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Luton Borough Council

  1. Home
  2. Housing
  3. Council tenants
  4. Repairs, alterations, and servicing

Making additions or alterations to your council home

 

Once you have been a council tenant for 12 months, with no breaches of your tenancy agreement, your tenancy will be made ‘secure’. As a secure tenant you can make improvements to your home, provided you obtain permission in writing from us before the works begin, and that they are completed to an agreed standard.

Fitting flooring

If you wish to fit laminate flooring or tiles to the floors in your home you need to obtain permission from us, and you will be responsible for lifting the flooring should access be required to carry out repairs. You would also be responsible for lifting and refitting any carpets for the same reason. If repairs are needed we would make every effort to avoid causing damage, but it is important you are aware that difficulties can arise. 

Your right to compensation for improvements

As a secure council tenant you may be able to get compensation for certain qualifying improvements you have made in your home.
 
A statutory ‘Right to Compensation’ came into effect on 1 April 1994 and these ‘Secure Tenants of Local Authorities (Compensation for Improvements) Regulations 1994’ apply to improvements carried out by secure tenants after this date.
 
To be eligible for compensation you must satisfy the following criteria:
  • your tenancy must be secure. Introductory tenants do not qualify
  • if you are a ‘successor tenant’ or the tenancy was assigned to you by the court, you may still qualify
  • if you are transferring to another Luton Borough Council property, or carrying out a mutual exchange, you may be eligible at the time of the transfer or exchange
  • the improvement work you are claiming for must have begun on or after 1st April 1994
  • you must have proof of our written consent to the improvement work being carried out
  • the improvement you are claiming for must be a ‘qualifying’ improvement. For a list of qualifying improvements, please download our Right to Compensation for Improvements leaflet from the bottom of the page.

To apply for compensation for improvements

If you wish to make an application please download the Right to Compensation for Improvements application form, from the bottom of the page.
Downloads
Right-to-compensation-for-improvement-leaflet.pdf document type icon 111.1 kB
Right-to-compensation-for-improvement-application-form.pdf document type icon 189.9 kB

 

Contact info
Customer service centre
Luton Borough Council, Town Hall, Luton, LU1 2BQ
Tel: 01582 547304

 

© 2024 Luton Council, Town Hall, Luton LU1 2BQ