Repayment plan – a way to pay money back over an extended period of time

Review – a way of challenging a decision that you do not agree with. If you ask for a review then the decision is usually looked at again by someone who was not involved in making the original decision. Always get help before asking for a review

S

Section 181 notice – a notice that a landlord gives to a contract-holder with a periodic or fixed term standard occupation contract, asking them to leave by a certain date. These notices should only be given to contract-holders who are in at least 2 months rent arrears. The landlord must get a court order if the contract-holder hasn’t left by the date.

Section 173 notice – a notice that a landlord gives a periodic standard contract-holder asking them to leave by a certain date. If the contract-holder hasn’t left by that date the landlord must get a court order before they can evict them

Sofa surfing – staying temporarily with various friends or relatives because you don’t have a permanent place to live

Succession – when a person takes over a tenancy when the tenant dies

T

Tenancy agreement – this is now known as an ‘occupation contract’ and refers to an agreement between a contract-holder and their landlord

Term– the length of time you are able to rent the property for (usually referred to as a fixed term)

Terms and conditions – the rules that apply to the contract

U

Utility suppliers – a company that supplies gas, electric, telephone, etc.

W

Warrant – this is permission from the county court for the bailiffs to evict a contract-holder or mortgage borrower from a  property.