Looking After and Improving your property
What is an improvement?
An improvement is an alteration or addition to your home. It includes:
- changing the fixtures and fittings
- making alterations to the services to the property
- putting up a TV or satellite aerial
- changing the decoration, colour or material on the outside of the property
What do I need to do before I carry out improvements?
Before making any improvements to your home, you will need to write to your housing officer explaining the changes you would like to make, why they are needed and asking permission for the work to be done. Your housing officer will discuss your plans with you and our technical services team before a decision is made.
If we grant permission, we will ask you to sign a document agreeing to certain conditions. This will help to protect you by ensuring the work is carried out safely while also making it clear what will happen at the end of the tenancy.
These conditions could ask you to:
- make sure the work complies with any regulations or statutes which may be in place
- use reputable contractors
- provide us with copies of any certificates or documents so that we can keep them on file
- agree to maintain the improvement or installation in the future
- agree to remove or transfer the improvement or installation to us at the end of your tenancy
When the work is complete, we will carry out an inspection to check its standard and collect copies of any certificates or other documents.
Can I get any money back for the work when I move out?
As any improvements which you arrange fall outside of our statutory obligations to repair your home, we are not able to pay any compensation when you move out.
Any questions
If you have any questions about carrying out improvements to your home, please talk to your housing officer who will be happy to help.
Downloadable leaflets: