Ending a tenancy due to bereavement

After you’ve finished clearing the property, please ensure all windows are closed and external doors are locked and secure before returning the keys to us.

Please don’t post the keys to us or leave them in the property as this could delay the tenancy end date. You’ll need to hand all keys back to us, including any window, shed, outside storage cupboards, bin storage, garage, communal entrance door keys and fobs. If the property has a key safe and you know the code, please inform us of this when you return the keys.

Returning the keys at an allocated appointment time:

All keys and fobs will need to be returned to our main office at an allocated appointment time immediately following the Sunday termination date. We’ll provide you with an allocated appointment time by letter once we acknowledge receipt of the Termination Notice.

Our office address is:

Valley House,
98 Waters Meeting Road,
Bolton,
BL1 8SW.

You should only attend at the allocated appointment time. If the appointment we’ve given you isn’t convenient, please call us on 01204 328000 to rearrange the appointment.

We’ll also send you a reminder of your appointment date and time by phone, text, or email - so please ensure you provide us with an up-to-date contact number and/or email address.

Once you’ve returned the keys, a member of staff will provide you with a receipt for your records.

If you fail to return all keys and any fobs, we’ll need to charge for the cost of replacing the locks at the property.

Please note: handing in the keys without giving the full notice required does not end the tenancy. If you give less notice, or hand in the keys early, Bolton at Home will still charge rent for the full notice period.

As mentioned above, rent will continue to be charged during the notice period. If the tenant was claiming Housing Benefit, this will be cancelled from the Sunday following the date of their passing, meaning full rent will become payable until the tenancy has ended.

Any outstanding rent, arrears, or charges should be paid from the tenant’s estate*. Next of kin, family, friends, or the person dealing with the deceased tenant’s affairs will not be personally responsible for any debts owed to Bolton at Home.

*As a reminder, by ‘estate’, we mean the total value of the tenant’s money and possessions.

Once the tenancy has ended, we’ll contact or write to the next of kin, or the person dealing with the tenant’s affairs to advise of any money that is owed to Bolton at Home.

If there is no estate, then a legal ‘Declaration of Asset’ form will be issued for the person dealing with the affairs to sign and return. We’ll also ask for a copy of the tenant’s final bank statement.

If there is a lump sum at the closure of a bank account, we’ll ask for a copy of the funeral invoice to ensure monies left were paid towards funeral costs. 

Please clear the entire property including loft space, store cupboards, outbuildings, garages, and gardens.

You must remove all furniture, carpets, laminate flooring, and personal belongings. The only exceptions are items belonging to the local council (if there was a furnished tenancy agreement with the council, for example).

Any furniture, possessions, or rubbish left in the property or gardens after the tenancy has ended will be disposed of, and we will charge the relevant costs if necessary. To avoid any unnecessary additional costs, please ensure that the property is left clean, tidy, and clear of all possessions and rubbish.

If there are any disabled aids in the property, including a walking frame, bath aids, or a wheelchair, please arrange for them to be sent back to the provider. There’s usually a sticker with a contact telephone number and a reference on each item.

If any alterations to the property have been made without our permission, you’ll need to ensure that the property is put back to its original condition, otherwise we’ll have to charge to remove them.

If you'd like to download a guide on clearing your property, please tap the link below:

Guidance-upon-terminating-your-property-[docx]-42KB

You could try Emmaus, a registered charity that receives and re-sells quality used goods.

Here are some examples of items they'll collect:

• Tables and chairs
• Beds and bedroom furniture
• Sofas and suites
• Bric-a-brac
• Electrical goods, such as fridges and washing machines
• Adult clothing
• Children's clothing, toys, and furniture
• Cycles and children's bikes

Please note: upholstered goods need a current BS fire label. Unfortunately, gas cookers cannot be collected by Emmaus.

For more information about Emmaus and how to donate or recycle goods, please visit:  www.boltonathome.org.uk/donating-or-recycling-furniture.

Bolton Council also provide a paid bulky items collection service. For more information on this service, please visit:  www.bolton.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling/bulky-item-collections/2.

If the property isn’t in Bolton, please contact the local council or visit their website.

Once the keys have been returned, we’ll conduct a full inspection and assess the property for any damage and repairs needed.

If any repairs are needed as a result of any wilful or accidental damage, or as a result of alterations for which the tenant did not have permission, we’ll need to charge for the cost of repairs.

