Altering your home

If you want to make your own improvements or alterations to your home, you’ll need to contact us first to get permission.  

You don’t need to get permission for general decorating, such as painting or putting up shelves, but for bigger work you will need to seek permission.
These include:
Installing a shower
Moving or removing fitted units or doors
Changes to the heating system
Adding or moving electric points
Laying a patio
Fitting an external aerial or satellite dish

We’ll only refuse permission for good reasons, and if we can agree to what you want to do we will and write to you to confirm this. We may set out certain conditions which you will need to agree to. When the work is completed you will be responsible for maintaining the improvements you’ve done, unless we agree in writing that we will be responsible for them.

If you move home, you may take the installation or improvement with you, providing you make good any damage and put back what was there before you altered it. If your improvement work means we have to pay to have work done because, for example, the work you did was sub-standard or made the property unsuitable for someone else, we will charge the cost to you.

However, if you leave the improvement/alteration behind when your tenancy ends, you may also be entitled to receive financial compensation from us provided that you have followed the procedure set out above and retain proof (bills, receipts etc.) of the costs you incurred. Details of how to make a claim for such compensation can be obtained from your local area housing office.      

If you want to make an alteration to you home, please write to your local area housing office, marking your letter for the attention of the surveyor.