Use of property

Click on the catagory below for futher information.

Co-operating with the landlord and access
Looking after your property
Alterations/improvements
Gardens and balconies
Communal areas
Property damage
Parking and vehicle repairs
Animals
Notices

Co-operating with the landlord and access

Council employee agents or contractors may need to enter your home at reasonable times to inspect it or carry out repairs or other work and we will expect you to agree to this.  We will tell you when we intend to call.  You should always ask to see a identity card before letting any one into your home to carry out their duties.

If we have given notice but you fail to let us in, we may force entry if we believe that there is a risk of injury or damage to the property or other properties, for example when we need access to service or carry out other works to any gas installations in the premises.  We may charge you for any costs we incur.

In the case of an emergency we may have to enter your home without giving notice.

Looking after the property

You must look the property and the communal areas.  For example, you must not put anything heavy on the balcony or roof garden that may damage the structure.  You must also take care not to damage the fixtures and fittings.  You are responsible for repairing any damage to the property which is caused deliberately or negligently by you, your lodgers, friends relatives, visitors or any other person living in the property.  You will also have to pay for the cost of repairing any damage to any other property or to the communal areas which was caused deliberately or negligently by you, your visitors, lodgers or any other person living in the property.

Alterations and improvements

You must not make any alteration , improvement or addition to the property or its fixtures, fittings or outbuildings without our written permission.  This will not be withheld unreasonably from a secure tenant.

You must not alter the outside of the property in any way without our written permission.  For example, you must not fix a security grille to your external doors or windows or put up a satellite dish, aerial or other telecommunications equipment to the exterior of the building.  This rule also applies to garages, greenhouses, sheds, pigeon lofts, parking spaces, driveways and walls.

You must not remove, alter, replace or plant any hedge, fence or tree at the property without first getting written permission.

Secure tenants
You have the right to claim compensation in certain circumstances for improvements you have carried out to the property at the end of your tenancy.

Introductory and non-secure tenants
You do not have the right to claim compensation for improvements.

Taking care of your garden and balcony

You must keep your garden and balcony area tidy and free from rubbish.  You must not hang anything over the balcony walls or rails or from window, for example, washing.  You must not do anything on your balcony which is likely to cause a nuisance to other people such as: allowing water to escape, holding barbecues or keeping animals.

Taking care of communal areas

You must not block these areas, or do anything that might cause problems for people using the footpaths, passages or communal areas.  In particular you must keep lifts and fire exits clear and free from rubbish.

You must look after the communal area such as stairways and passageways, keep them as clean and tidy as possible and clean them as reasonably requested by us.

The risks of fire, flood and other damage

You must not keep inflammable materials, liquids or gases in the property other than may be reasonably required for domestic use or do anything which may cause a fire, flood or other damage to the property.

If you live in a flat or masonette, you are not allowed to keep or use liquid petroleum gas, other than that in disposable containers such as aerosols which comply with the current British Standard for disposable cylinders and which have a maximum capacity of 1 litre.  The number of such cylinders must be limited to that reasonably required for domestic use.

You must not store dangerous or offensive substances in the communal areas.

Parking and vehicle repairs

You must not park any motor vehicle on the property or the communal area other than a car, motorbike or other similar-sized vehicle.  In particular, you must not park a caravan, boat, trailer or business vehicle on the property or in the communal areas without first obtaining the written permission of the Director of Housing.  This will only be given in exceptional circumstances.

You must only park your vehicle in proper parking bays, parking spaces, car parks, estate roads and garages. In particular, you must not park any forecourt, including block or estate entrances and garage areas, grassed areas, areas marked with yellow lines and/or boxes, and you must not park in a way which might cause an obstruction.  If there is a local parking regulation scheme in force, you must keep to the rules of that scheme.

You must not park any vehicle which is untaxed, uninsured or is not roadworthy on the property (other than in an integral garage) or the communal areas.

You must not carry out major repairs including engine changes, body parts replacements and paint spraying to any vehicle on the property or communal areas.  You may carry out routine maintenance such as changing tyres, plugs and oil, provided that this does not cause a hazard or nuisance or annoyance to the neighbours.  In particular, when changing oil you must not allow it to foul roadways or paths.  You must not pour oil, petrol or any other chemical substance down drains or gullies.  You will responsible for the cost of remedying any damage caused to the property or communal areas, as a result of vehicle repairs and maintenance that you have carried out.

Dogs and other animals

You, your friends, relatives , visitors and other persons living in the property, including children, must not do any of the following:

 - keep any animal, which is unsuitable, such as wild, dangerous or poisonous creatures or livestock

 - cause a nuisance by breeding any animals or birds at the property, allow any animal you keep at the property to cause a nuisance to anyone in the local area, including our employees, agents or contractors

 - allow animals to foul in the communal areas of the property or on footpaths or in the play areas in the local area.  You must remove and dispose of faeces hygienically

 - feed pigeons, squirrels and other vermin either at the property or in the communal areas

 - allow your property to become unhygienic

If any animal causes a nuisance we will ask you to remove it from the property.

If you live on an estate where dog bylaws are in force you must keep to the rules of the scheme.

Display of notices

You must not display any notice, which is visible from outside the property other than election notices and notices relating to community events.