Making changes to my home
Contents:
1. Asking to make changes to your council home
3. Getting money back for improvements
1. Asking to make changes to your council home
If your tenancy agreement says you’re allowed to make changes or improvements to your home, you must get?written permission?from us first. You need to do this because some changes are not allowed unless we say yes in writing.
Some changes might also need?Planning Permission?or?Building Regulation approval. We can help explain what’s needed.
To ask for permission, please email?permission@eastdevon.gov.uk. You’ll get an automatic reply asking you to fill out and send back a?Permission Request Form.
All changes must be done to our satisfaction. We may check the work after it’s finished. When your tenancy ends, the improvements usually become our property.
Sometimes, we might ask you to take down any structures you added, and you’ll need to pay for that.
If something goes wrong because of poor work or bad materials, you’ll be responsible for fixing it.
2. Who can make changes?
- If you’re new to your tenancy (called an?introductory tenancy), you’re not allowed to make changes to your home.
- If you have a?secure tenancy, you can make changes or improvements, but you must ask us first and get written permission.
- If you have a?flexible tenancy, you don’t have the legal right to make changes, but we might say yes to some changes if you write to us and ask before you start the work.
If you're not sure or want more details, please contact us.
3. Getting money back for improvements
This only applies if you have a?secure tenancy.
If you’ve made changes to your home (like improving the bathroom)?with our permission, you might be able to get some money back when your tenancy ends. This is called?compensation.
You’ll need to show proof of how much the work cost, so we can decide how much money you might get.
You can only ask for compensation for certain types of improvements, and only if the work started on or after?1 April 1994.
If you want to know more, please contact us.