Booklet
No. 8
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Kitchen and bathroom
improvements
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We can provide this document in a range of languages and formats on request.
Please contact Tandridge District Council
on 01883 722000.
It is also available on the Tandridge website
at: www.tandridge.gov.uk
Kitchen and bathroom improvements
As part of our planned programme of maintenance, we install new kitchens
and bathrooms in over 100 homes every year.
Modernising kitchens and bathrooms is essential to meet the minimum level
of decency set by the government. It has also been identified by tenants as
their main priority for housing improvement.
What is the minimum level of decency?
According to the government:
1. Is in a reasonable state of repair.
2. Is warm.
3. Has reasonably modern facilities and services.
A property fails on this ground if it has three or more of the following:
•• A kitchen over 20 years old.
•• A kitchen with inadequate space and layout for the size of property.
•• A bathroom over 30 years old.
•• An inappropriately located bathroom and WC (ie external or communal).
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What works are included?
The works include:
•• K
itchens: the installation of new units, worktops, sink, wall tiles, flooring
and electrical wiring, extractor fan, as well as the full redecoration of the
kitchen area.
•• B
athrooms: the installation of new sanitary-ware including a shower over
the bath, extractor fan, wall tiling, flooring and full redecoration.
Properties included in the programme are prioritised, based on the age of the
existing kitchens and bathrooms and their condition.
Although we have a lot of information about our properties, we carry out
surveys to assess the current condition and arrangement of kitchens and
bathrooms and to find out what we need to do to install new ones.
This assessment could mean the kitchen and bathroom are both modernised,
just one of them, or neither. In some cases, other work to meet the minimum
level of decency may be done, such as providing new central heating,
improving thermal insulation, electrical re-wiring etc.
Before the survey, tenants are sent a short questionnaire to find out if they
want to be included in the annual programme of works. If they do, they will
be visited by a council Project Surveyor to discuss the work, their choices and
preferred layout.
When will my home be surveyed?
It depends on the age and condition of your property. The information we have
about the housing stock gives us a good idea which homes need updating first.
We have an ongoing programme of surveys to assess the condition of the
housing stock. For the kitchen and bathroom programme, we are inspecting
homes where earlier surveys indicated the age and condition of the existing
kitchens/bathrooms mean they are due for renewal. These inspections will
help us check whether this is still the case.
Does my home have to be surveyed?
If you want to be considered for a new bathroom/kitchen, we do have to carry
out a survey so we can assess the condition of your existing fittings, find out
if any other work is needed and if we need to make any structural alterations
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to improve kitchen and bathroom space.
The survey will take about an hour to complete. No carpets or flooring will
need to be taken up.
If you do not want to have a new kitchen or bathroom, you will need to confirm
this in writing.
What work will be carried out?
This will depend on the outcome of the Project Surveyor inspection. Only
work needed to bring your home up to the minimum decent standard will
be done. If your property meets this standard we will not carry out any work.
When will the work be carried out?
The programme runs over several years, so we may not be able to give you a
date at the moment.
We aim to tackle older properties first, although the quality of kitchen units
in some newer properties is not as good as in some older homes. This is why
we have to carry out a survey first.
Once the survey has been completed, we will let you know what work will be
carried out. We need to assess how many kitchens and bathrooms are needed
for all the properties we survey. This information, with the condition of the
kitchens and bathrooms and the funding available, helps prioritise how quickly
your home will be done.
Must I have the work done?
No. If you do not want improvement works carried out in your home, it can be
done after you leave. You need to confirm this in writing.
Will I have to move out?
No. In most cases you will not need to move out. There may be exceptions,
for example if significant structural alteration needs to be carried out and the
work involved would make it unsafe for you to stay in your home while work
takes place.
If this is the case, we will discuss the options with you. Every effort will be
made to ensure the work is carried out with a minimum of inconvenience to
you and your family.
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My kitchen is more than 20 years old. Does this mean it will be renewed?
Not necessarily. We don’t have to install a new kitchen (or bathroom) just
because it is of a certain age.
A home with a kitchen and bathroom over 20 and 30 years’ old respectively
can still meet the standard, if the kitchen and bathroom are in a reasonable
state of repair.
Will I get both a new kitchen and a new bathroom?
Not necessarily. The decision about whether your bathroom and/or kitchen
need replacing will be taken after the Project Surveyor has visited. It will depend
on their age and condition. We will let you know if your home will be included
in either or both the kitchen or bathroom replacement programme.
Will I be able to choose whether I will get a new kitchen or bathroom?
