11.1 You must allow us and our contractors access to your home to:
- conduct tenancy visits and inspections which include property condition, welfare and/or safety checks (welfare checks may be carried out where the council have concerns about: someone’s wellbeing, safeguarding, lifestyle and/or sanitary conditions, which may impact upon the sustainability of a tenancy)
- carry out works of repair, maintenance, or improvement to your home
- to test the services within the property such as electrics, gas, water and detectors.
11.2 You must allow us, and contractors authorised by us, access to your home to carry out works to other people’s homes or for the benefit of the neighbourhood that cannot otherwise be reasonably carried out.
11.3 We must give you at least 24 hours written notice of any access appointment unless it is an emergency, in which case we may attend without notice.
11.4 We, or our contractors, may enter your home by any means necessary, including a forced entry if:
- it is an emergency
- we have been unable to contact you despite all reasonable efforts (including, contact through your next of kin and any social or support worker), and have reason to believe that you are not in occupation of your home or that your well-being is at risk.
11.5 The timetable for carrying out repairs depends on all the circumstances. The more it affects your health, wellbeing and enjoyment of your home, the sooner we will do it. On the other hand, external repairs will often await the next planned programme of maintenance in the neighbourhood. We will discuss this with you at the time.
11.6 Before starting major works, we will discuss with you the timetable for the works and how to minimise inconvenience.
11.7 If we need you to leave your home while we do the improvement works, we will tell you. You must then leave your home for the period concerned. In such cases we will discuss arrangements for alternative temporary accommodation.
11.8 We must remove all associated rubbish, building materials and equipment from your home on completion of works carried out by us.
11.9 Under the right to repair scheme, if we fail to carry out certain works on time, you can ask us to employ an alternative contractor. Details are available on request.
11.10 Paragraph 14.16 explains your obligations to give access to your home in the period leading up to the end of the tenancy.
11.11 If you fail to provide access and we have to force entry, with or without a court order, then we will seek to recover any additional costs (including professional, trade or legal) from you.
