Access to your home

Helping us keep your home safe and well maintained

We may occasionally need access to your home to carry out safety checks, inspections, repairs, maintenance or housing-related visits. 

Providing access helps us keep your home safe, identify problems early and meet our responsibilities as your landlord. 

We understand that it may not always be easy to attend an appointment or allow someone into your home. If we need to make a visit, we'll work with you to arrange suitable access, explain why the visit is needed and provide additional support where required. 

However, some visits are required by law or are necessary to protect your safety, your home or other residents. Where access is repeatedly not provided, we may need to take further action. 

On this page 

— How to contact us about an appointment or access 

— Why we may need access to your home 

— What you can expect from us 

— What you need to do 

— What happens if we can't gain access 

— Emergency access 

— Safety inspections and compliance visits 

— Repairs and maintenance visits 

— Housing, welfare and tenancy visits 

— Support and reasonable adjustments 

— Formal and legal action 

— Charges and cost recovery 

— Keeping records of access attempts

— How we use your information 

— What to do if you're not satisfied 

— Working together to keep your home safe 

How to contact us about an appointment or access 

Please contact us as soon as possible if: 

• You can't attend an appointment 

• You need to rearrange a visit 

• You want to find out why access is required 

• You're worried about allowing someone into your home 

• You need additional support or a reasonable adjustment 

• Your contact details or circumstances have changed 

• You believe an appointment has been arranged incorrectly 

Our housing repairs and general housing enquiries phone number is 01962 848 400. 

You can call this number to: 

• Rearrange a housing repair appointment 

• Ask about a planned inspection or visit 

• Tell us about communication or accessibility needs 

• Update your contact information 

• Ask for help before an appointment 

If you need to contact us about a repair emergency, call our emergency repairs service on 01962 865 405. 

This service is available 24 hours a day for emergencies such as: 

• A suspected gas leak 

• Serious flooding 

• A major electrical hazard 

• A structural failure 

• A serious fire safety risk 

• An immediate danger to people or property 

If there is an immediate danger to life, call 999. 

If you would prefer to email us, please get in touch with customerservice@winchester.gov.uk - please do not use email to report an emergency. 

Accessible information 

If you need information in another language, large print, audio, Easy Read or another accessible format, please let us know. 

You can also tell us if you need us to: 

• Contact you in a particular way 

• Avoid certain times of day 

• Speak to a representative, advocate or carer 

• Arrange for a support worker to be present 

• Provide more time to answer the door 

• Explain the visit face to face 

Why we may need access to your home 

We may need access to carry out: 

• Gas servicing and safety checks 

• Electrical safety inspections 

• Smoke alarm and fire safety checks 

• Water hygiene inspections 

• Asbestos inspections 

• Damp and mould inspections 

• Building safety assessments 

• Stock condition surveys 

• Emergency, urgent and routine repairs 

• Planned maintenance and improvement work 

• Tenancy management inspections 

• Temporary accommodation inspections 

• Welfare or safeguarding visits 

• Visits to provide housing or tenancy support 

Some visits are requested by residents, such as repair appointments. Others are inspections or safety checks that we are legally required to complete. 

We'll explain: 

• Why access is needed 

• Who will attend 

• What work or inspection will be carried out 

• Whether the visit is legally required 

• What may happen if access is not provided 

What you can expect from us 

When we need access to your home, we'll normally: 

• Give you advance notice of the appointment 

• Explain the purpose of the visit 

• Provide the date and an appropriate appointment time or time slot 

• Tell you which Council service or contractor will attend 

• Use your preferred communication method where possible 

• Consider any known disabilities, vulnerabilities or support needs 

• Provide an opportunity to rearrange where this is safe and legally possible 

• Keep an accurate record of appointments and contact attempts 

• Treat you with dignity and respect 

Council officers and contractors should: 

• Carry appropriate identification 

• Explain who they are and why they are attending 

• Explain the work they intend to carry out 

• Act professionally and respectfully 

• Take reasonable care of your home 

• Explain the outcome of the visit 

• Tell you whether any further work is needed 

You should always ask to see identification before allowing someone into your home. 

You can contact us to confirm an appointment if you're uncertain about the identity of a visitor. 

Where we, or one of our contractors, need to cancel an appointment, we'll tell you as soon as possible and offer a replacement appointment within a reasonable timeframe. 

What you need to do 

Residents, leaseholders and licence holders are expected to provide reasonable access where we have a legal, safety, repair or housing management responsibility. 

You should: 

• Be available during the agreed appointment time, once we've agreed it with you 

• Make sure an adult is present where required 

• Allow our officer or contractor to access the areas they need to inspect 

• Keep access routes reasonably clear 

• Secure pets where needed 

• Tell us in advance about any risks within your home 

• Contact us as soon as you can if you can't attend 

• Tell us if you need help or a reasonable adjustment 

• Check the visitor’s identification before allowing entry 

Please do not ignore appointment letters, telephone calls, text messages or access notices. Contacting us early will usually help us resolve any access issues. 

