For those who rent a council/housing association property.....

[lollypollywally]

Hello, I am just wondering - those in council housing/housing assosations, have you done any home improvements to your home? If so, what have you done and have you asked permission from your landlord? Just moving into mine with my kids and would love to put my own stamp on it. It needs a lot of work anyway. Do they come and do regular house inspections?

The boiler I'll happily wait for. Or would do myself if allowed. The bathroom work I just need to do myself as the wait to get it done will take too long and my uncle will do a proper job. I'll only have to buy the bath so it won't cost much.

It's just frustrating as I can't really think about moving in until I get the approval to start the work.

This information is freely available on google 😊

I have removed some stud walls and replastered in the kitchen and living room. Opened up a door way that was closed and blocked up another to increase the usable space in the kitchen. It's now a totally open space with a living room/dining room space of 8x4m and a kitchen of 3x4 m. I'm hoping to get two sets of French doors in the living room as we currently have 3 windows in a run and then a door. It would make SO much sense to just replace the lot with matching French doors.

We can't seem to hang curtain poles as there is a heavy metal beam that runs above all the windows. Curtain poles in these houses do not last long at all , so I've gone for blinds and framed the windows with architrave to make them look "done".

I've doubled the size of the garden patio and it's now 6mx4m. We've got a heavy duty gazebo that covers the space and is screwed to the walls and cemented in. Added a massive 6ftx4ft purpose built/covered sand pit for my grandkids and neices/nephews. Added a pond. Fruit trees.vines.

Lots more I'd like to do. Get my roof garden covered and turned into another sitting/dressing room as is off my bedroom on the top floor. Turn the top for spare bedroom into a dedicated bathroom for me . I could spend a fortune but I'll need to buy it first.

No, it isn't.

It,s free don't you know?
Well thats what many mumsnet posters seem to believe...

OP, in the interim you can get a blow up bath and a hose that connects to a shower head to fill the bath up.
They're actually very good. Might be an idea if you want/need to move in before bathroom works can be done

Used to work in housing, general decorating is totally fair game. Anything structural or that involves a new kitchen/ bathroom/electrical work or plumbing/ heating work would need permission from your housing officer. Generally speaking you're improving the house so it's unlikely they'll say no but they'll want to confirm that the person doing the work is qualified and the work will be up to standard so they can stand over the safety of your home. Happy decorating!! It's lovely to put your own stamp on!

I've done loads, swopped out light fittings, changed flooring, installed showers,changed the radiators, never asked permission, no one has ever checked the property. Not like private renting at all.

I remember your previous thread - sorry to hear that it's still not sorted out. Re the disabled equipment that you want removing, I would have thought that the previous tenant who required the equipment probably needed to get permission for that, so you'd probably just be returning the house to how it was previously. I can't see why the HA would not allow that.

Are you phoning/emailing the HA? Do you have an allocated housing officer you can contact direct? Are you anywhere near their offices so you can pop in in person?

My housing association's policy is "whatever you like as long as you ask first and it doesn't cost us anything" 🤣

I've had an accessable wetroom. An extension to create a third bedroom. Secure, escape proof fencing over a low back wall that leads onto a main road. Outside work to push back the side slope and have a retaining wall. Hydrotherapy pool sunk in the back garden.
And we will be replacing the back window with patio doors hopefully next year.

Council here, not allowed to do works such as change bathroom suite. Has to be done by their approved workmen. Considered a breach of tenancy otherwise and would result in eviction.

But if I email in and get permission they may approve. I have been told that I have to keep items removed so they can be put back in if I move

It seems we are both right. Easy to find in Scotland on local council webpages. Not in England as far as I can see

Regarding carpets, please consider reclaimed carpet tiles as they can be of excellent quality. I carpeted my entire flat with triple layered tiles which include the underlay, my wonderful downstairs neighbours hear very little and the whole lot cost around £150. Four years old now and still fine. Easy to fit with a knife and spray adhesive - you don't even have to empty the rooms.

Of course it's not proper professionally fitted carpets but I've just embraced it and had fun with the layout instead of worrying about it. It's frustrating that the HA ripped out six month old carpets (previous tenant had just had them done before a fall) but it is what it is.

I had to remove a whole load of disability handrails which left my bathroom tiles with about forty holes - the HA didn't care but the bathroom is ancient and due for a refit.

No, you're still wrong. HA in Scotland don't charge the same as council properties and have all kinds of different prices.

I never really got why Housing Associations and council rip out carpets tbh

I've worked in housing since 2005, trust me, you wouldnt want the carpets left in with some homes. There is a reason housing officers keep cans of flea spray in their cars! I've been in new voids before and could literally see the fleas jumping. Also the spillage on the carpets, the dirt. Therefore they are removed as a matter of course because otherwise HA/LA are open to claims for all sorts of issues. We have very occasionally kept carpets in a property but only if the tenant signs to say they accept all risks etc. But in all these years I've only done it twice.

OP, anything structural or the boiler will need approval. Chances are if you replace the boiler (with their permission) you wont be eligible for them to repair it etc.

Even stud wall removal needs approval so its concerning to see a PP had removed these. I'm currently taking a HA customer to court as she has put a stud wall up in a bedroom to create two rooms, but it's a breach of tenancy and changes the property from a 3 bed to a 4 bed which changes its monthly rent etc. We are asking the Judge to either order the property be put back to its correct state or for an order that she back pays the equivalent rent arrears for a 4 bed.

As a HA staff member my advice is to get permission for everything. Decorating is fine. Removing disabled aids is fine.

I had ha shower fitted and tiled the bathroom, I can replace light fittings as long as I put them back I'd I leave. Plastering they aren't bothered about.

I'd have to get permission to put a better kitchen in and I don't think they'd let me change the boiler but all HA/councils are different. They did used to do an inspection every couple of years but now when the yearly gas inspection happens he takes pictures of the bathroom and kitchen and that's it

@CallTheMobWife this is very true! My niece is in a 4 bed council house, corner plot with drive & huge garden - she pays around £380 pcm, I'm in a 2 bed HA flat, no garden, residents car park that you can barely get a space in - I pay £394.

Her property with my HA would be around £100 more each month whereas I'd be £50 less with the council for my property.

OP mentioned council and HA

But why do they rip up wooden flooring and laminate? My sister signed something when she moved into her HA property to keep the carpets and laminate floor and when she moved in it had still all been ripped up, laminate can just be washed so no excuses such as fleas or stains/dirt ?

You probably need permission to change the bathroom. This could take weeks and you need to get in there to avoid paying double rent . But I speak from experience :
you can pull the bath chair off the wall - be ready to replace about 4 tiles as they will be damaged . Then while you wait for permission to install a bath you can use a potable pop up bath from Amazon £40 ish . Mine was a teal colour and looked tolerable .Position the drainage hole where the wet room drain cover is and you won’t have any issues draining it. You fill it with the shower and it’s not cheap to run but for a few weeks it allows you to bath in a shower room :) they’re also lovely and deep and have padded bottoms - very comfy!
in the meantime you can replace broken architraves and skirting , paint , hang new doors and do what you want with the flooring.
we had nice shaker style kitchen units but they were stained and a horrible orangey faux wood - I invested in some special paint and it looks very nice now ! I also got some stick on mosaics in bronze and jazzed up the tiles so the kitchen looks bespoke and not like a standard social fit one . Hot tip - use a small local flooring chap - they’re cheaper as you just pay them and the carpet suppliers , you’re not paying commission to a salesman or for a big shop floor and they’re usually quicker .
enjoy your new place , I moved into an utter dump which was filthy and in really poor condition and it too about a year before it looked nice everywhere . I adore it now :)

Because there’s a risk that if that floor was damaged and not fitted correctly a child could cut their foot on it and mum could sue the landlord or something.
i had a nice lino that looked like wood and was laid and sealed professionally and they said I could leave it down . So it must be to do with risk from wood floors and fleas in carpets as my exception sort of proves the rule I guess.

This with bells on!
The judgement on this site for social housing is appalling. Its noones business what you pay in rent and if you weren't entitled to it, you'd never have got it.

I think HAs tend to be stricter on what you can and can't do but generally any decorating is fine, new kitchen/bathroom would need permission and I'm not sure if they'd let you put in a new boiler as they have to do annual safety checks etc on them. I imagine you'd have to have the make, model and fitting approved which may be a battle. I'd say you'll have more trouble with that than with a new kitchen.
Re the existing disability aids again I think this would need express permission but it it's something that could be rectified if you ever moved out I'd go right ahead with the changes.

Congratulations and good luck in your new home

Yes, that is quite obviously my point.

Even stud wall removal needs approval so its concerning to see a PP had removed these

I moved a bedroom wall but had permission, basically borrowed a few feet from the massive bedroom to make the titchy bedroom less titchy and effectively make two mid-sized bedrooms at the back of the house to even out the layout. Council were fine about it, inspected before and after and signed it all off. We also took down the former airing cupboard in the titchy room at the same time.

It all depends on individual councils or housing associations. With the council we can decorate how we like but need permission for structural changes. While I know people who got new build ha houses and they had to have permission to do anything to the inside , weren't allowing hanging baskets outside, no fencing on the front gardens etc etc. Councils tend to be more relaxed.