What to expect

When you accept your tenancy, we will make sure that the property is at an agreed lettable standard.

We want to make sure that your new home is secure, meets all your basic needs, and is in reasonable condition when you move in. All our properties meet our ‘relet standard’.

Here’s what the overall standard covers.

Security

We will:

Fit new locks to all external doors to the property and attached outbuildings making sure your home is secure.

Electrics

We will:

Carry out a full electrical test to current regulations and complete any necessary repairs.

Gas

We will:

Disconnect the gas supply for safety reasons, if there is one. To arrange for us to reconnect it, please contact us.
Carry out a full functionality test of the system and complete any necessary repairs.

Plumbing

We will:

Make sure there are no leakages to pipes or blockages to drains within your property.
Check all the pipework inside and outside the property and do repairs, if necessary.
Carry out a water risk assessment and remove any redundant pipework to reduce the risk of legionella.

Energy efficiency

We will:

Supply a current energy performance certificate for your property.

Damp, mould and condensation

We will:

Carry out a visual check for any signs of damp, mould or condensation and complete any required remedial works. We will arrange a damp test if required and complete any associated works following the damp test report.
Make sure there is adequate ventilation provision.

Kitchens

We will:

Make sure the kitchen is functional and fit for purpose and that it includes:
- A kitchen sink unit
- A gas or electric cooker point
- An electric point for a fridge
- A supply of kitchen units and worktops in useable condition
- Space for a washing machine
Make sure any mechanical ventilation (extractor fans) is adequate and operating correctly

Please note that if health and safety issues are identified when the kitchen is inspected, the kitchen will be replaced before you move in. During that period kitchens will not routinely be replaced for cosmetic reasons.

Bathrooms

We will:

Make sure all toilets, showers, baths, sinks and taps are working properly.
Make sure that showers fitted over a bath are in working order and have been inspected to make sure they pass installation safety regulations. We’ll also put a new showerhead and curtain in place.
Fit new toilet seats to all toilets.
Make sure any mechanical ventilation (extractor fans) is adequate and operating correctly .

External maintenance

We will:

Make sure the property is wind and weather-proof.
Clear the loft of any rubbish.
Clear the garden of any rubbish.
Remove any garages or sheds which have either been built using asbestos or are in a poor condition.
Fill in or remove any garden ponds unless you tell us you would like to keep them. We are not responsible for any ponds or garden features you decide to keep. You will be asked to sign a disclaimer accepting responsibility for these items.
Assess each property for fencing or boundary markers and repair/replace if required.
Make sure that all paths, including to doors and washing lines, are in a safe condition.
Give hedges and grass a one-off cut, if required.

While paths to the property will be made safe before you move in, if any replacement work is needed, we will plan and agree this with you once you have moved in.

Doors, windows and stairs

We will:

Make sure all doors and windows are in good working order and that the glass meets current safety standards.
Check that trickle ventilators are clear and functioning correctly.
Supply window keys, where applicable.
Fit window restrictors to upstairs windows, as required.
Check that staircases, banisters and balustrades are secure and safe.

Walls and ceilings

We will:

Check plasterwork is in a sound condition - normally we won’t remove wallpaper though.
Remove all polystyrene ceiling tiles.

Floors and floor coverings

We will:

Make sure that kitchens, bathrooms and toilets have appropriate, hygienic floor coverings (usually sheet vinyl or vinyl tiles)
Remove any cracked or broken vinyl tiles and replace if required
Secure and/or repair any loose or broken floorboards
Where fitted carpets and other floor coverings are in place and in a reasonable condition, we will leave them in unless you tell us you would like us to remove them.

We are not responsible for replacing any floor coverings you decide to keep. We will ask you to sign a gifting form accepting responsibility for these floor coverings and the removal of them at the end of your tenancy. This does not apply to floor coverings in kitchens, bathrooms and toilets, where NCHA will retain responsibility.

Decoration and cleaning

We don’t redecorate as standard, as most people prefer to decorate to their own taste.

We will:

Offer you a paint pack, via Crown Paints, for some rooms that are in a very poor condition. Please note that these packs are not offered routinely.
Decorate if the property is heavily nicotine-stained or has graffiti.
Offer you a property clean, to be completed by NCHA, or a cleaning voucher for you to clean the property yourself once you have received the keys.

Instruction manuals

We will provide instruction manuals for boilers, appliances, etc. This could be a paper copy or a web link to the relevant document. We can provide a printed copy on request if one is available.

Rent levels

As a new tenant of NCHA you may be offered a home where an 'affordable rent' is charged. This rent is set at 80% of the market rent for similar properties in a similar area. Our rents are set by an independent Chartered Surveyor and are updated twice a year.

Some residents may also have to pay a service charge for certain costs which are shared by other tenants, for example communal cleaning or gardens.

Some tenants may pay a 'social rent' which is below market rent and is broadly in line with other housing associations or local authority rents for similar properties in similar areas. Service charges may also apply to tenants charged a social rent.