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Decent Homes
Part 1 - Surveying Your Home
When will my property be surveyed for Decent Homes?
We have a comprehensive database which can tell us when parts of your home are likely to fail the Decent Homes standard. If we predict that something in your home will fail the standard, we will add your home to a rolling programme of surveys which we have already started. This programme of surveys is due to be completed by October 2011.
Will you let me know the outcome of the survey?
We will not be contacting tenants with the result of the survey of their home. If our surveyors identify that we need to carry out work in your home, we will contact you before we carry out the work being started.
Why am I having another survey?
It is part of good housing management. We aim to survey 20% of our properties each year. This is so we have accurate information about the condition of the homes we manage. This means that your home is likely to be surveyed every five years,
Will you let me know when the surveyor is going to call?
Will we write to you when the surveyors are going to be in your area. The surveyors will then call at your home. If is not convenient for them to carry out a survey then, you can arrange for it be done at another time.
Will the surveyor carry ID?
Yes, they will. They will have Colchester Borough Homes photo ID cards. If you are unsure about their identity, please call 0808 220 2222.
Part 2 - Decent Homes Work
I was previously promised work. Will this be done now the Decent Homes programme has restarted?
We will only be doing work identified by our surveyors, who will use the criteria set down by the government's Decent Homes standard.
If your home has not been identified as failing the Decent Homes standard, but you feel there is a health and safety issue, we can arrange a special Housing Health and Safety Rating System survey. We will only carry out a repair if a specific problem under these regulations is identified.
What happens if a property is scheduled for decent homes works in 2011 but there is a health and safety issue that needs to be addressed now?
If there is a health and safety issue, then we will carry out work under the emergency improvement programme. We identify any issues in through a Housing Health and Safety Rating System survey.
Is it still called Decent Homes?
Yes, it is. We are still improving our properties to the governments Decent Homes standard.
When will my property have decent homes works carried out as everyone else in my street has had a new kitchen except for me?
We have a database that can predict when parts of your home are likely to fail the Decent Homes standard. If we think something will fail, we will then survey your property to find out if it needs work. If it does, we then arrange to carry out the work.
I live in a village that has not had any decent homes work undertaken yet, when will I be getting a new …….?
We have a database that can predict when parts of your home are likely to fail the Decent Homes standard. If we think something will fail, we will then survey your property to find out if it needs work. If it does, we then arrange to carry out the work.
What happens if the previous tenant refused works under decent homes, will I, as the new tenant be entitled to works?
When a tenancy ends, the address is removed from our list of tenant refusals, so you will not be affected by this. But your home will still have to fail the Decent Homes standard before any work would be done.
Who will be carrying out the works?
Colchester Borough Council and Colchester Borough Homes are in the process of appointing new contractors to continue the Decent Home Works. The contractors will be appointed later this year. We will then begin the work to improve those homes that need it. Work is due to start on site in February 2010.
Part 3 - Further Questions
I want a new ……. as it is in very bad condition. Can you inspect it?
If your property has not been identified as having a predicted failure, but you feel it should have, we can visit to carry out a Health and Safety survey. We will only be undertaking repair or replacement works should a specific failure be identified under these regulations.
When will our old bathrooms be replaced?
Only when a bathroom fails the Health & Safety (HHSRS) criteria improvement works is carried out.
My repair request has been rejected, so I want decent homes to give me a new …….
It would have to fail under health and safety legislation before we can replace it.
When will a decision be made on replacement doors and windows in the Borough Conservation areas?
If you live in a conservation area, and part of your home fails the Decent Homes, then we will do the necessary work. However, there are restrictions on the kind of replacements we can use. There will not be the full choice of window styles. Any replacement other than like for like will require planning consent.
Why has there been a delay in the Decent Homes work?
The Council and Colchester Borough Homes decided to suspend the Decent Homes programme in May 2008. We wanted a number of pieces of work to be carried out before it was restarted. These included checking the number of homes still to be improved, assessing the costs of completing the project and making sure any future contract delivers value for money.
