Alterations to your home

Our approach to alterations to your home

If you are a secure or assured tenant, you have the right to make alterations to your home. Before you start work on any alteration, you must get permission from us in writing. You will also need to get any other approval you need for the work, such as planning permission or building regulations approval.

If you are a starter tenant, you cannot make alterations to your home during the first 12 months of your tenancy or any extension period.

What we mean by alterations to your home

Examples of things you might want to do to improve your home include:

• installing a new kitchen or bathroom
• installing hard wood or vinyl flooring
• putting up a television aerial or satellite dish
• decorating the outside of your home
• adding to or changing installations, fixtures or fittings.

What you can expect from our service

We will not refuse permission for a home alteration without having a good reason. Sometimes we may give permission on the condition that you carry out the work to a certain standard.

We aim to confirm our decision in writing within 10 working days of receiving all the necessary information from you. We will also ask you to pay an administration fee which will be based on 15% of the value of the works up to a maximum of £75.

What will happen when you ask permission to make an alteration to your home

The first step is for you to send your request to us in writing. One of our surveyors will then check your written request and provide a response or, if necessary the surveyor may visit you at your home. Depending on the type of alteration you want to make, we may ask to see three independent quotations for the work and a detailed schedule of the planned works. If planning permission is required, we will need to see your planning application submission and proof that the local authority has given you planning permission.

Any alterations that you carry out must be done to a professional standard. Electrical work must be completed by an NICEIC qualified contractor and gas work must be completed by a Gas Safe registered engineer. One of our surveyors will visit you at your home to inspect the work once it is finished.