Quarters/Hirings - Can you get it regraded?

[hf128219]

We have been in our private hiring for coming up for a year. I know we had a chance to get it graded when we moved in - but we missed the deadline (I think it was 30 days).

I am just beginning to object to having to pay for a Grade 1 house.

Anyone have any experience/advice?

Thanks

We had our quarter regraded at our request a few years ago (and it went our way down from a Grade 1 to a Grade 2) - I think you can request it at any time, although there might be conditions (eg: a significant change in the condition of the quarter etc).

Ask and see - they can only tell you "no" and they may well agree.

That's the thing - I think the 'significant' change is the key issue. There hasn't been one!

Yes, you can ask at any time. But unless you ask within the first 30 days, it is only downgraded from the date you request the regrading. That is for FQ's, not 100% sure about hirings.

I'm in the middle of a loooong dispute with mine!

See here for info:

www.defence-estates.mod.uk/sfa/4tier.php

and here:

www.defence-estates.mod.uk/publications/jsp/jsp464/JSP464TSARsPt4-Sep07.pdf

The link above isn't working today, but was last week.

There doesn't need to be a significant change AFAIK. I just emailed the HIC about it. The key phrase is 'I wish to challenge my grading'. So long as you include that, then any change will be backdated to the date of your challenge.

Found a working link to the TSAR's here That also gives the form they base the grading upon. HTH

That is really helpful - who knew there was so much criteria!

Thank you so much.

Para 126: 'Thereafter, Grading may only be challenged (in writing) where there has been a subsequent change to trigger re-grading.'

The above is applicable to Hirings.

What do you think could cover 'subsequent change'?

Bump. Pretty please!

I'm not sure - I know that factors other than the condition of the house affect the grading (how close you are to major amenities and to social amenties - pub, cinema, supermarket, school, public transport etc).

Could you query the heating, for example? Show that your bills are significantly higher thatn they've been in previous quarters - that would take a year to be apparent. If you hav ebills form previous houses, then there could be a comparison.

Our first quarter had a a low grade because of inefficient heating to compensate for the high fuel bills.

It's a bit hard to say what might work - I don't know your house and I only skimmed the link above.

This reminds of when we lived in Fife and they did a grading check on all the MQs. They had all been listed as grade2. So they came round, and measured rooms, counted sockets, counted windows which had lockes etc.
Ours was re graded as a grade 3, next door identical house re graded as grade 4 - because our rooms were x amount of centimetres bigger. So many centimetres bigger that I could fit no extra furniture inw hatsoever. Mind you it was nice to get backdated downgraded rent paid back

The house we are in currently is classed as grade 2, yet is in a far worse state than any previous (RAF base) quarters we have lived in - currently in MQs at a naval base.

Go through the grading table, and ask for a copy of your grading. Have they ever actually done one? (they hadn't on one of our previous quarters). They have done one on this quarter which is incorrect (no points for lack of lockable medicine cabinet, lack of spyhole, lack of outside tap...), so plenty of reasons to ask for a new one!

What makes me laugh is the fact that we have A) a garage that the car won't fit into
B) a drive that we can only get the car into if there is only the driver in it, otherwise it gorunds.

We pay £25+ a month for a garage we can't use. and no one will accept responsibilty for the driveway. Council say its not their problem, DE say its not theirs. Can a garage affect the grading? I can't remember.

Garages are graded seperately from the house. You should be entitled to have it downgraded if you can't get your car in!

Apparently garages can only be downgraded if they are a certain length and width- guess what ours are exactly the right length and width! So even though the car doesn't fit in it, tough luck we still have to pay for it being stuck on the side of the house and unable to put car in it

Our house is a hiring and are automatically assumed to be Grade 1 as they are procured by a MOD housing specialist.

However we chose the house ourself (you are able to do that) and then the housing guy viewed it and OK'ed it.

So I don't believe a Grading has ever been done.

Then, in that case, I think you should ask for a grading. Even if it can't be backdated, at least youwouldn't be paying out for a below-grade house.