TENANTS who trash their council homes before moving out are being told to pay up or stay put.

Greenwich Council says it has lost patience with vandals who smash windows and leave their homes full of rubbish.

As of Monday (April 2) tenants who leave homes filthy or damaged will have to pay to put things right before they can move into their new one.

According to the council's statistics, there are 1,300 homes which change hands each year, costing £4,000 for repairs on average.

Deliberate damage and even theft including unauthorised alterations, and the removal of fixtures and fittings such as kitchens as well as the removal of copper piping so it can be sold for scrap.

Now properties will be inspected while tenants are viewing a potential new home. If they refuse to pay up for any damage, their move will be cancelled.

Cabinet member for housing Councillor Steve Offord said: "Our new policy is something that tenants’ reps and groups have been pressing for because they see people leave a mess and then move into something that’s new and nice.

"It’s hard to recover the costs if people are not in work. It might be just a few pounds a week they have to pay but we are left with costs of thousands of pounds. So it’s better for us, if we have to, to say sorry you can’t move."

He added: "We have listened to local people and are getting tough on people who mistreat our property and think there won’t be any consequences or sanctions for them.

"This initiative is part if a drive to reclaim homes for the vast majority of tenants who look after their properties and care about the place where they live."