When we receive a report of an abandoned property, we must investigate it and follow our Abandoned Property Procedure. Each tenant has rights, which means we cannot just end a tenancy. The Neighbourhoods Team will raise an emergency repair to secure, as necessary, any suspected abandoned property. Appropriate enquiries will be made to establish if the tenant(s) intends to return to the property.
However, if after an investigation the tenant cannot be located a Notice of Seeking Possession and or a Notice to Quit shall be served and the property repossessed. This will take four weeks to expire. The Council might be able to recover possession of the property when notice expires; if it is proven that the tenant does not intend to return to the property.
If the tenant has not returned or contacted the Neighbourhoods Team within the notice time, we will end the tenancy. The property will then be repaired and advertised on the Cannockchasehousing website.
An abandoned property is where a tenant(s) has left their property without officially ending their tenancy. Often the Housing Department are not aware the property is now empty.