Working together with young tenants

Feedback from some of our younger tenants was that they can find it difficult to process the volume of spoken information provided at the start of their tenancy. Together, we identified a need for a written resource tailored specifically to them and in response we have developed a new handbook, created in collaboration with tenants under the age of 25, to support them during the early stages of their tenancy with North Tyneside Council.

We formed a working group of young tenants and they played an active role in shaping the content, tone, and design of the handbook. Their involvement ensured the final product would be accessible, relevant, and genuinely useful to others in similar circumstances. (The handbook does not replace any of the other information a young tenant receives at the start of their tenancy, it is supplementary.)

The group began by reviewing the current information shared with all new tenants at sign-up appointments with their New Homes Officer. Participants annotated and discussed these documents, identifying what they found helpful, what could be improved, and what was missing. Through these discussions, they provided valuable insights on how to improve the tone to make the information easier to understand.

The young tenants, each with varying lengths of experience living in council properties, shared what they wished they had known when they first moved in. Several key themes emerged that the group agreed should be made prominent in the new handbook. These included:

  • The importance of asking to see staff identification before allowing access to their home
  • Clear guidance on reporting anti-social behaviour
  • Information about which repairs are the tenant’s responsibility

The group expressed a desire for the handbook to be more than just an information pack. As a result, we incorporated interactive features such as:

  • Budgeting tables to help plan and manage monthly expenses
  • Checklists for important tasks during the moving-in period

Once the content and layout were finalised, the group turned their attention to the handbook’s visuals - selecting the colour scheme, images and overall design to ensure it would appeal to a younger audience.

A batch of printed copies are now being distributed by our New Homes team during tenancy sign-ups, as well as by local community groups that support young tenants across the borough. The pdf version attached to this page has also been made available to local groups and an online version is on the council website.

We would like to extend our thanks to the young tenants who contributed to this project. Their time, input, and lived experience have been instrumental in creating a resource that will support many others as they begin their tenancies.

Feedback from some of our younger tenants was that they can find it difficult to process the volume of spoken information provided at the start of their tenancy. Together, we identified a need for a written resource tailored specifically to them and in response we have developed a new handbook, created in collaboration with tenants under the age of 25, to support them during the early stages of their tenancy with North Tyneside Council.

We formed a working group of young tenants and they played an active role in shaping the content, tone, and design of the handbook. Their involvement ensured the final product would be accessible, relevant, and genuinely useful to others in similar circumstances. (The handbook does not replace any of the other information a young tenant receives at the start of their tenancy, it is supplementary.)

The group began by reviewing the current information shared with all new tenants at sign-up appointments with their New Homes Officer. Participants annotated and discussed these documents, identifying what they found helpful, what could be improved, and what was missing. Through these discussions, they provided valuable insights on how to improve the tone to make the information easier to understand.

The young tenants, each with varying lengths of experience living in council properties, shared what they wished they had known when they first moved in. Several key themes emerged that the group agreed should be made prominent in the new handbook. These included:

  • The importance of asking to see staff identification before allowing access to their home
  • Clear guidance on reporting anti-social behaviour
  • Information about which repairs are the tenant’s responsibility

The group expressed a desire for the handbook to be more than just an information pack. As a result, we incorporated interactive features such as:

  • Budgeting tables to help plan and manage monthly expenses
  • Checklists for important tasks during the moving-in period

Once the content and layout were finalised, the group turned their attention to the handbook’s visuals - selecting the colour scheme, images and overall design to ensure it would appeal to a younger audience.

A batch of printed copies are now being distributed by our New Homes team during tenancy sign-ups, as well as by local community groups that support young tenants across the borough. The pdf version attached to this page has also been made available to local groups and an online version is on the council website.

We would like to extend our thanks to the young tenants who contributed to this project. Their time, input, and lived experience have been instrumental in creating a resource that will support many others as they begin their tenancies.