If you are a secure council tenant you have the right to improve your home, but for some improvements it is a condition of your tenancy that you obtain written permission from us before you start work. We will not refuse permission unless we have a good reason. If we refuse permission we will inform you of the reasons why, and if you think this is unreasonable you can challenge the decision by appealing to the housing appeals sub-committee or by taking us to the county court. The courts service website provides information on county courts.
The Courts Service (external website)
As a council tenant you must not do anything which is likely to damage the structure of the building or cause damage to shared services, such as plumbing, water supply pipes, electricity, or gas supplies, or sewerage.
You may also need to obtain planning permission, building regulations consent or written permission from the original builder of the property before starting work. We do not need to know about minor work such as internal decorating, but we do need to know about any alterations which affect walls, windows, door frames, plumbing, heating, gas and electrical services.
If you are not sure if you need permission you should check with your area housing office.
Email: housing.services@eastriding.gov.uk
Tel: (01482) 393939.
The kind of things that you will need permission for are:
- any addition or change to the structure or services in your home, including fixtures and fittings such as heating, plumbing and kitchen units
- aerials and satellite dishes
- external decoration
- installation of new windows/doors
- loft conversions
- erection of sheds/greenhouses
- installation of a patio or driveway/hardstanding.
A lot of repairs are our responsibility and you do not need to do them, these repairs are specified in your tenancy agreement.
You can apply for permission to carry out works to your council home by completing the following form.
Council tenant request for permission to carry out works form (pdf 97kb)