What to expect when you move in

Making a home ready to let

We want moving into your new home to be an enjoyable experience, for everything to go smoothly and be just as you’d expect.

When a property becomes empty, we aim to re-let it as quickly as possible. Before you can move in, it’s important that we ensure it’s safe, clean and comfortable, with everything in place and in good working order.

There is a minimum standard we work to when getting an empty property ready to be your home. We call this the ‘Lettable Standard’. It has been agreed in consultation with tenants and is approved by our operational board. It includes:

• the condition of the property
• the standard of any repair work carried out

We aim to complete all work before you move in, but in some circumstances, we may need to carry out repairs or other work afterward.

Outside and the garden

• Your home will be safe and structurally sound
• The garden will be clear and safe for use
• Any sheds, outhouses or garages will be safe, clear and in good condition
• All bins will be empty
• Gates and fences will be in reasonable condition and secure.
• Any hedges will be cut to 4 feet high at the front and 6 feet high at the rear

📑 Your responsibilities

Fencing

You are responsible for maintaining much of the fencing around your home, including that which separates your front and rear garden from your neighbours. By maintain, we mean fix broken panels, reset posts, rehang gates and treat/stain the wood.

Find out more: Repair responsibilities

What we do:

• 4ft fencing is normally fitted to the front of the property, where applicable.
• 6ft fencing is normally fitted to the rear, where applicable.
• Post and rail fencing is fitted where small areas of the boundary need establishing (such as gaps in hedges).

Sheds

If you have agreed to keep a shed from a previous tenant, you will be asked to sign a disclaimer to show you are happy with this. The shed becomes your responsibility to maintain.

Hedges, trees, grass and plants

You are responsible for the upkeep of all parts of your garden. You must not let any hedge/shrub grow more than two metres high or overhang pavements, cause an obstruction or interfere with your neighbour’s garden. You must not remove trees or hedges without our prior written consent.

Clean and tidy

• Your home will be clear of any rubbish and debris
• All roof spaces will be clear

We carry out a full clean of the property, including:

• Kitchen sink, worktop, units and drawers
• Bathroom toilet, bath/shower, sink and fittings
• The inside of all windows, glass, frames and sills
• All doors and door frames
• All floors are swept and mopped with hot water and disinfectant.

Furnished tenancies

• All carpets, and soft furnishing will be clean.
• All white goods will be clean.
• All mattresses will be new.

Windows and doors

• All windows and doors will be secure and in good working order
• You’ll get two keys for each external door of your home and two fobs for building access, where applicable
• We’ll give you two locking window keys that will fit all windows. If you have windows with different fastener types, we'll supply two keys per fastening type.
• Bathroom doors will have a locking handle.
• If there is a ventilation system, it will be in good working order.

⚠️ Safety

• All fire-resistant doors will have an adequate door closing device. This is an important safety feature. If you notice any fault on a fire door, you should report it to us as soon as you can.
• External doors are fitted with British Standard locks and safety glass. Glazed doors will meet legal requirements.
• We fit restrictors on upstairs windows.

Decoration

• All walls, internal joinery and ceilings will be in a fit state to be decorated.
• We may choose to decorate some rooms before you move in at our discretion.
• Depending on the condition of your home, we may offer vouchers as a contribution towards decorating.

Wall and ceiling finishes

• Any wallpaper will be in a good condition and clear of any hooks, nails or tape.
• Bathroom units, work tops and wall tiles will have sealant or grouting in the joints.
• The bathroom and kitchen will have a minimum of one course of wall tiles or an upstand as a splash back.
• Ceiling plaster and any paper on the ceiling will be in good condition.

