Making improvements to your home
We understand that you may want to improve or alter certain aspects of your home. If you want to carry out alterations to your home, you need to receive permission before any works can start.

Getting permission

If you want to carry out alterations to your home, you need to let us know and receive permission before any works can start. It is important that any alterations and improvements are approved by Trust, as a landlord we have a duty to ensure that any changes meet Building and Planning Regulations and complies with Health and Safety requirements.

Please contact us for an alterations form. Once you send this back to us, we will let you know within 28 days if you can carry out any changes.

Permission will not normally be refused unless the proposed alteration is going to present a safety hazard, structural problem or adversely affect the future lettability of the property. If we refuse a request, we will always explain why.

Please note that certain alterations such as those that affect the electrical or gas supply will need to be checked by a qualified trades person appointed by us, this will incur a charge which you will be required to pay.

These checks are very important for the safety of you, those living with you, your neighbours any visitors.

Your right to compensation

Under the terms of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 you may be able to receive compensation from us for improvements you have made to your home since 30th September 2002.

In order to qualify for this compensation, you must have received permission from Trust to carry out the improvement and compensation payments will only be made at the end of your tenancy.

You can get compensation for certain improvements that were started on or after 30th September 2002. These include installing, replacing or fitting:

A kitchen sink
A bath or shower
A wash-hand basin
A toilet
Mechanical ventilation in bathrooms or kitchens
Storage cupboards in bathrooms or kitchens
Pipes, water tanks or cylinders
Cavity wall insulation
Sound insulation
Loft insulation
Double glazing, replacing external windows or fitting secondary glazing
Draught proofing for external doors or windows
Space or water heating
Thermostatic radiator valves
Rewiring, providing power or lighting, or adding other electrical fixtures such as smoke detectors
Security measures (not including burglar alarms)

Eligibility for compensation

In order to qualify for compensation, you must make a claim in writing to Trust within the period starting 28 days before your tenancy ends and ending 21 days after your tenancy comes to an end. In this claim, you need to tell us:

Your name and address
What improvements you have made
How much each improvement cost (including copies of receipts)
When each improvement was started and finished

We may also wish to inspect the improvements.

Please be aware the following do not qualify for compensation

Decorating the inside of your home
Erecting a shed or boundary fence

Compensation value

We will work out the compensation you are due. This is based on the cost and age of the improvements, as well as the condition they are in at the end of your tenancy.

The maximum amount of compensation we are able to make is £4,000 for each improvement. No compensation payment will be made if the amount would be less than £100.

Please note that if you owe Trust any money (for example, any unpaid rent or rechargeable repairs), this amount would be deducted from any compensation due.