Charnwood Borough Council in Leicestershire asked tenants to give four week “death” notice of when they might pass away. For those who failed to do so, would have to pay the costs to the Council of “lengthening the time taken to re-let a property”.

Charnwood Borough Council in Loughborough, Leicestershire holds a regulation of four-week “notice” of tenants leaving the property, which applies to dead people. Dying men are supposed to give the Council a four-week notice of leaving the property vacant before they pass away. If no “notice” is reported, the next of kin would be charged for the bills and other fees that are requested from the local authority.

Regulations stated that keys must be returned to the Council Housing Services on the day tenants leave their homes; and if the keys are not returned, the tenants will be charged on the cost of changing the locks of the property. In additions, they have to leave the property in a good condition as it was when the tenancy started. Any belongings left in the property needs to be removed; anyone failed to do so, will also be charged for the cost of it. Thus, the dead tenants’ relatives have to pay for all the costs left from the local authority in this case.

The council has received several complaints from the relatives criticising the regulation of “everyone” who vacate their properties needs to give a month’s notice whether they are dead or not. Cold-hearted Loughborough Council claimed “rules are rules” without considering the situation of those individuals who had just lost their loved ones.

Ian Saville, chief executive of Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing, further stated that “we hope that tenants understand the council’s reasons for requesting that the contractual four week’s notice period is applied in all cases. To not do so, lengthens the time taken to re-let a property, and the extra cost of rent lost then effectively falls upon all tenants to pay”*.

With anger coming out from related relatives and the public, Charnwood Borough Council certainly has to review its regulations to settle the resentment and to re-establish its reputation.

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