As a social housing landlord, we are legally responsible for investing in your home to keep it safe and secure. 

Some of our major investments include roof covering replacement, kitchen and bathroom improvements, which must be completed within a specific timeframe. 

Below, we have included what happens when we identify part of your home that needs upgrading, how long it takes us to complete this work, and how many improvements we completed last year.

Timescales

We will contact you directly if your home is scheduled for an upgrade. 

As a social housing landlord, our home improvements are guided by Government standards. 

These standards, known as the Decent Homes Standard and the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), outline how long it will be until certain parts of your home need upgrading: 

  • Kitchens: 20 years
  • Showers and trays: 20 years
  • Bathrooms: 30 years
  • Roofs: 60 years

Once they reach their target lifecycles, we assess them individually using a survey which looks at three factors: age, condition, and layout. This means if a fixture or feature is in good condition after the period, it may not need replacing yet. 

Aesthetics, such as wallpaper or paint, do not factor into the decision when considering upgrades.

Planning for your upgrade

Our surveyor will work closely with the contractor and visit the works to oversee:

  • Progress checks on site.
  • To address and confirm quality issues.
  • Answer any queries that you may have. 

The average timescales to fully complete the different elements of our planned maintenance programme are normally: 

  • Kitchens – eight working days.
  • Bathrooms – five working days.
  • Roofs (including scaffold erection and removal) – 15 working days.
  • Windows/doors - two to three working days.
  • External wall insulations – four to eight weeks. 

 Please note that these timescales may vary due to the following factors: 

  • The age and construction of the home.
  • Sourcing existing utility services.
  • Additional unforeseen matters such as resident matters and asbestos removal. 

During the works

Our surveyor or contractor representative will visit your home to complete a final check and sign off on the works. 

You will be asked to complete a customer satisfaction questionnaire, which could be a hard copy or by phone.

All completed works are subject to a 12-month defect liability period. The contractor will rectify any issues that occur during this time. 

Please contact us if you have any issues during this period.

Our 2024/25 investment figures

Our 2024/25 investment figures

In 2024/25, we invested £7.6 million in planned improvement works to our customers’ homes.  

Improvement works included:

  • Installing 349 new kitchens.
  • Installing 41 new bathrooms.
  • Replacing 162 new roofs.
  • Installing 160 gas boilers/wet heating systems.
  • Replacing 53 new electrical heating systems.
  • Replacing windows and doors to 15 homes.
  • Installing energy-efficient installations through the (Decarbonisation Contract) to 279 homes. (e.g. Thermal insulation, photovoltaic panels etc.)
  • Replaced door entry systems to 40 blocks.
  • Redecoration and uplift of 732 rented homes.
  • Internal and external decorations to 36 communal blocks/schemes.