Improvements you can do without permission following guidance:
- 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
- See below for CCTV and aerials, fencing and outdoor taps etc.
Please note: laminate, wood and tiled floors are not permitted in properties that have residents living below. For example, flats and apartment blocks.
Ring doorbells and CCTV
Satellite TV and Aerials
Loft boarding
Sheds
Fencing
Decking
Outdoor taps
Examples of alterations or improvements which do require our permission include, but are not limited to:
- Changes to internal doors
- 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
- Erecting or removing fences.
Alterations not permitted in Beyond Housing’s homes
- Extensions to properties
- Dividing rooms
- Conservatories
- Installing gas fires
- Replacing boilers and heating systems
- 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.
Compensation
There may be some circumstances where you qualify for compensation for improvements you have made to your home. If your tenancy is ending and your improvement is one of the following:
- Bathroom basins, toilets or baths/showers
- Kitchen additional units, sinks,
External alterations, cosmetic alteration, outhouses are not eligible.
Please email alterations@beyondhousing.co.uk if you would like to enquire about compensation.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I request permission from Beyond Housing?
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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.
- Do I need planning permission?
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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.
- Who can do the work?
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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.
- How does Beyond Housing make their decision?
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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.
- Who maintains the alteration or improvement?
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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.
- What happens when the work is finished?
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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.
- What happens at the end of my tenancy?
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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.
- What should I do if I have already carried out the work without your permission?
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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.
This document is provided as guidance only.
Please ensure you have read and fully understood this guidance before submitting an application to carry out an alteration or improvement in your home.
Beyond Housing insist that you read and fully understand the Asbestos Management Policy before carrying out any improvement works.
For further information please call us 0345 065 5656 or you can email us at alterations@beyondhousing.co.uk.
Please complete the form below and select the option ‘Request an alteration or improvement to my home (at my own cost)’.
