Making improvements to your home or garden

• Decorating the inside of your property such as wallpaper, painting walls, carpets etc (painting kitchen units, worktops and kitchen/bathroom tiles is not permitted) 
• Internal flooring – carpets and laminate (tiled flooring, please see exemptions below)
• Smart meters and water meters – As long as your name is on the bill, you can book a meter installation yourself.  If you pay for the water, gas or electricity in your rented property, you can choose to have a smart meter.  

Please note: laminate, wood and tiled floors are not permitted in properties that have residents living below. For example, flats and apartment blocks. 

You must limit the view to your own property only. Flats/properties with a communal hallway must only show your flat door areas. Please adhere to government guidance on the use of domestic CCTV.

Please contact alterations@beyondhousing.co.uk if you live in a communal block, as some services disrupt signal in other properties.

Please check if your property is a listed building before making any external alterations.

Please note:

• One dish is permitted per house
• When installing a dish or other antenna, you must position it so its effect on the outside appearance of the building is reduced as far as possible.

Important notes:

Before you install an antenna, check whether you need planning permission. You are responsible for placing antennas in an appropriate position. If you need to check the position, contact the planning department of your local council, or get independent professional advice.

Certain rules apply depending on your house size, type and area. Your local planning authority can give you more advice. For houses and buildings up to 15 metres high, unless your home is in a designated area, you do not need to apply for planning permission to install an antenna on your property, as long as:

• There will be no more than two antennas on the property overall (these may be on the front or back of the building, on the roof, attached to the chimney or in the garden)
• A single antenna is no more than 100cm in any linear dimension (not including any projecting feed element, reinforcing rim, mounting and brackets)
• If you are installing two antennas, one is no more than 100cm in any linear dimension, and the other is no more than 60cm in any linear dimension (not including any projecting feed element, reinforcing rim, mounting and brackets)
• The cubic capacity of each individual is no more than 35 litres
• An antenna fitted onto a chimney stack is no more than 60cm and does not stick out above the chimney
• An antenna mounted on the roof only sticks out above the roof when there is a chimney stack. In this case, the antenna should not stick out more than 60cm above the highest part of the roof or above the highest part of the chimney stack, whichever is lower.

The alteration will be maintained by you for the duration of your tenancy to an adequate standard. We may ask you to remove the alteration and return the area to its original condition if/when you end your tenancy with us.

If we carry out any work in your home, we will not be held responsible for any damage caused to any alterations and it will be your responsibility to restore the alteration to a finished condition, at your own expense.

• The boarding must be at least 2ft away from the eaves to allow repairs access
• A 4ft area around the loft hatch for storage of light household items is accepted with a loft ladder
• Fixed stairs and electrics are not permitted
• Boarding your loft can cause condensation if not installed correctly by a suitably qualified tradesperson. This is because boarding your loft can reduce the amount of air flow and ventilation in the space. Without proper ventilation, the warm, moist air will escape and condensation will form on the cold surfaces in the loft
• It’s important to leave a ventilated air gap between the insulation and the boards to prevent condensation on the underside of the boards. Compressing insulation with loft boards will significantly affect the insulation’s thermal performance and will lead to increased heat lost through the roof and increased energy bills
• Best practice advice is to raise the loft floor on plastic legs to ensure the insulation is not compromised
• Minimal board width must be 12ml.

The alteration will be maintained by you for the duration of your tenancy to an adequate standard and we may ask you to remove the alteration and return the area to its original condition if/when you end your tenancy with us.

If we carry out any work in your home, we will not be held responsible for any damage caused to any alterations and it will be your responsibility to restore the alteration to a finished condition, at your own expense.

• A maximum of two sheds per garden, to the rear of property only 
• Permission for sheds in communal gardens will no longer be committed
• The sheds must not take up more than 50% of the original garden space 
• The sheds must be single storey with a maximum eave height of 2.5 metres. The overall height of the shed must not exceed 4 metres if it has a dual pitched roof, or 3 metres if it has any other type of roof 
• If the shed is located within 2 metres of the property boundary, the overall height of the shed must not exceed 2.5 metres
• The floor area of the shed should be a maximum of 15 square metres and not used for sleeping accommodation
• Structures built of combustible material, i.e. wood, must be at least 2 metres from the main house and 1 metre away from any point of combustible boundary fencing and not attached to the property or any other building. 

Considerations before making your alteration 

• You will be responsible for the maintenance of the alteration for the duration of your tenancy. This means you will need to keep it in good condition and repair any damage that occurs. We may ask you to remove the alteration and return the area to its original condition if/when you end your tenancy with us 
• If we carry out any work in your home, we will not be held responsible for any damage caused to any alterations and it will be your responsibility to restore the alteration its original condition, at your own expense 
• Outbuildings are typically considered to be permitted development, (not requiring an application for planning permission) providing all the conditions are met                                                                                          
• Important note: The permitted development allowances described here apply to houses only -flats, maisonettes and other buildings are excluded. Please check with your local planning authority whether permitted development rights apply. Other consent may be required if your house is listed or in a designated area. 

If you are adding electrics to your shed/outbuilding, please complete the form below and select the option ‘Request an alteration or improvement to my home (at my own cost)’. 

