Our standard for empty homes

This information is for new tenants to read through and check when viewing your new home.

This standard is our guarantee to you that the home we’re offering to you is:

  • safe and has all its services in working order
  • secure
  • clean
  • in a reasonable condition

We want you to tell us if this home does not meet these standards. We will ask you about this when you view the home.

The Home Is Safe
The home is safe
  • Gas and electric services, and heating systems are in a safe and working order
  • The home has been checked for asbestos
  • The home has been checked for damp
  • All fire doors and fire prevention equipment have been checked
  • All glazing in internal doors has been checked for safety
  • Footpaths, ramps and steps to the main entrance are free of tripping hazards
  • Stair treads, banisters and any handrails both inside and outside the home are safe and secure
  • Floorboards and any fixed floor coverings are safe and secure
  • Timber floors have been checked for rot and beetle infestation
  • A smoke alarm has been installed
  • Any existing smoke alarms have been tested
  • Any improvements that have been made to the home by the previous tenant have been checked and are safe
  • Toilet seats are intact and safely fitted and the toilet pan is not cracked or broken
  • Outbuildings appear to be structurally safe
  • The outside of the home has been checked to make sure it’s safe
The home is secure
  • All doors and windows are secure and open and close easily
  • External door locks have been changed
  • We have given you keys for outside stores, where possible
  • You can lock or close securely on a latch all windows - where possible we’ll
  • give you keys for the windows that have locks
  • If there’s a door entry system, it’s in working order
  • There’s no broken or cracked glass
  • If there’s a burglar alarm, which was installed by the previous tenant, we’ve tested it – we’ll ask you to accept responsibility for looking after it in the future
The Home Is Secure

The home is clean and has been cleared

  • The home and all the fittings are clean
  • The home, outbuildings, loft and garden are cleared of any items left by the previous tenant

Decorating the home

  • We don’t decorate empty homes, but we’ll make sure any offensive graffiti is removed
All Services Are In Good Working Order
All services are in full working order
  • Gas and electric services, and heating systems are in a safe and working order
  • Immersion heaters are in working order where fitted
  • Showers are in working order where fitted
  • We’ll explain how the heating system works and where possible we will give you
  • any manuals or instruction leaflets
  • The bath and sink have got plugs
  • Letterboxes are in working order
  • We’ll give you an external gas and electric meter cabinet key
  • We’ll give you two radiator keys
  • Please note, where a kitchen has built in appliances, you’ll be responsible for maintaining and /or replacing them

We hope that when you view your home, it meets the standards we’ve guaranteed here.

If for any reason you feel it doesn’t meet these standards, please tell the officer who is with you when you view the property. We’ll do what we can to put things right.