We’re committed to making sure your new home is clean, safe and secure ready for you to move in. Before we give you the keys, we do a number of checks with our Housing Team.

Please take a look around when you see the property and check these standards are met. We hope you enjoy your new home.

Kitchen
All fittings will be clean, in good condition, including shelving. We’ll provide gas and/or electric cooker points and, where there is space, washing machine plumbing and electrical sockets.

Bathroom and toilet
All fittings will be clean and in good working order, and we’ll provide a new toilet seat. There will be an electric shower (unless a mixer shower is already in place and in good working order). Tiled areas will be clean and in good condition.

Windows
All glazing will be intact and all windows will open easily. Windows and sills will be cleaned on the inside. Keys for window locks will be provided.

Safety and security
We’ll change all external door locks before you move in. All doors will be free from damage and open and close easily, and all internal woodwork will be free from damage or decay. Floors and fixed floor coverings will be safe and in good condition. All floor coverings will be secured to the floor, and we’ll remove any polystyrene ceiling tiles.

Gas and electricity
Exposed pipework will be boxed in, where necessary for safety. Heating, electrics and appliances will be checked to make sure they are in safe working order. Any debt will be cleared off the meters, and you’ll receive copies of the latest gas and/or electrical safety certificates when you start your tenancy.

Gardens and outside areas
Any rubbish will be cleared and lawns cut back. We’ll remove any garden structures, such as sheds or greenhouses, which are not in good condition.

Floors and stairs
Stairs and handrails will be clean, safe and secure. Vinyl flooring will be fitted in the bathroom and kitchen.

Loft space
We’ll clear the loft of any rubbish and check for insulation. If insulation does need upgrading, we’ll add your home to our improvement programme for loft insulation.

What you’ll need to do

There are a few things you’ll need to do to get started in your new home.

• You’ll need to choose gas and electricity suppliers and arrange connection.  If your new home has it’s own individual gas supply, the supply will have been capped while the property was empty. You will need to arrange for one of our gas engineers to come out and uncap it once your supply is on and you have credit on any pre-payment meters.  The information provided to you at your sign up appointment will explain how to arrange this.
• Remember to change your address with your doctor, bank, employer, school, DVLA, TV Licensing, etc. You can have your post redirect from you old address through the postoffice.com.
• Make sure you know where the stop taps, fuse box and trip switch are in case you need to find them quickly.

Your main responsibilities are:

• Paying your rent: You must pay your rent when due under your tenancy agreement.  We do offer a range of payment options but recommend setting up a Direct Debit as this is the simplest way to pay automatically, so you never forget and won’t risk falling behind. You can choose when the money comes out of your account, each week or month. If you do run into trouble with payments, it’s vital you contact us as soon as possible so we can provide the best advice and support to you.
• Reporting repairs: Repairs and works to maintain your home are an essential part of our service to you, but looking after your new home is your responsibility as well as ours. Your tenancy agreement sets out what you are responsible for and what we are.
• Insurance: we insure the building of your home but not your personal belongings. You should take out contents insurance to cover your belongings against flood, fire, burglary or damage. Find out more on our Insurance page.
• DIY: If you’re looking to do any DIY in your home (from upgrading your kitchen, installing a satellite dish or laminate flooring), it’s important you tell us first.  We need to make sure it’s safe for you to do so, give you permission to go ahead and provide any information that may be useful for the work.
• Keys: When you move in, you will be given keys and fobs for your main door as well as for any other locks. Please note that we don’t keep spare keys so if you lose them or need more copies you will need to get these cut yourself.  If you lock yourself out and call us, you will have to pay for us to attend and get you in. If you lose communal keys or fobs, you can contact us for replacements, but you will be charged.