Scope and criteria
The scheme is available to social housing tenants living in the Tonbridge and Malling Borough who:
- Hold a Secure tenancy agreement (Assured or Secure) – starter or introductory tenancies are not eligible
- Have been assessed and accepted onto the housing register for a transfer move. You can find more information on applying to the housing register.
- Occupy a general needs or adapted property.
- Agree to transfer to a smaller property that meets their assessed housing need and/or a non-adapted property and provide vacant possession of their current home. Housing need is assessed through the Housing Allocations Scheme, with one spare room allowed for households who are downsizing or moving home under this scheme.
- Are under-occupying or living in an adapted home and relinquish their home and tenancy, moving out of their social housing home into another tenure such as private rental or home ownership. Once the tenant has formally ended theirtenancy and given vacant possession of the home to the Registered Provider payments can be released.
There are circumstances that will exclude tenants from being eligible for the Transfer incentive scheme as follows:
- Any form of legal or possession action; possession orders, Notice of Seeking Possession, demotion notice
- Where the tenant has previously received a Transfer Incentive Scheme payment or similar incentive from their Registered Provider landlord.
- Where a Registered Provider will not accept the creation of a new tenancy following any policies they have in place on allocations and tenancies.
As well as moving through a transfer to another social home via the Housing Register, tenants who may choose to move by buying a home or renting privately, are also eligible for the incentive scheme as they will be relinquishing a social home.
An adapted property is a home with major adaptations for example a through floor lift, level access to the property in the form of a permanent ramp or similar or accessible bathroom such as wet room.