No. The Project Surveyor decides what your home needs to meet the Minimum
decency standard.
Will I be able to choose the style of my kitchen and bathroom?
You will be able to choose from a range of fixtures and finishes from the council’s
preferred supplier.
If the survey shows you need a new kitchen, you will be involved in designing
the layout and offered a choice of:
•• Kitchen units - colours and finishes from the council’s preferred supplier.
•• The colour of the worktop.
•• The size of white glazed wall tiles (100mm x 100mm or 150mm x 150mm).
•• Wall paint colours (ceilings will be white).
•• Colour of floor finishes from the council’s preferred supplier.
All bathroom fittings will be white. This is because other colours tend to go
out of fashion and replacements become difficult to find. White fittings are
always readily available. You will have the following choices:
•• The size of white glazed wall tiles (100mm x 100mm or 150mm x 150mm).
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•• Wall paint colours (ceilings will be white).
•• Colour of floor finishes from the council’s preferred supplier.
Once you have agreed the choice of your kitchen/bathroom it will be ordered.
We will not be able to change the specification at a later date.
Will I get a new fridge, cooker or cooker hood?
No. The kitchen will be designed to accommodate your existing cooker, fridge,
etc. or any new ones you plan to buy. You will need to advise the Project
Surveyor if you intend buying new appliances.
I have renewed my kitchen and/or bathroom myself. Will the council still
replace them?
If the improvements you carried out help your home meet the minimum
decency standard, we will not replace them. You may be entitled to
compensation for home improvements when you leave your property, as long
as you had permission to carry out the work and have kept the receipts as proof
of the cost of the improvement works. Further details are in the Council’s guide
on the Compensation Scheme.
Will I be able to have a shower fitted?
Where bathrooms are completely modernised, we will fit a new electric
shower over the bath and provide an appropriate level of tiling and a shower
curtain to accommodate the shower. If you already have an electric shower
or thermostatic mixer fitted, this will be re-installed as long as the equipment
complies with British Standards.
I am disabled. Will the bathroom/kitchen be adapted for my needs?
If you have already applied to have adaptations carried out and are on the
waiting list, we will try to co-ordinate any works to ensure adaptations are
carried out at the same time. If you have a disability, please tell the Project
Surveyor when discussing the design of the kitchen/bathroom.
Will I need to stay at home when the works take place? How long will it take?
Improvement work is usually carried out when tenants are at home. There may
be exceptions to this depending on the extent of work and any inconvenience
likely to be caused by the work. You will be consulted nearer the time work
is due to start. Bathroom renewals usually take between 5 and 10 days and
kitchen renewals between 10 and 20 days.
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Will the work be inspected?
The Project Surveyor will inspect all work after it is completed. You will be able
to contact them during the work. You will also have the chance to comment
on your level of satisfaction once the work is complete.
Who is responsible for emptying cupboards, taking down curtains etc before
the work starts?
You are responsible for this, unless otherwise agreed with the Project Surveyor
at the joint design stage. You should make sure all kitchen cupboards and
bathroom shelves are empty and all work surfaces are clear.
If you are disabled, or a pensioner, we can arrange for this to be done for you,
or you can ask your family, a friend or carer to help you.
We can also help if you think you may have difficulty coping while work is
taking place. Please discuss any concerns you have with the Project Surveyor.
Will there be a disturbance allowance paid?
No. Unless you need to move out.
Will this work result in an increase in my rent?
No. There are no additional charges to residents from any improvement or
repair work to their home under this programme of work.
I am thinking of applying to buy my home. How will this affect the work?
If you have made an application under the Right to Buy Scheme, no work
will be carried out to your home. If you submit a Right to Buy application
after improvement works have been agreed, the Council reserves the right to
withdraw your home from the programme or add the cost of the improvement
to the Right to Buy valuation.
Will the work to bring my home up to the Minimum decency standard be
done at the same time?
This depends on the amount of work. Where multiple works are needed we will
discuss these with you and look at the various options to minimise disruption
and disturbance to you and your family.
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More information
For more information please contact:
By post:
Property Service Team
Housing
Tandridge District Council
Council Offices
8 Station Road East
Oxted, RH8 0BT
By telephone:
01883 722000
By e-mail:
customerservices@tandridge.gov.uk
If you are deaf or hard of hearing please text 07860 027780 and use the code
HH1 at the start of your message.
www.tandridge.gov.uk
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Printed by Media Creation Unit @ Tandridge District Council. March 2016.
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