Your Home

What type of work needs our permission?

You will need our written permission to make changes to your home.  Common changes include:

• Doors and windows
• Skirting boards
• Solar panels
• Stairs and handrails
• Internal layout including structural work
• Plastering
• Wall panelling
• Light and socket fittings
• Plumbing and heating alterations including outside taps
• Alterations to bathrooms and kitchens
• Decking, paving, concreting, patios and hard surfaces
• Porches, garages and sheds
• Fencing
• Roofs and gutters
• Dropped kerbs so you can drive onto your property
• Fitting gas cookers or fires when there isn’t a gas supply
• Satellite dishes

If the change you want to make to your home isn’t on this list, contact your housing officer for advice.

Works we will not give permission for

We will not give permission to install hard flooring in above-ground flats or maisonettes. This is because hard flooring can cause noise problems to people who live below.

Please give us as much information as possible when you apply. We will not give permission if it isn’t clear how the works will affect your home.

We will not give permission for any work that breaches the Building Regulations.

We will not give permission for changes to your home if you have an introductory tenancy.

Timber framed homes

There are strict rules for works carried out to timber framed homes. This is because these homes have a higher risk of fire damage if they are not maintained properly.  If you live in a timber framed home, we may refuse permission if we think the works you want to do will increase the risk of a fire. 

There is a higher risk of extensive damage to your home if an unqualified person causes a fire while carrying out work. If you live in a timber framed home, you will need to show us proof that the person carrying out the work is fully competent to work on this type of building. You must also show us proof that they are able to properly reinstate the fire stopping barriers built into the structure.

If we give permission, you will be liable for the full cost of any damage if you do not employ a competent person to do the work.

How to apply for permission

Before you apply to make improvements to your home, make sure you know:

• What work you want to do
• How you are going to do the work
• What materials you want to use
• The measurements of any fencing, paving or walls
• A simple drawing showing what the work will be like when its finished
• Who is doing the work for you
• When you want the work to start and how long it will take to complete

You will pay all costs for arranging and completing the work.

Complying with the law

There may be regulations you need to comply with. If we give permission for structural work to your home, you will need to apply for Building Regulations approval and/or planning permission.

Any gas works must be carried out by a Gas Safe engineer, and you must give us a certificate for the work when it is finished.

Electrical work, including changing light fittings and sockets, must be carried out by a qualified electrician. You must give us a certificate for the work when it is finished.

Health & safety

You are responsible for making sure the work is done safely, and your family, visitors and neighbours are not put at risk. If the work is going to disturb any asbestos containing materials, you must make sure these are removed by a licensed contractor.  Common asbestos containing materials include floor tiles, textured coatings (Artex), wall panels and toilet cisterns.

The licensed contractor must give you:

• A waste transfer note
• A cleanliness or air clearance certificate

You must give these to us.
You will be responsible to put right any damage or poor workmanship. Any contractor you use must have insurance that covers these.
 

How long does it take to get permission?

We aim to make a decision within 28 days.  If you do not provide all the information we need, or if the work you want to do is complex, it may take longer for us to make our decision.  

If you do not give us all the information we need we may refuse your application. 

When can I start the work?

You must not start any work until we have given permission.

If we give permission, you have three months from the date of our decision to complete the work.  Make sure you have enough money for the work and have planned it properly.

You must tell us the date you are going to start the work, and the date it is completed.  You will allow us reasonable access to check the work while it is being carried out and when it is completed.

If certificates or other paperwork are required and you do not give these to us, we will appoint someone to check the work has been carried out properly.  We will charge you for this, and for any certificates we have to arrange. 

What happens if I make improvements to my home and then move out?

If you provide evidence:

• That we gave you permission to carry out improvements
• The work was completed to the required standard
• What the work cost

You may be entitled to compensation depending on when the improvements were completed.

We work out how much compensation we will pay, based on how old the works are and what they cost.

If you are leaving your home and have made major improvements, contact your housing officer to talk about compensation.