If you will be using your shed to store an electric scooter, please contact email alterations@beyondhousing.co.uk

Fencing is not approved in communal areas or areas where fencing doesn’t already exist. Please complete the alterations form in these instances and we will review your request. 

Fencing guidance 

• The fencing must be in keeping with the area, of a similar or the same design as the fencing you replace
• The maximum height of the fence should be 6ft at the rear and 3ft at the front
• The fence should be made of wooden close board in a natural wood colour
• We recommend the person completing the work obtains a permit to dig from your local council. 

Considerations before making your alteration 

• You will be responsible for the maintenance of the alteration for the duration of your tenancy to an adequate standard.We may ask you to remove the alteration and return the area to its original condition if/when you end your tenancy with us 
• If we carry out any work in your home, we will not be held responsible for any damage caused to any alterations and it will be your responsibility to restore the alteration to its original condition, at your own expense.        

Installing decking, or other raised platforms in your garden is permitted providing: 

• It is no more than 30cm above the ground 
• Together with other extensions, sheds etc, they cover no more than 50 per cent of the garden area. If you intend to cover more than 50 per cent of the total garden area with decking, you will require planning permission from the local authority
• Due to the increased fire risk, the installation must not be against your home
• The decking installed must not impact access to others customers and properties. If you are unsure, please contact Beyond Housing before installation as you may be asked to remove the decking at your own cost
• Decking must not cover drains or affect drainage in neighbouring properties
• Where walls or fencing are to be removed to install decking, an alteration request form must be completed.

Considerations before making your alteration 

• You will be responsible for the maintenance of the alteration for the duration of your tenancy to an adequate standard. We may ask you to remove the alteration and return the area to its original condition if/when you end your tenancy with us
• If we carry out any work in your home, we will not be held responsible for any damage caused to any alterations and it will be your responsibility to restore the alteration to its original condition, at your own expense.   

Outside taps are permitted when fitted to a cold water supply only. 

Considerations before making your alteration 

• A competent tradesperson is required
• Any exposed pipework is to be fully insulated to prevent pipes from freezing
• All outdoor taps should have an isolation valve, which enables you to turn off the water to the tap, without the need to turn off your whole water supply. It should also have a double-check valve fitted in your internal pipework to prevent dirty water from flowing back into your main water supply. 

The shortest route from your kitchen water supply should be used when installing an outside tap and have drainage nearby. We also recommend you investigate advice on legionella when considering installing an outside tap. 

• Changes to walls, internal doors and windows  
• Installation of a shower  
• Work to kitchens, bathrooms, or heating and hot water systems  
• Electrical works – additional sockets, internal or external lighting  
• Fitting of a gas cooker where the supply is not already available  
• Alterations to water supply pipes and drainage  
• Erecting or removing fences. 

• Extensions to properties 
• Dividing rooms 
• Conservatories 
• Log burners 
• Loft conversions  
• Removal of structural walls
• Verandas
• Balconies
• Changing external doors or windows
• Ponds
• Adding a cat flap
• Solar panels
• Double/range ovens
• Downlights/spotlights
• Painting kitchen units.

If you are unsure whether you need our permission, please contact us before carrying out any work. 

Please complete the form below and select the option ‘Request an alteration or improvement to my home (at my own cost)’ so we can assess your application.  

Please provide as much supporting information as possible to help us process your application quickly.  

Certain alterations, such as installing a TV aerial or installing a driveway may require planning permission or building control.   

Before applying for permission from Beyond Housing, we recommend that you contact your local authority to discuss your proposed works with them. 

It is your responsibility to check whether or not planning permission is needed before any work begins. 

If planning permission from the local authority is granted for the work you are carrying out, you will need to submit these documents with your application form. 

Depending on what the work involves, you may have to use someone who is registered with a specialist organisation, such as a Gas Safe registered contractor for any gas work.   

For other alterations or improvements, a competent person may be allowed carry out the work. 

We will tell you about this when you apply for permission. 

For certain alterations or improvements, we may be able to make a decision based on the information you provide on your application form. 

However, in some circumstances, we may need to carry out an inspection before we can decide if the work can go ahead. 

We may impose certain conditions which must be agreed to before any work is carried out. We will respond to requests within 30 days of receiving your request and any permission granted is valid for six months from the date of approval.  

Where a request has been declined, a clear reason for the decision will be given, if applicable, we will advise you of what changes could be made to the request for it to be approved. 

You are responsible for all on-going maintenance of the alteration or improvement for the duration of your tenancy with us. Joint tenants are equally responsible. 

If the alteration or improvement falls into disrepair and you are either unwilling or unable to carry out the work needed, we will carry out the work and re-charge you for the costs.    

You need to notify us within 14 days of the work being completed. 

We will then arrange for an inspection of the completed works if necessary, to make sure it has been completed in accordance with the permission granted, and that the standard of materials and workmanship are acceptable. 

If or when your tenancy with us ends, we will agree whether you should remove the alteration or improvement, or it will remain in place and we will accept ownership of it.  

If you have carried out work without permission, you should complete the alterations request form to apply for retrospective permission with us.  

If the alteration is something we would not approve under our policy, then we will inform you of this and arrangements will be made for the area to be restored to its original condition.