What changes can I make to my home?

Without written consent, you can:

• Paint and decorate the inside of your home

• Fit wardrobes, shelves or cupboards

• Fit battery-operated smoke/heat alarms

• Fit extra locks, burglar alarms or other security systems to your home

• Replace light fittings – this must be done by a qualified electrician and can’t involve any changes to the electrical circuits

• Install TV aerials - you must use a qualified engineer

• Replace taps in your home – this must be done by a qualified plumber

• Install a cooker, hob or oven (without changing the original kitchen layout). This must be done my a qualified engineer.

• Add kitchen units or worktops (without damaging or altering the original fittings)

• Replace internal doors (not fire doors)

• Fit extra outdoor lighting – this must be done by a qualified electrician

• Install a cat or dog flap to an outside door if you live in a house and have a fully-enclosed garden*

• Fit a garden shed or other garden structure that doesn’t require any concrete or masonry work and you have a fully-enclosed garden*

• Replace carpets. For any other type of floor covering, please contact us for advice before making any changes.

• Fit non-gas heating or cooling systems (e.g. air con).

You are responsible for maintaining any changes and fixing any damage. If you leave changes in place when you leave your home, we may charge you to undo them.

Important: any changes you make without our consent are your responsibility. We will not repair or service these alterations.

* An enclosed garden is surrounded by walls and fences and is not shared with anyone else.  

There are some changes you might be able to make if you talk to us about them first. If we give our consent, you’ll need to meet certain requirements, and some things you might need to undo when you move out. 

• Put down laminate flooring in the living areas and bedrooms

• Install a TV aerial and connection, CCTV or doorbells that capture video and sound – this must be done by a qualified engineer 

• Fit a new electric or gas cooker, built-in hob or oven – this must be done by a qualified electrician or Gas Safe-registered engineer, and you're responsible for maintaining the appliance

• Add heating or cooling systems, such as air conditioning units, that don’t use gas

• Install a shower – you'll also need to consider extra tiling and/or protection against water damage

• Adapt your home to meet the special needs of someone living there

• Add a conservatory, porch, extension or loft conversion

• Replace a kitchen or bathroom (we replace bathrooms and kitchens in our rented homes as part of a programme of planned work. You can ask us when yours is scheduled to be done.)

• Put down paving slabs or other masonry work outside your home to create extra car-parking spaces

• Create parking spaces (this requires a dropped kerb and relevant council approval) 

• Replace an outside door or window

• Installing or replacing gas appliances - you must never alter or remove an existing gas or electric system. Installation of ‘open flue’ gas appliances will not be allowed, for example, a gas fire that needs a chimney 

• Adding fences or plants over 1m tall in non-enclosed gardens*  

• Planting trees/shrubs that may grow over 3m tall and/or removing trees/shrubs over 3m tall (this may need council permission due to protection). 

*A non-enclosed garden is a garden that isn’t completely surrounded by things like walls, fences, or hedges. 

There are some changes you can’t make to your home. If you do, you'll be breaking your tenancy agreement. We'll have to charge you what it costs us to put your home back to the way it was.

• Alter shared areas (indoor or outdoor) i.e. doors, windows, or aerials 

• Fit laminate in your bathroom or kitchen

• Change the gas system or electrical circuits of your home

• Install a wood-burning fire

• Fit a hob or oven to an existing kitchen unit that doesn’t have an existing cooker or oven

• Install a gas appliance that needs a chimney (open-flue)

• Do work that might disturb asbestos 

• Install solar panels

• Convert garages, change doors into windows and/or windows into doors (unless approved by Social Services) 

• Install ground-source heating

• Fence off an area of your home that’s not already fully enclosed

Please contact us. We’ll respond within one month. If we do not give our consent, we will explain our reasons. 

If you go ahead without written consent, you will be breaking your tenancy agreement. 

If you’re a student, you can't make any changes to your room.

If you’re a keyworker, supported housing tenant or rent privately from us, you can't make any structural changes to your home, but you can redecorate and hang pictures, unless you're living in a room with shared living spaces. Just get permission from your Property Manager and/or Housing Officer first.

If you live in our retirement housing, you can't make any structural changes to your home, but you can redecorate the inside of your home and make repairs as you need to. You don't need to tell us about them. You can do things like:

• Paint and decorate the inside of your home

• Fit wardrobes or shelves

• Replace light fittings and taps

You may also be able to adapt your home if it will help you live independently for longer.