We’ll also charge to remove any rubbish or unwanted belongings left behind.

A repair is chargeable when we’ve been called out to a repair that isn’t our responsibility to fix. In these cases, we’ll charge the appropriate amount to cover our costs.

We also charge for repairs if we have to fix property damage caused by a member of the household or a visitor, when we’re given false information to attend to a repair, or when a property is left in a different state as to when the tenant moved in.

Here are some examples of when repairs may be charged:

• Correcting unauthorised alterations to the property.
• Replacing glass broken by accident or neglect.
• Dealing with an infestation.
• Clearing rubbish from the property or garden.
• Reinstating any fireplaces or heating appliances that have been removed.
• Replacing lost keys.
• Repairing damage caused by forced entry when keys have been lost or access for gas servicing has been denied.
• If a repair is reported which is false or exaggerated. For example, claiming a repair is an emergency when it isn’t.
• If access to the property is not granted at the appointment time and we have to reschedule the visit.
• If there's an electrical fault caused by a fuse blowing or a problem with one of the appliances owned by the tenant.

You should notify utility suppliers:

You’ll need to notify gas, electricity, and water providers. For gas and electric, you’ll need to tell the supplier the date the tenancy ends, and supply a final meter reading (where possible), otherwise you may be liable to pay the usage until the next tenant moves in. Please leave any gas and electric cards or keys in the meters as they won’t work anywhere else.

You should also notify (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Telephone, TV (including TV Licensing), and broadband providers.
• The dentist, optician, GP surgery, and anyone else providing medical care.
• Banks, building societies, and credit companies.
• Private pension companies.

You can ask Royal Mail to temporarily redirect the mail of someone who has died:

You can apply to do this by visiting the Post Office website at: www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/redirection (link opens in a new tab). You’ll need to open an account with them if you don’t already have one, or you can visit your local Post Office branch.

Please note that there is a charge for this service.

Using the 'Tell Us Once' service:

‘Tell Us Once’ is a service offered by most local authorities on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It allows the bereaved person to inform central and local government services of the death at one time, rather than having to notify each service individually.

Unfortunately, we are not part of the ‘Tell Us Once’ service. The DWP and Registrars do not notify Housing Associations (such as Bolton at Home) when a tenant has died.

You’ll therefore need to notify us directly, and you can do this by completing and returning the Termination Notice (above).

You’ll need to complete a separate notice to end the garage tenancy. You'll only need to give a week's notice for this.

Rent will continue to be charged during the notice period, and any outstanding arrears when the tenancy ends will be charged to the tenant’s estate.

To request a garage termination form in the post or via email, please call us on 01204 328000.

The completed garage termination notice can be posted back to:

Bolton at Home,
Valley House,
98 Waters Meeting Road,
Bolton,
BL1 8SW.

Or, alternatively, it can be signed and emailed back to: homefinderenquiries2@boltonathome.org.uk.

Once we’ve received the notice, we’ll send you an acknowledgement letter to confirm the date the garage tenancy will end and details of when/where to return the keys.

We’ve put together this checklist to help summarise the key steps you need to take. You can also download a PDF copy of this list below:

Have you:

1. Completed and sent the Termination Notice to end the tenancy, providing a minimum of two weeks’ notice?

2. Provided a copy of the Death Certificate?

3. Provided full details of the next of kin/executor?

4. Put a reminder in your diary for when you need to hand in all the keys and/or fobs for the property?

5. Provided us (Bolton at Home) with all up-to-date contact numbers, including a mobile number, so we can remind you when to hand in the keys/fobs?

6. Arranged to fix any damage to the property and are aware of the standards required (as detailed on this webpage)?

7. Returned the property to its original state if any unauthorised alterations have been made?

8. Removed all furniture, laminate flooring, carpets, and personal belongings from the, property/house, loft, garden, and/or outhouse/garage?

9. Left behind only the items that belong to the local council (if you rented a furnished tenancy, for example)?

10. Left the property in a good, clean condition, removing all rubbish from the property?

11. Informed everyone relevant of the circumstances to stop mail and correspondence?

12. Informed gas, electricity, and water suppliers when the property is empty and provided final readings to them where necessary?

13. Left all prepayment keys/cards in the property (if it has a prepayment meter)?

If you’d like to download and/or print PDF a copy of our checklist, use the link below:

Checklist-for-ending-a-tenancy-following-a-bereavement-V3-Aug-17-[pdf]-91KB