A Joint Occupation Contract investigation form will need to be completed and the below investigated:
- Does the current contract holder have any breaches of contract, including rent arrears? Can these be cleared?
- Are there any legal notices on the existing contract?
- Can the proposed joint contract-holder evidence they have resided at the address for over 12 months?
- Have there been any previous conduct issues for the proposed joint contract holder?
- Is the joint applicant an existing contract holder of another Bron Afon property?
If all checks have passed then a home visit is required to complete a property inspection.
When considering a request that a person be made a joint contract-holder, under section 84 of RHWA, Bron Afon may not:
(a) unreasonably refuse consent, or
(b) consent subject to unreasonable conditions.
What is reasonable is to be determined having regard to Schedule 6 to the RHWA. This information should be considered, and addition to the circumstances below, which should also be taken into account when assessing a joint contract request:
- Whether the proposed joint contract holder is a suitable contract holder
- The nature of the relationship to the contract holder and whether they are a family member
- Whether the proposed joint contract holder is likely to become a sole contract holder in relation to the property
- Whether the proposed joint contract holder may, if not made a joint contract holder, would be eligible for succession status and would they be a priority or a reserve successor? (for a reserve successor, this includes meeting residency status of living at the property for at minimum of 12 months)
- Whether permitting the request would lengthen the time of the contract as a result
- Whether the proposed joint contract holder is likely to comply with the contract
- Whether the proposed contract holder has complied with previous contracts
- Whether if a request to transfer (assign) the contract to the proposed contract holder would have been permitted or not