Letting Standard

Download our leaflet on "Letting Standard" here. 
  (PDF format)

Letting Standard

As a Moray Council tenant, you can expect to move into a clean house where things work as they should.  We have set ourselves standards which your home must meet before it can be let. 

Although we aim to complete all necessary repairs before you move in, we may have to carry out some minor repairs afterwards.  This is to make sure that you are not delayed in moving in, and that your home is not left empty for longer than necessary.  Your Area Housing Officer will tell you about these repairs.

Inside the property

Cleanliness and decoration
The property will be free from damp, mould growth and infestation.  We will remove all polystyrene tiles and coving.  We will remove any rubbish, and the like, left by the previous tenant. Inside the property will be clean.  Internal decoration will be of an acceptable standard.  A decoration allowance may be given on a room by room basis, at the discretion of the Area Housing Officer.  A decoration allowance may be given if internal decoration is:

• badly marked or smoke stained;
• painted a dark or strong colour that would be difficult to cover; or
• in a poor condition, for example torn wallpaper.

A decoration allowance will not be given on grounds of personal taste.  The decoration allowance is intended to help you pay for decoration of you choice.  It is not intended to meet the full cost.

Windows
Windows will:

• be double glazed;
• be complete and unbroken;
• open and close as intended, with suitable handles.

Internal doors, walls, skirtings and facings
Internal doors will open and close as intended and will have suitable handles, ironmongery and hinges.  Internal doors, walls, skirtings and facings will be in an acceptable condition, and ready for you to decorate if you wish.

Floors and staircases
Floors and staircases will be safe, free from holes and will have no missing floorboards.  We will clean the floors and take away the carpets unless they are in good condition.  We will remove any visible carpet grippers.  Staircases will have at least one handrail.  Balustrades and handrails will be secure.

Kitchens
Cupboards and surfaces will be clean.  Kitchens will have:

• a working kitchen sink;
• adequate storage cupboards for the size of property;
• plumbing for an automatic washing machine;
• space for a fridge;
• connections for a cooker.

We replace around 400 kitchens each year on a planned basis.  We will do any necessary repairs to the kitchen in your new home but we will replace kitchens that fail the Scottish Housing Quality Standard first.  Your Area Housing Officer will be able to tell you if the property's kitchen will be replaced soon, or you can check the kitchen replacement programme page of our website.

Bathrooms
Bathrooms will have:

• a working toilet;
• a working bath or shower;
• a working wash hand basin.

Surfaces will be clean.  Cracked tiles and stained floorboards will be replaced.  We will inspect any previous tenant's alterations, for example a shower.  If they meet our standards we will leave them in the property.

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Services

Heating system
The property will have a full central heating system.  The system will be in good working order.  Gas, oil and solid fuel systems will be serviced each year.  We can send a qualified engineer to your new home to show you how to operate the heating system.  Please contact your Area Housing Officer if you need this.  We upgrade heating systems on a planned basis.  Your Area Housing Officer will be able to tell you if the property's heating system will be upgraded soon.

Gas installations
If the property has mains natural gas for either heating or cooking, we will do a gas safety check before you move in.  We service all gas central heating systems each year on a planned basis.  We will give you a copy of the current Gas Safety Record (CP12) when you receive your keys, or as soon as possible afterwards.  We always employ Gas Safe registered engineers.

Electrical installation
The electrical installation will provide you with safe lighting and sockets.  We will do an electrical safety check before you move in.

Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
The property will have a hard-wired smoke detector on each storey.  The property will have a carbon monoxide detector if it has mains gas or solid fuel appliances.  We check our smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors on a planned basis.

Water and drainage
The property will have:

• access to clean drinking water;
• working hot and cold taps in the kitchen and bathroom at least;
• a working drainage system.

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Outside the property

The property will be wind and watertight. Rhones and downpipes will be intact and free from leaks.  Any loft space will have a minimum of 100mm (4") of insulation.  Vents and airbricks will be clear.

External doors
External doors will operate correctly and will have suitable locks, ironmongery and handles.  We paint external doors and window frames on a planned basis.  The decoration of the external doors and window frames will be adequate to last until the next external paint work cycle.  Any glass around doors will be complete and unbroken.

Boundary walls, fencing and gates
Boundary walls, fencing and gates (where they already exist) will be complete and in a safe condition.  Any gates will have working hinges and latches.  Paths, steps and driveways (where they already exist) will be stable and safe to use.

Drying areas, clothes poles and rotary dryers
Adequate clothes poles or a rotary dryer will be provided.  For flats, these may be in a communal drying area.

Solid fuel bunkers, sheds and stores
Solid fuel bunkers will be in a serviceable condition.  Sheds or stores owned by the Council will be in a safe, secure and watertight condition.

Garden ground
Gardens will be free from any rubbish or debris.  The garden will be in a manageable condition.  The grass will be cut and any overgrown shrubs or hedges will be cut back.  Garden ponds will be drained and filled in.

Communal areas, stairwells and passageways
Communal areas and stairwells in blocks of flats will have adequate lighting.  Any glass in these areas will be complete and unbroken.  You will be expected to take your turn in a cleaning rota for communal areas and stairwells.

Rubbish disposal
We will make sure the property has the appropriate bins and recycling boxes for the area.

Special needs
If you have a disability or mobility problem we may be able to help you.  We can help with disabled adaptations, for example grab rails at the door or in the bath.  We may be able to help older or disabled tenants to decorate.  Please contact your Area Housing Officer if you think this would help you.

Tenants Handbook

We will give you a Tenants Handbook.  This folder contains lots of useful information you might need after you have moved in.

Follow up

We would like to visit you in your new home approximately 6 weeks after you receive your keys, to check that you are settling in and to try to help with any problems that may have arisen.

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