Golden Goodbye

What is a Golden Goodbye?

A Golden Goodbye is a payment given to tenants who are leaving their Council home. The payment is a reward and a thank you from us for the tenant conducting a good tenancy and keeping to the conditions set out in their Tenancy Agreement.

What are the criteria to be met?

You must do the following;

  • Provide 4 full weeks notice that you are leaving the property
  • Allow us to inspect your home, and a new tenant to view your property before you leave
  • Leave your home in a clean and tidy condition and make sure all rooms are cleared of furnishings and carpets
  • Leave your garden and outside areas, clean and tidy.
  • Give us your new address
  • Make sure all your rents and other bills are paid
  • Tell us if you have a garage tenancy and make sure any rent due is up to date and the garage cleared of any contents
  • Be a good tenant and meet all the conditions in your Tenancy Agreement
  • Hand in all keys for your home at the agreed time
  • Supply details of all the gas and electric companies you used and if possible give meter readings
  • Inform Housing Benefits and Council Tax that you are moving

How much would I receive?

You will receive a payment of £150 if you are moving out of Council accommodation.

I am moving from one council house to another - am I entitled to anything?

If you meet all the above criteria apart from providing 4 weeks clear notice then you can get a voucher worth £150.00.

I have some good quality carpets and furnishings - are these to be removed?

The Housing Officer who inspects your home can let you know which items you can leave. Some items may be helpful to the new tenant moving into the house.

A family member has died - would they still qualify and who would the money be paid to?

For applicants who have died but still meet all the above conditions, apart from providing 4 full weeks notice, we still want to say thank you – so yes they can still qualify and payments would be made to the next of kin or the persons estate.

Which applicants do not qualify for the scheme?

The following applicants will not qualify,:

  • Decants (tenants who have to move due to the refurbishment of their properties – these tenants will qualify for Home Loss Payments or Disturbance Allowance instead)
  • Introductory Tenants
  • Garage Tenants

Why does you provide this service?

The scheme aims to provide tenants with an incentive to leave their home in good condition. We will then be able to quickly give the property to a new applicant reducing the time people have to wait for a home.