This blogpost was written by Angela, member of the Customer Scrutiny Panel (CuSP)

Property standard > Empty Homes 

Since Mary’s last CuSP update, we have been looking at Alliance's Empty Homes and Lettings Policy, which is headed by Sarah Chappell (Empty Homes and Lettings Manager) and Julie Lewis (Service Delivery Manager - Income, Lettings and Empty Homes) alongside Jack Humphreys (Empty Homes Lead Surveyor).

Two women sat by a laptop talking.

We're working to make sure empty homes are brought back into use quickly and finished to a standard that helps new customers move into a home that feels ready to live in. This follows our review of the Property Standards

Both Sarah and Julie attended the last meeting of CuSP at the end of March, where they presented their new team to us and outlined their responsibilities regarding the government’s Empty Homes Standards and where Alliance fits into these.

The aim is to ensure that as many empty homes as possible are decorated to a high standard, within a quick turnaround, and put out to let.

As a panel, CuSP was interested to know:

  1. How long it takes for a property to be got ready to let
  2. how much consideration was given to how prospective new tenants might want the property to be decorated
  3. The possibilities for ‘Paint Packs’ to be provided if the new tenant wanted to decorate the property themselves
  4. There had been a change the policy of tenants being required to provide floor coverings themselves which was good to hear.
  5. The practicalities of operatives buying necessary parts, tools and equipment to effectively complete their work within reasonable timeframes in order to re-let the property.

Next, we are going to either visit empty homes to see for ourselves the standard to which they are being re‑let, or be a ‘mystery shopper’ (where a member of CuSP speaks to new customers to find out how they feel about the process of moving into an Alliance property).

It would also help us to find out from new and existing customers what they think about Alliance Homes’ response to the empty homes and lettings standards set by the government.

Angela James

Customer Scrutiny Panel member