What happens if we can't access your home

If nobody answers the door or access cannot be provided, the officer or contractor will record the unsuccessful visit. 

Depending on the type and urgency of the appointment, they may: 

• Leave a card or notice 

• Try to contact you by telephone, text message, email or letter 

• Check whether you need additional support 

• Ask you to arrange another appointment 

• Arrange a second access attempt 

• Refer the case to Housing Services 

• Review any known vulnerabilities or communication needs 

• Consider whether there may be a welfare or safeguarding concern 

• Escalate the case where the visit is legally required or safety-critical 

How we respond to not being able to access a home depends on: 

• The purpose of the visit 

• The level of risk 

• Whether the visit is required by law 

• The number of previous access attempts 

• Whether we've been able to contact you 

• Any vulnerability, disability or support need 

• Whether there is a risk to other residents or neighbouring homes 

Emergency and statutory safety visits may need to be escalated more quickly than routine appointments. 

We may close a routine repair appointment we're not able to access your home after a certain amount of attempts. If this happens, you'll need to contact us to arrange a new appointment. 

Emergency access 

We may require emergency access where there is an immediate risk to: 

• Life 

• Health 

• Safety 

• The structure of a building 

• Your home 

• Neighbouring homes 

• Council property 

Examples include: 

• A suspected gas leak 

• Fire or smoke 

• Serious flooding or an uncontrolled water leak 

• Structural collapse 

• A serious electrical hazard 

• An immediate fire safety risk 

• Concern that someone inside the property may be in immediate danger 

In a genuine emergency, we, or emergency services, may need to enter a home without the usual notice. 

Forced entry in an emergency will only be used where it is both legally permitted and necessary to prevent serious harm or damage. 

Where emergency entry takes place, we will: 

• Act only where necessary and proportionate 

• Record why emergency access was required 

• Take reasonable steps to protect the property 

• Inform the resident as soon as possible 

• Explain what action was taken 

• Arrange any necessary follow-up work 

Safety inspections and compliance visits 

Some inspections are required by law and are essential to keeping residents safe. 

These can include: 

• Annual gas safety checks 

• Electrical safety inspections 

• Fire safety checks 

• Smoke and heat alarm inspections 

• Water hygiene checks 

• Asbestos inspections 

• Building safety assessments 

• Other legally required compliance checks 

These appointments are not optional where we have a statutory landlord responsibility. 

We will normally provide advance notice and make reasonable attempts to arrange a suitable appointment. 

If access is repeatedly not provided, the case may be escalated because: 

• A safety risk may remain unidentified 

• Essential servicing may become overdue 

• The safety of the household or neighbouring residents may be affected 

• We may be unable to meet our legal responsibilities 

Before taking formal action, we'll consider whether additional engagement, support or reasonable adjustments could help us gain access. 

Repairs and maintenance visits 

Access may be needed to: 

• Inspect a reported repair 

• Diagnose the cause of a problem 

• Complete repair work 

• Check that previous repairs have been successful 

• Carry out planned maintenance 

• Inspect the condition of your home 

• Investigate damp, mould, leaks or structural concerns 

• Complete work required under Awaab’s Law 

We will normally arrange repair appointments in advance wherever possible. 

We'll let you know: 

• What the repair relates to 

• Why access is needed 

• Whether the repair is emergency, urgent or routine 

• What areas of the home the contractor may need to access 

• Whether further visits may be required 

Where a repair presents a serious risk to health, safety or property, we may need to take further action if access is not provided. 

For routine resident-requested repairs, we may be close the request after repeated unsuccessful access attempts. If that happens, you'll need to contact us again to arrange a new repair. 

Housing, welfare and tenancy visits 

Housing Officers, Temporary Accommodation Officers and Tenancy Sustainment Officers may need access to: 

• Carry out a tenancy inspection 

• Inspect temporary accommodation 

• Discuss a tenancy concern 

• Check the condition of a property 

• Provide tenancy sustainment support 

• Respond to a welfare or safeguarding concern 

• Investigate a serious neighbourhood issue 

• Confirm who is living at the property 

• Support a resident who may be at risk 

These visits are intended to support residents as well as manage homes and tenancies. 

In these situations, we'll always prioritise communication, engagement and support before considering formal action. 

Where we have an immediate and serious concern for someone’s welfare, we may contact emergency services or an appropriate safeguarding agency. 

Sheltered, temporary and scheme-based accommodation 

Residents living in sheltered housing, temporary accommodation or other scheme-based housing may need a different approach to arranging access. 

This may include: 

• Face-to-face reminders 

• Contact through scheme staff or wardens 

• Coordination with support services 

• Additional explanation about the appointment 

• Longer appointment times 

• Arranging for a trusted person to be present 

• Additional support before and during the visit 

These arrangements are intended to reduce missed appointments and make sure access is managed safely and respectfully. 

Support and reasonable adjustments 

We recognise that some residents may find it more difficult to provide access. 

