Can I have repairs or improvements made on my home?

Can I have repairs or improvements made on my home?

In England, you should be able to get both essential and non-essential works carried out, unless you are self-isolating or living in a local lockdown area.

This applies if you are in a clinically extremely vulnerable group and have previously been asked to shield, although you are advised to make prior arrangements with a landlord or contractor to ensure appropriate social distancing is maintained during the visit.

The latest government guidance on shielding advises you to keep your overall social interactions low, wash your hands carefully and more frequently than usual, and maintain thorough cleaning of frequently touched areas in your home.

If living in a local lockdown area, check the specific rules applying locally, particularly if you’re in a clinically extremely vulnerable group. Check your local authority website and the latest government guidance on shielding for more information.

If self-isolating, no work should be carried out in your home unless it is to remedy a direct risk to the safety of your household. In such cases, prior arrangements to avoid any face-to-face contact should be made, for example when answering the door.

Tenants may face delays in getting non-essential works carried out, as some landlords have a backlog of repairs. If your household is self-isolating, let your landlord know, so they can delay gas safety checks until it’s safe to do so. If it is decided delaying the gas safety check poses a greater risk to your health, it may still go ahead. You can find more information on the Gas Safe Register website. 

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