Repairs & maintenance

Home improvements

You have the right to undertake your own improvements, such as central heating, a new kitchen or bathroom, shower, gas fire (unless you live in an Passivhaus home), but you must get our written permission first.  Depending on the circumstances, permission may not always be granted, and we may require additional steps (such as an asbestos survey).

You should contact the Housing Repairs and Maintenance team to discuss any proposed improvement and to obtain permission, prior to starting any work, by contacting us.  

All gas appliances must be installed by a Gas Safe registered and approved gas appliance contractor and all alterations to the electrical installations must be undertaken by a registered and approved electrical contractor.  You will need to supply us with a certificate to show any works meet all health and safety standards (available from your contractor) within 14 days.  You may also need building regulation approval and planning permission as well.

If you wish to upgrade your radiators, you will also need to provide us with a room heat loss calculation alongside the permission request (prior to permission being granted) so that we can make sure that the new radiator is of suitable size to heat the room.

If your home is connected to a district heating scheme you must not make any alteration to this either externally or internally.

If you carry out any unauthorised alterations, or if your alterations creates a hazard, causes harm or damage to others and /or their property, you will be responsible for the cost of putting this right. You may have to return the home and property to its previous state, or pay for us to carry out such work.

Once you have made improvements, they become part of the home and must be left if you move out.  If the work has not been completed to a good standard, you will be asked to put this right before you leave. If you do not, we will complete this work and charge you for it.

Planned works

Exeter City Council is committed to improving the energy efficiency of its council homes. These works help create warmer, more comfortable homes, may reduce energy bills, and support our wider environmental commitments.

We are in the process of putting together a programme of works to upgrade properties over the next few years. This will include (but not limited to) block redecoration and implementing energy efficiency measures.

Each property is different and therefore you may not receive the same improvements as your neighbour, this is due to each property being reviewed on its own merit. These measures will provide you with warmer homes, helping towards reducing the carbon footprint of your home.

Energy efficiency measures can include ventilation improvements, new doors and windows, cavity wall and loft insulation, roof works, and in some cases, solar panels. Properties will be individually surveyed under the works programme. Surveys will need to be conducted so that we can determine which energy efficiency measures  will be carried out to your home. If your home is due improvements, we will contact you in advance.