Empty Property Standards

After consulting our customers, we have set the following standards when properties become empty. Our staff inspect empty properties for repairs before they are let to new tenants:

Essential repairs

We will do all the essential work shown below before you move into your new home:

• Repairs affecting the health or safety of the occupants.
• Repairs to make the home fit to live in.
• Repairs that would make life very difficult for you if we did them after you moved in.
• Repairs to make the home secure.
• A gas safety check.
• An electrical safety test.

Minor repairs

So we can help you move in to your new home as quickly as possible, we will do minor repairs as soon as we can after you move in.

Programmed repairs

If a repair you want can be done during our planned programme of repairs, it will have to wait until then. This is more efficient than doing lots of small, one-off repairs. However, this does not apply to the essential repairs stated above.

Quality of the inspection

Before you move in to your home, we will check all the following points to make sure it is suitable for you:

• Windows - should open and close, all catches should work and the glass should be secure and not broken.
• Doors - should open and close, handles, locks and catches should work, door skins and frames should be solid and any glass panels should be secure and safe.
• Sanitary ware - should not have any cracks or leaks and should be clean. The toilet should flush properly, the taps should turn on and off correctly, and all sinks and baths should have a plug.
• Kitchen units - base and wall unit doors should open and close and the catches should work. Cupboard drawers, door handles, door and drawer facings, sink and worktops should be in a satisfactory condition. There should not be any leaks under the sink unit, and the taps should work properly.
• Heating appliances - all heating appliances should work properly. All parts including fire bricks, front plates, grates, radiants, fire glasses, the external casing, fire surrounds, hearths, tiles and all moving parts including the door, shaker bar, damper and control knobs should be in satisfactory condition.
• Floors, walls and ceilings - all plasterwork should be dry, firm and free from large cracks. All joinery including skirting boards, mouldings, stanchions, banisters, floorboards, treads and risers should be sound.
• We will deal with any infestations or wood-boring insects.
• Electrical fittings - all light fittings, sockets and switches will be safe and work properly. All properties will have an electrical safety test before you move in.
• Alterations/DIY by previous tenants - we will make sure that any work done on the property by previous tenants is safe and suitable for you to use.
• Exterior - fences, walls, brickwork, paths and drives will be safe.
• Gardens that are severely overgrown will be cut back and cleared.
• We will inspect from ground level the condition of all roof tiles, slates, gutters, chimney stacks and pots.
• We will clear all rubbish from any outbuildings and gardens.
• Interior - we will clear all carpets and furnishings, unless they are of good quality and you want to keep them.
• We will clear all rubbish.
• Gas safety - the property will have a gas safety check.

Decorating

We may offer you decoration vouchers to use at local shops to buy materials. This is to help you pay for decorating and is not meant to cover all your costs.

We may decorate individual rooms or strip wall coverings so you can decorate more easily.

We may fully decorate your home.

We will do nothing if the decoration standard is fine

Your comments

When you receive the keys to your new home, we will send you a questionnaire. This enables you to comment on the standard of the property and our service.

Information Leaflet

We have produce an information Leaflet Empty Property Standards which you may find useful.

Further Information

You can obtain further information from the following:

Blyth Valley Housing, Dinsdale House, 75 Marine Terrace, Blyth NE24 2LN.

Telephone: 01670 542424

Typetalk service prefix number 18001

EMail: Empty Property Standards