Alterations to your home

You will need permission to carry out improvements, for example, laying a patio in the garden. Or installing a new kitchen.

You don’t need permission to do small DIY jobs like putting up shelves or decorating.

We encourage you to make your home your own. But it’s essential to make sure any changes you plan to make are safe and comply with regulations. This is why you must get permission before starting work.

Certain modifications can pose serious health and safety risks, such as:

• Structural concerns: altering a weight-bearing wall could compromise the stability of the building.
• Asbestos exposure: some areas may contain asbestos, which can become hazardous if disturbed.
• Fire safety: changes could impact the fire safety of the building , putting you and others at risk.
• Electrical safety: electrical work could lead to faults, with risk of electrocution, fire, or system failures.

By checking your plans first, we can help you avoid these dangers. Making sure your home remains a safe place for everyone.

The Tenant and Leaseholder Service are your landlord. They are not a planning or regulatory authority. Approval of your application does not mean that you have planning permission.

If your alteration needs planning permission you will need both the approval of Tenant and Leaseholder Services and Thanet District Council planning permissions. Proof of this consent must be provided before we will allow work to start.

Any relevant permissions or advice must be obtained from Thanet District Council Planning.

Leaseholders should refer to the following information.  Information for leaseholders.

Following your application we may ask you to provide:

• A layout plan of the whole property as it is now before the works including all rooms (even those not affected by the works).
• A layout plan of the whole property as it will be after the works including all rooms (even those not affected by the works).
• Existing and proposed routes of plumbing if they are being changed.
• For showers and wet rooms details of how walls and floors will be made waterproof.
• For bathrooms, shower rooms and kitchens, details for air extraction systems. Showing how and where they will leave the property.
• If you plan to move any whole or part of a load bearing wall you must provide a supporting structural engineer’s report.
• For EV chargers, the installer, the product, the position of the installation and any other relevant information.