Find out about our Relet Standard and what it means for your new home. 

We want our properties to be of a consistently high standard. To achieve this, we have worked with our customers to develop standards and ensure that each property is safe, secure, clean and in good condition.

When a home is let to you, we’ll make sure that:

• It is clean and clear of all belongings from the previous tenant.
• All gas and electrical appliances/fittings that we’ve supplied are in a safe and working order.
• All necessary Health & Safety repair works will be completed.

Please note that your property will not be newly decorated unless the existing decoration is of a very poor standard.

To help us provide you and other customers with the best service possible, please:

• Give us your feedback.
• Tell us when we get something wrong so we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.
• Tell us when we have done a good job so that we can make sure all customers receive this level of service.

We will:

• Regularly seek your views through Service Satisfaction Questionnaires (SSQ’s).
• Carry out Reviews, Service Inspections and Evaluations with active involvement by customers.
• Publish the results of surveys and performance monitoring on our website and in our regular newsletters.

Kitchen

Kitchen units, worktops, splashback tiles and sinks will be clean and in good working order. Provided that there is enough space within the kitchen, we will install the plumbing and electrical socket for an automatic washing machine. However, you will need to arrange for your own washing machine to be fitted. We will attempt to provide both gas and electrical cooker points to your home but this may not always be possible. Please note, you should only employ qualified Gas Safe engineers to work on gas installations when arranging for a cooker connection to be installed. Also, electric cooker connections must be done by an NICEIC qualified electrician.  If an extractor fan is installed it will be clean and in good working order.

Post-tenancy and external repairs

To avoid causing you any unnecessary delays in moving into your new home, we may order some repairs on commencement of or shortly afterwards, i.e. glazing after removal of security screens, fitting of central heating boiler and external fencing . In such cases, these repairs will be discussed and agreed with you before you sign your Tenancy Agreement.

The Garden

All gardens will be free from rubbish and shall be neat and sheds, greenhouses and similar garden structures will be removed unless they are in good condition.

Doors

All internal and external doors will be in good condition and will open and close easily. All external doors will have their locks changed.

Walls and ceilings

We will remove all polystyrene ceiling tiles from all rooms. Walls and ceilings will be free from bulges, large cracks (not including hairline cracks of less than 2mm) and mould growth.

Internal woodwork

All internal woodwork will be in good condition and free from decay. 

Bathroom and toilet

All sanitaryware will be clean and in good working order with plugs and chains, and new toilet seats will be fitted. Tiled splash backs and sealants will be clean and in good condition. If an extractor fan is installed it will be clean and in good working order.

Cleaning and valets

We will clean the property to the following standard:

• Sweep and clean all floors.
• Clean all kitchen units, worktops and splashback tiles.
• Clean all sanitary fittings and splashback tiles.
• The property will be checked and free from any infestation.

Decoration

You are responsible for the internal decoration to your home which includes the filling of small holes and hairline cracks. As part of our Lettings Standard, if the decoration to your new home is in poor condition, we will offer you one of the following:

• Supply decoration vouchers for you to purchase and choose your own materials
• In instances where the property is in particularly poor condition, we will decorate those rooms that require treatment.

Glazing

All glazing will be completed on the same working day when you move into your home. Windows that are designed to open will do so easily.

Floors

All floors and fixed wall coverings will be in a good and safe condition. Whilst some floorboards may have some slight movement or cracks, they will be free from major faults. Floor coverings such as floor tiles will be securely fitted and any laminate flooring will be left in place if fitted well and in good condition.  The provision of floor coverings in most instances is the tenants’ responsibility.

Heating and services

We will carry out safety checks to the gas and electricity supplies and equipment to ensure they are in good working order.
When you sign up, you will need to organise for a gas and electricity supply to be turned on.  We will carry out safety checks within 3 working days of you notifying your neighbourhood officer of your gas and electricity supplier.  A current gas safety certificate will be provided for you in your sign-up pack. 

This Letting Standard is the minimum standard of repair that you can expect to find when you rent one of our properties.
This should not be confused with our Planned Programme works packages that are carried out on a regular basis and supports our ongoing Decent Homes.

Any Planned Programme work that may be required to your home will be published on our website and newsletters.