Floor finishes

• Floors will be in a safe and sound condition
• Finishes could be either concrete screed, floorboards or retained floor finishes.
• There will be floor coverings fitted to concrete floors in bathrooms, kitchens, and toilets.
• Where floors have tiles in ground floor kitchens and bathrooms, we will repair these

📑 Your responsibilities

• You are responsible for the internal decoration of the property and for keeping it to a reasonable standard.
• You are responsible for minor plaster repairs (cracks and small holes).
• You are responsible for fitting and replacing floor coverings in your home.
• Any floor coverings initially provided for concrete floors to bathrooms, kitchens, and toilets will become your responsibility. We do not replace these.
• In some cases, existing floor coverings may be left at the property if they are in good condition. If you have agreed to this, they will be ‘gifted’ to you, and you will sign a disclaimer to show they become your responsibility.

Kitchen and bathroom

• All kitchen units will be in good working order.
• The property will have an appropriate number of units, worktop length and electrical sockets for the size of the kitchen.
• There will be spaces for an electric or gas cooker and white goods (washing machine, fridge freezer) where the kitchen is of adequate size.*
• There will be either electric or gas supply to the cooker point and a plumbing supply to any washing machine space.
• All toilets, cisterns, baths, sinks and hand basins will be in good working order.
• We fit new toilet seats and shower curtains in all properties.

*Sockets/plumbing may be installed elsewhere to allow for a fridge freezer/washer where kitchen space is limited.

⚠️ Safety

We will arrange to connect your gas or electric cooker after you have moved in to ensure it is done correctly. If you choose to fit your own or fit one at a later date, you must ensure the work is carried out by a qualified tradesperson.

Heating, gas and electric

• All existing gas, electrical, water and hard-wired smoke alarms will be safe and functional.
• All heating systems will be in full working order.
• If there are solar panels fitted at your property, they will be in good working order.

⚠️ Safety

All electrical items will be tested in accordance with the electrical regulations. This is to ensure the electrical safety of all appliances in the property.

You will be given all relevant test certificates. This includes smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors and the Energy Performance Certificate for your home.

We reconnect gas services and appliances just before you move in. If we find a fault at this stage and you have moved in, we will provide you with temporary heaters while we fix the fault. We aim to resolve any repairs within 1 to 3 days.

Your health and safety

Smoke Alarms and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

• Smoke alarms will be installed on each level of the property.
• All smoke alarms will be interconnected.
• All smoke alarms are tested and fitted to current regulations.
• Carbon Monoxide detectors will be tested where fitted.

Asbestos

Many of the properties we manage were built before to the ban of asbestos in 1999 and may have been built or refurbished using Asbestos Containing Materials. The majority of the homes managed by Derby Homes contain low-risk asbestos materials.

Asbestos itself does not constitute a danger, but any asbestos containing materials may pose a hazard if disturbed or damaged.

You will be given information on any asbestos in your home when you sign your tenancy agreement. You will also be told what to do if you want to carry out any DIY work or get a contractor to do work for you, and who to contact if you accidentally disturb materials you think contain asbestos.

Before you move in, a surveyor will carry out a visual inspection for asbestos. Any asbestos remaining in the property will be safe and intact.

Electrical installations

All electrical items will be tested in accordance with electrical regulations. This is to ensure the electrical safety of all appliances in the property.

Here if you need us

When you view the property, you’ll have the opportunity to speak to a member of staff and ask them any questions. At this stage, there may still be work outstanding before you can move in.

Items left at the property

At this stage, there can be items or furnishings (flooring, carpets, curtains, wardrobes, chests of drawers or a shed in good condition) that you’d like to keep. It may be possible for some items to be left in the property when you move in, if they are in good condition.

If there are items in the home that you’d like to keep, you should discuss this with our member of staff. Any items you agree to keep will become your responsibility to maintain and replace.

If you have any questions

We hope you are happy with your new home. If things aren’t quite as you expected or you need to ask us about something, just speak to the person you've been dealing with. 

There may be occasions where outstanding work is unable to be completed until after you have moved in. If this is the case, we will let you know when the work will be completed.

We will arrange to visit you soon after you move in to check that everything is satisfactory and deal with any questions of issues you have.