Making alterations to your home

As a tenant, if you want to make alterations to your home or garden, you must get written permission from us first.

If you have a disability or reduced mobility, we can help.

However, as mentioned in tenancy conditions, you are responsible for keeping the inside of your home in a good decorative order. It is therefore important to distinguish between alterations to your home and internal decoration.

Examples of alterations that require our permission

• laying hardwood, laminate or ceramic flooring
• changing kitchen cupboard doors
• installing a new boiler

Contact your local Neighbourhood Office to ask for permission to make alterations to your home. You must not start making any improvements to your home until you have received our permission in writing.

Decorating your home

Keeping your home in good decorative order is your responsibility. Our home painting factsheet and wallpapering factsheet have some handy hints and advice about decorating the inside of your home.

• home painting factsheet
• wallpapering factsheet

Help with redecoration

If you have a disability or are over 65 years of age, you can get a makeover in your home through our redecoration programme. This programme allows you to have up to three rooms redecorated with a fresh splash of paint or wallpaper for free.

To sign up for our redecoration programme, request an application form from your local Neighbourhood Office.

To see what your responsibilities are regarding decorating your home, read our tenancy conditions.

• tenancy conditions
• read our tenancy conditions in another language

Adapting your home to disability needs

If you have a disability or find it difficult to get around your home, we may be able to lend you equipment or carry out adaptations to your home that make it easier for you to stay independent at home. These services are provided by Hackney Council’s Occupational Therapy Service.

Equipment that can make it easier to manage at home includes raised toilet seat and bathing equipment. Adaptations are changes made to your home, for example, stair or grab rails and ramps. Some homes can be too difficult to change to meet individual needs. Everyone’s needs are different and an Occupational Therapist will work with you to tailor our services to meet your individual needs.

• supporting you in your home booklet in Easy Read

Apply for equipment or adaptations to your home

To apply for equipment and adaptations to your home, you will need an assessment of your needs. To arrange an assessment contact Hackney Council’s Occupational Therapy Service.

What you can expect from us

Our service standards explain the services you can expect from us when delivering home adaptations. We aim to enable council tenants with disabilities to live as independently as possible. We do this working in partnership with the Council’s Occupational Therapists.

Our approach is to provide residents with:

• access to free structural adaptations, minor adaptations and equipment if they are needed
• advice on waiting times for aids and adaptations, including the time for an Occupational Therapist’s visit

Our service standards:

• Hackney Council’s Occupational Therapist will make contact with the tenant by telephone where possible within two days once the case has been allocated. If telephone contact is not possible, an appointment letter will be sent
• an assessment will be carried out by an Occupational Therapist within the following 28 days
• the tenant will be notified of the outcome within five days of the Occupational Therapist’s assessment, including an action plan for carrying out the works needed
• routine aids and equipment will be provided within seven working days following an assessment. Specialist items may