Types of tenancy agreement

Most council and housing association tenants have a Scottish secure tenancy. The Scottish secure tenancy agreement is the lease agreement you sign when you become an Aberdeenshire Council tenant.

The tenancy agreement sets out your rights and responsibilities as a tenant and our duties to you as your landlord.

Our Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreement leaflet (PDF 432KB) briefly outlines these main responsibilities

Accommodation is rented to you on the terms and conditions in the Scottish Secure Tenancy Agreement (PDF 89.6KB).

The main requirements for a Scottish secure tenancy are:

• the house is let as a separate dwelling
• the tenant is a private individual, and the house is the tenant’s only or principal home
• the landlord is a local authority landlord, a registered social landlord or a water or sewerage authority
• where the landlord is a registered social landlord, which is a cooperative housing association, and the tenant is a member of the association
• the tenancy was created on or after 30th September 2002

Scottish secure tenancies replaced secure and assured tenancies from 30th September 2002 as a result of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

Short Scottish secure tenancy

A short Scottish secure tenancy is a short form of tenancy, with limited security of tenure. This may be issued where:

• a housing applicant has previously been evicted for anti-social behaviour
• a housing applicant or household member is subject to an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO)
• accommodation is let, on a temporary basis, to someone in receipt of housing support services

If you have a short Scottish secure tenancy you are not eligible for Right to Buy and have no succession rights.

Temporary tenancies

If you have been housed by us because you were homeless, you may have been given a temporary tenancy until we can re-house you on a permanent basis. Tenants in temporary accommodation do not have the Right to Buy.