Decorating and improvements to your council home

Find out what improvements you can do to your council home and how to get our permission. We can also help older council tenants with decorating their homes.

Decorating

At the start of your tenancy, you may be given a decoration allowance. This is a one-off voucher that you can use in Homebase. The voucher must be used within 3 months of issue and only decorating materials can be purchased with the voucher. You will then be responsible for all future decorating costs during your tenancy.

For more information contact your Housing Management Officer.

Making your own improvements

As a tenant, you have the right to carry out your own improvements to your council home, as long as you get our written permission first. For example, you could fit new double-glazing or make improvements to a kitchen or bathroom. We will only refuse permission if we have a good reason for doing so.

You must not make any alterations until you have received our permission. We will also advise you of any conditions with which you must comply.

You may be able to claim compensation for any improvements you have made when your tenancy ends and you move out.

There are a number of rules relating to the compensation scheme but the following improvements may qualify:

  • Bath or shower, wash-hand basin
  • Toilet
  • Kitchen sink and work surfaces for preparing food
  • Storage cupboards in bathroom or kitchen
  • Central heating, hot water boilers and other types of heating
  • Thermostatic radiator valves
  • Pipe, water tank or cylinder insulation
  • Loft and cavity wall insulation
  • Draught-proofing of external doors or windows
  • Double glazing or other window replacement, or secondary glazing
  • Rewiring, or the provision of power and lighting or other electrical fittings (including smoke detectors)
  • Security measures (excluding burglar alarms)

Interior decoration such as painting and wallpapering does not qualify for compensation.

Contact your Housing Management Officer for more information about the compensation for improvements scheme.

Application form for major and minor property alterations (docx 78KB)
Application for compensation for improvements (pdf 153KB)

Skip licence

A licence must be obtained from the Highways Authority to put a skip on public adopted land. Residents / skip hire companies will need to apply to the council for a licence to place a skip on our housing land.

Residents can apply for a skip licence for a maximum duration of 1-2 weeks at a time, for which they will be charged an administration fee of £90.17.

Licences will be refused where there are valid management reasons. Any charges collected will be income to the HRA which will be spent on housing-related services, such as estate enhancements.

It is an offence under the Highways Act 1980 to drive over a public footpath without a drop kerb being in place,
residents must ensure that they have the relevant permissions from the Highways Authority where appropriate.

Apply for a skip licence

To apply for a skip licence contact our Estate and Land team on

Asbestos

Find out what asbestos is, where it is found, why it might be a problem and how to deal with it.

Decorating service for older council tenants

It is your responsibility as a council tenant to carry out internal decorations to your council home. We can assist older tenants to redecorate their home if they have had no internal decorations carried out by us in the past 5 years.

To be eligible for this service you must meet all of the following conditions:

  • All the tenants in your property are over 60, or receive disability benefits
  • You have a clear rent account
  • Your property has no more than 2 bedrooms
Apply for our internal decorating service

Once we have received your application, we will contact you within 5 working days.

About the service

We will decorate a room for you, or the hallway or landing if you live in a property with stairs, once every 5 years:

  • You can choose the colour of the paint to be used free of charge
  • Or you can purchase your choice of wallpaper at your own cost

What happens next

If we accept your application, we will add you to our waiting list. The work is done on a first-come, first-served basis. We aim to complete the works for you within 4 months of approving your application. We may be able to decorate a room, even if you do not meet all the conditions, but you will be charged for the full cost of the work.

For more information contact our Housing Assets team:

More information