If you break your tenancy agreement your estate manager will write to tell you what you need to do. If you fail to keep to any agreement you will be served with a notice telling you the council is going to court to evict you. If the case is proved, the court must give us possession. We also have the right to extend the trial period by a further six months.

Notice/appeal

If you're served with a notice you have 14 days from the date it is served to appeal against the council's decision to end your tenancy. If you want to appeal, you must write or speak to your estate manager or a housing team leader within 14 days. If you do not appeal within this time the council will continue the action to end your tenancy.

If you appeal you'll be given at least five days notice of where and when your review hearing will be held.

Review Board

A Review Board hearing is a meeting with senior housing officers, who have not been involved in the decision to evict you. They will look at all the evidence about how you have conducted your tenancy. The board considers whether you have broken your tenancy agreement.

You can either attend in person or appeal in writing if you do not want to attend.

You should think about the reasons why you feel that your tenancy shouldn't be ended, and you can bring a friend or advisor to support you or speak on your behalf.

Review Board decision

You will be told the Review Board's decision within five days of the hearing.

If the board decides you have broken your tenancy agreement and your tenancy should be ended, the council will apply to the court to end your tenancy.

As long as the council has followed all these procedures the court will end your tenancy. This means you will lose your home and are likely to be considered intentionally homeless.

Information and advice

If you need more information contact your estate manager tel: (01904) 551200.

If you want independent advice your contact the customer advice centre or a solicitor or any Housing Advice Centre.

See also York Citizen's Advice Bureau website.