Council reinforces commitment to tackling anti-social behaviour and tenancy fraud

05 March 2025

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has approved a new policy strengthening its commitment to tackling anti-social tenants and preventing tenancy fraud. The policy also promotes lease sustainment and supporting tenants to maintain their homes to avoid unnecessary evictions. 

The Tenancy Policy, which replaces the previous policy from Northampton Borough Council, aligns with national regulatory standards and supports the council’s broader housing strategies including the Tenancy Strategy, Housing Strategy, and Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. 

Developed in partnership with Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH), which manages WNC’s housing stock, the policy ensures greater tenancy security, improved sustainment, and effective management of council homes. It sets out clear guidelines on the types of tenancies offered, arrangements for fixed-term tenancies, and WNC’s approach to tackling tenancy fraud and unlawful subletting. 

Following a five-week public consultation, the policy has been updated to reflect key changes, including: 

• The use of introductory tenancies for all new tenants, ensuring they successfully integrate into their homes and communities before being granted a secure tenancy. 
• Reintroducing flexible fixed-term tenancies, which will only be used in exceptional circumstances such as for residents with limited leave to remain in the UK. 
• Stronger provisions to tackle tenancy fraud, ensuring social housing is allocated fairly and to those most in need. 

"Our new Tenancy Policy is an essential step forward in ensuring that West Northamptonshire’s social housing is well-managed, secure, and accessible to those who need it most.

“Working with Northamptonshire Partnership Homes, we hope to prevent unnecessary evictions and make the best use of our housing stock. We remain committed to providing fair and transparent housing services that meet the needs of our residents while ensuring social housing is protected for those in genuine need.”

Cllr Rosie Herring, Cabinet Member for Housing

The policy also supports WNC’s compliance with new consumer standards for social housing, introduced by the Regulator of Social Housing in April 2024, which require councils to clearly outline their approach to tenancy management. View the full policy on the West Northamptonshire Council website.