Rent a garage

1. Subject to Clause 2 below, the licence shall be for a minimum period of three months and may be terminated at the end of this period on any Sunday thereafter by the Council or the licensee giving one week's notice in writing.

2. If a licensee fails or neglects to observe any of these conditions, the Council may end their licence at any time without prejudice to any causes of action that may have accrued at the date of termination.

3. The Council accepts no liability for damage or loss to vehicles or other items stored in the garage. The licensee must insure the garage contents against fire, flooding, theft and vandalism and meet the costs of any insurance premiums arising.

4. The rent is to be paid in advance by monthly Direct Debit. The first payment will be taken by telephone card payment in the week prior to the licence start date. The key will be posted to the home address after proof of initial payment is received. 

5. Rent charges vary depending on whether VAT is applicable. You don't have to pay VAT if all of these apply to you:

• you are a council tenant or leaseholder

6. The rent is liable to alteration with 14 days written notice. At the expiry of the notice period the licensee shall be deemed to have agreed to the altered rent, subject to the continuation of the licence.

7. At the end of the licence, the licensee shall leave the garage with all fixtures and fittings in a good state of repair and condition (subject to fair wear and tear), complete with all locks, and return to the Council all keys, communal access fobs and transmitters (where issued) belonging to the Council.

8. Where written notice is given and the keys are not returned, the licensee shall continue to be liable for rent charges until the keys are received by the Council. If the keys are not or cannot be returned, the licensee will be charged the cost of the lock change and the cost of replacement communal access keys, fobs or remote transmitters (where issued). The cost will be recharged to the licensee. All charges are liable to alteration without further notice as suppliers’ costs may vary.

9. Goods found in the garage at the end of the licence will be regarded as abandoned and will be disposed of immediately. The cost of which will be recharged to the licensee.

10. If, on the licensee vacating the garage, it is found to be in a dirty condition requiring special cleaning, including removal of graffiti, (whether or not this involves the removal of items), the licensee will be liable for the cost of bringing the garage up to a lettable standard. The cost will be recharged to the licensee.

11. Should an account go into arrears and the licensee fails to bring the account up to date, then the Council will issue one reminder notice followed by a Notice To Quit. If the licensee still does not bring the account up to date then the garage will be repossessed. On expiry of the notice the locks will be changed and any items left in the garage will be disposed of.

12.  The licensee shall not fix to the garage, or any part of it, notices, wires, lamps, shelving, cupboards, benches, tools or other attachments of any kind.

13. The licensee shall not carry out, or permit to be carried out, any alterations to the garage for the provision of any form of heat, light, power or energy. 

14. The garage is not to be used for human residence, as a business premises or for the housing of animals of any kind.

15. No gas bottle, cylinder or tank intended for domestic heating, oxyacetylene welding or any other use is to be stored in the garage. Except for quantities in the tanks of the licensee's motor vehicle, storage of any petrol whatsoever or more than five litres of lubricating oil is strictly prohibited. The licensee must dispose of used oil and other motor vehicle fluids in a clean, safe and lawful manner.

16. The licensee must not run the engine of their vehicle inside the garage except where necessary for the transportation of the vehicle into or from the garage.

17. No repair work of any kind shall be carried out in the garage or on any adjoining land belonging to the Council except for simple maintenance works on the licensee's motor vehicle. Its use for any other purpose, including use as a shop or workshop or in conducting commercial activity of any sort is strictly prohibited.

18. The licensee shall abide at all times by the regulations relating to parking on the council’s estates. 

19. The licensee shall not block access to the garage, garage forecourt or service roads to the garages with vehicles or other items. The forecourt and approach is to be kept clear and clean at all times. Vehicles blocking access are liable to be removed and the owner will be liable for any charges. 

20. The licensee must not interfere in any way with estate or communal electric lighting installations and fittings belonging to the Council. Any defects should be reported at once to the Housing Management Services Office or by calling the Housing Contact Centre.

21. The Council, its agents or workmen, shall be free to enter the garage to inspect its state of repair and to carry out repairs if needed, or for any other necessary purpose, at all reasonable hours of the day.

22. The Council undertakes to keep the garage structure, door and lock in a reasonable state of repair, but cannot guarantee that the garage shall be kept entirely weather tight at all times.  The Council will not be liable for any damage to garage contents for any unforeseen events, acts of God etc.

23. The licensee must notify the Council immediately of any repairs, defects or damage to the garage by calling the Housing Contact Centre. All garage repairs shall be completed within 20 working days, unless, in the opinion of the Garages Team, there is an immediate risk to the health and safety of the licensee or the general public, in which case an emergency repair can be carried out to make the garage safe within 48 hours or as resources permit.

24. The licensee shall relocate the garage contents at their own expense if they consider them to be at risk of loss or damage while the garage is awaiting repair. The Council may provide a refund of rent for any period exceeding one week where, in the Garage Team’s opinion, the garage is beyond reasonable use pending completion of the repair. However, no refund can be provided where the licensee continues to make full or partial use of the garage during this time.

25. The Council shall provide the keys to and shall be responsible for the maintenance of a single lock to the garage at the start of the licence. The licensee shall be liable for the replacement of the lock at their own expense where the keys are lost. The provision of any additional locks to the garage, and the maintenance of these locks, shall be the licensee’s responsibility.

26. The licensee shall repay to the Council the cost of repairing any damage done to the garage or to the fixtures or fittings, including but not limited to the breakage of window glass and the replacement of locks and keys, where the damage is not caused by fair wear and tear.

27. No naked flame or glowing or incandescent material is permitted in the garage. The licensee shall not do or permit any act whereby any policy of insurance against loss or damage by fire, by or on behalf of the council, may become void or voidable, or whereby the premium payable in respect thereof may be increased, or whereby any statutory provision or provision contained in any regulation made by any duly constituted authority with regard to the storage and use of petrol and other explosive or inflammatory oils or substance are contravened.

28. The licensee shall not do or permit to be done, in connection with their occupation of the garage, anything which, in the opinion of the council, may be or may become a nuisance or annoyance to, or in any way interfere with, the quiet or comfort of the residents of the housing estate or of any other person.

29. The licensee shall not assign the garage to another, or sublet the premises or any part of it. Upon the death of the licensee, the licence shall be ended.

30. Any notice under this agreement shall be in writing and any notice to the licensee shall be sufficiently served if left addressed to them and attached to the garage, sent to them by post or left at their last known address.

32. Any notice to the Council shall be sufficiently served if delivered to the Housing Office.

33.  The Council reserves the right to amend the terms of this agreement by giving two weeks’ notice in writing.

34. Upon termination of the agreement the garage keys must be posted back to the Post Room, Guildhall 2, 2 High Street, Kingston upon Thames, KT1 1EU, or delivered by hand in an envelope to the reception desk at Guildhall 2. Please ensure the keys are tagged so that we can identify which property they are for. Keys must be received by midday on the Monday after which the notice expires. Any credit balance on your account upon termination will be refunded in due course.