SECTION MENU

Before you move in

Welcome to your new home

Tower Hamlets Council manages your home. We hope that you will enjoy living in your home and we will do everything we can to help. Here you will find everything you need to know as a new tenant. Let us know if you need any of this information in alternative formats. 

Our Lettable Standard 

Before you move into your new home we will ensure the property is safe, clean and in a reasonable state of repair. This is called the lettable standard and sets out the minimum standard our properties will meet when you first move in. 

Read the lettable standard booklet.

Answer:

Electricity 

  • The electrical installation in your home will be checked and repaired before you move in.
  • New mains-powered smoke alarms will be fitted if these are not present. Any existing mains-powered smoke alarms will be cleaned and new back up batteries fitted.
  • Any battery only smoke alarms will be removed.
  • When you sign your tenancy agreement you will be given an electrical safety certificate that tells you the electrical installation in your home is up to standard.
  • If there is no form of central heating present, gas or electric central heating will be installed.

Heating 

  • If an individual heating system is installed then where possible a radiator will be provided in all rooms including the bathroom (where the design of the room allows this).

Gas installation 

  • The gas services will be checked and any gas appliances serviced.
  • If there are gas appliances in your home, we will make sure the gas supply pipe work is in a safe condition when you move in.
  • When you move in, you will also need to call for a boiler re-commission to get your hot water turned on - you will find the contact number on the front of the boiler: Mears Group Gas Department - 020 8525 6557. During the boiler recommissioning the heating engineer will explain how to operate the heating system.
  • For your peace of mind, you’ll be given a copy of the Landlord’s gas safety certificate when you sign the tenancy agreement.
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  • Windows and doors will work properly and be sound and secure.
  • All the windows will have been checked for cracks and you will be given at least one window key per room for those with locks.
  • The locks on the front and back doors that exit to a common public area will have been changed.
  • We will fit a closure to the kitchen door and make sure that any front door opening onto a communal hallway will be fire resistant
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  • All parts of the internal staircase will be in good condition and handrails and supports will be properly fitted and secure.
  • Floors will be free from faults (such as raised nails and screws) and be sound and secure.
  • The kitchen and bathroom floors will have a waterproof and washable finish.
  • The ceilings and walls will be in a good condition and free from any structural defects (there might be minor cracks due to thermal movement or drying due to the natural products used). These are minor works you may have to do yourself. 
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  • Your home will have either a bath or a walk-in shower and at least one toilet.
  • There will be a tiled splash-back at least 300mm (12 inches) high behind the bath and basin (if fitted) and the plugs and chains will be provided.
  • The tiling will be sound, grouted and sealed.
  • All the sanitary furniture (toilet, bath, shower, basin) will be disinfected and the toilet seat will be new with a sanitary strip fitted.
  • Some of our properties were designed and built without hand wash basins - if your home does not have a hand wash basin and the bathroom or toilet has enough space for one then we will install one.
  • If the bathroom decorations are in poor condition, we will redecorate using anti-condensation coatings.
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  • All taps will be in working order.
  • Before the property is made available for someone to move in to, all water supply pipes will be flushed through to ensure all water is running clean.
  • We will also check the waste pipes and make sure they are not blocked and water drains away freely.
  • Immersion heaters will be fitted with a thermostat and lagged or properly insulated.
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  • Homes with private gardens will be free from rubbish.
  • Dangerous structures like greenhouses will be removed and uneven and dangerous paths will be repaired.
  • Overgrown gardens will be cut back and damaged washing lines will be removed (but not replaced).
  • Where boundary fences and walls joining a public highway or communal area are managed by Housing Management Services, they will be repaired to ensure the property is secure.
  • Drains and gullies will be in good condition and the roofs, walls and down-pipes will be sound and keep the property water-tight. (It is not always possible to test these so if you have any leaks or notice faults when you move in please report them to the Housing Service Centre 020 7364 5015).

Things you will need to do

Before you move into your new home you will need to arrange gas and electricity suppliers. If you are an existing council tenant, you must terminate the tenancy on the property you are moving from and hand in all the keys. This will be explained in more detail when you sign the tenancy agreement for your new home.

We’re here to help 

We want you to enjoy your new home. If you find that the property is not in the condition that has been outlined above, please let us know, so that we can resolve any issues as soon as possible.