Your First Social Tenancy in England: A Plain-English Guide to Moving In, Rent, Benefits, Bills, Repairs, Rights, Responsibilities and Keeping Home

You finally have the keys. Now you need to understand the home, the bills and the tenancy you have been given. Your First Social Tenancy in England is a practical plain-English guide for new council and housing-association tenants. It takes you from the offer and tenancy sign-up through the first days in the property, rent, service charges, Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax, utilities, removals, furniture and the costs of setting up an empty home. It explains how to read your rent account, where to look for financial help, what to do if benefits are delayed, how to avoid preventable arrears and how to ask your council or housing association for help before a problem threatens the tenancy. The guide also covers repairs, damp and mould, Awaab's Law, electrical safety, complaints and the Housing Ombudsman; disability and adaptations; pets and alterations; partners, lodgers and joint tenancies; anti-social behaviour; relationship breakdown and domestic abuse; succession; transfers and mutual exchange; moving to another council area; possession and eviction; and ending a tenancy safely. Practical checklists, evidence logs, message templates, a moving-cost application pack and a 12-month cost tracker help readers turn the rules into action. Where a subject needs more depth, the book points clearly to the relevant companion title in The Plain English UK Guides. Written for England and checked against national law and guidance available on 8 August 2026.