Lifetime council houses replaced by short tenancies

A council is ending lifetime tenancies for some of its social housing and introducing a more flexible system.

Tenants in Barnsley will now be offered five-year leases so that they can move between more suitable properties as family sizes change.

The new tenancies will apply to homes that have four or more bedrooms so that housing stock can be freed up more easily.

A report to the Barnsley Council's Cabinet said: "The demand for social housing continues to outstrip supply. There is a clear need to make best use of the housing stock for those that need it most."

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, most people will still be offered secure or assured tenancies but the flexible tenancies will help tackle the limited supply and growing demand.

Families in larger homes may be offered extensions to their tenancies if they still need the extra space, or if their property is specially adapted for a person with disabilities.

The flexible tenancies will generally be offered for five years, with a minimum term of two years for specific circumstances, such as care leavers.

They may also be offered to tenants who might otherwise be excluded from the register due to serious or prolonged breaches of tenancy conditions and those in receipt of short-term support.

In November 2024, there were more than 5,500 residents on the waiting list for a property.

Berneslai Homes, which manages 18,000 council properties on behalf of the council, receives 5,000 applications a year.

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.