This could be because of: 

• A disability 

• A long-term health condition 

• A mental health condition 

• Age-related needs 

• A learning disability 

• Cognitive impairment 

• A sensory impairment 

• Language or communication barriers 

• Caring responsibilities 

• Anxiety about allowing people into the home 

• A temporary personal crisis 

• Previous trauma or negative experiences 

• Other circumstances affecting the resident’s ability to engage 

You can tell us about your circumstances when we make an appointment with you, or at any stage of the process. 

Where appropriate, we may: 

• Contact you in a way that is more appropriate to your circumstances

• Provide information in an accessible format

• Arrange translation or interpretation 

• Offer a longer or more flexible appointment 

• Arrange for a carer, advocate or support worker to be with your for the visit

• Use a known or preferred officer where possible 

• Coordinate the appointment through a Housing Officer 

• Arrange face-to-face contact before the visit 

• Provide additional reassurance about the officer or contractor attending 

• Record an agreed reasonable adjustment for future appointments 

We'll only record or share information about vulnerabilities and support needs where it is relevant, lawful and necessary. 

We'll still need to complete any essential safety checks - the information you give us about your circumstances will help us to arrange access in a way that is safe, fair and suitable for you. 

Formal and legal action 

Legal action is a last resort - we'll only consider taking further action where: 

• Access is required for a legal or serious safety reason 

• Repeated reasonable attempts to arrange access have failed 

• The reason for the visit has been clearly explained 

• The resident has been told about the consequences of continued refusal 

• Relevant vulnerabilities and support needs have been considered 

• Reasonable adjustments have been offered where appropriate 

• Less formal options have been unsuccessful 

• Action is necessary and proportionate to the risk 

Formal action may include: 

• A formal warning or access notice 

• Referral to the Council’s Legal Services team 

• An application for an injunction 

• An application for a warrant or court order 

• Legally authorised entry to the property 

The legal power used will depend on the reason access is required and the individual circumstances of the case. 

Forced entry will not be used simply because an appointment has been missed. 

It will only be considered where it is legally authorised and necessary, including where there is an immediate danger or where a court or statutory warrant permits entry. 

Charges and cost recovery 

Charges relating to missed appointments, legal action, damage or forced entry are not automatic. 

Any decision to recover costs will be considered individually. 

We will take account of: 

• Why access was not provided 

• Whether the resident contacted us 

• Any vulnerability or support need 

• Whether a reasonable adjustment was required 

• Whether appropriate support was offered 

• The seriousness of the risk 

• The resident’s individual circumstances 

• Whether damage was caused deliberately or could reasonably have been avoided 

Where we are considering a charge, we will explain: 

• Why the charge is being considered 

• How it has been calculated 

• How the resident can challenge or query it 

• What support may be available 

Keeping records of access attempts 

We keep records of appointments and access attempts so that we can provide a consistent service and demonstrate that decisions are fair and proportionate. 

Records may include: 

• Appointment dates and times 

• Whether access was successful 

• Contact attempts 

• Letters, notices, emails and text messages 

• No-access cards 

• Photographs where appropriate 

• Notes made by staff or contractors 

• Information about agreed support or reasonable adjustments 

• Details of follow-up action 

We use this information to: 

• Manage individual cases 

• Monitor overdue safety checks 

• Identify recurring access problems 

• Improve appointment arrangements 

• Review contractor performance 

• Learn from complaints and resident feedback 

• Improve services for residents 

How we use your information 

When we arrange a visit or manage a no-access case, we record relevant information on our secure housing systems. 

We will only collect, use and share information that is: 

• Relevant 

• Necessary 

• Proportionate 

• Lawful 

• Securely managed 

We may share relevant information with Council services, contractors, emergency services, support agencies or safeguarding partners where it is lawful and necessary to: 

• Complete a repair or safety inspection 

• Protect someone from harm 

• Provide appropriate support 

• Meet a legal responsibility 

• Resolve an access problem 

We manage personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR and the Council’s Data Protection and Privacy Policy. 

What to do if you're not satisfied with our response 

Please contact us as early as possible if: 

• You believe an appointment was not properly arranged 

• An officer or contractor did not attend 

• You were not given enough information 

• Your reasonable adjustment was not followed 

• You disagree with an access decision 

• You believe you have been treated unfairly 

• You are concerned that formal action is being considered 

• You want the Council to review your circumstances 

We will: 

• Listen to your concern 

• Review the appointment and contact history 

• Consider any vulnerability or support need 

• Explain why access is required 

• Correct mistakes where they have occurred 

• Consider whether another appointment or arrangement is appropriate 

• Keep you informed about the next steps 

Making a complaint 

You can make a formal complaint: 

• Using the Council’s online complaints form 

• By email to customerservice@winchester.gov.uk 

• By telephone on 01962 848 400 

• In writing to Winchester City Council, City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, SO23 9LJ 

• By speaking to a Council officer 

Complaints are handled in accordance with Winchester City Council’s Housing Complaints Policy and the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code. 

Making a complaint will not normally suspend an emergency response or an essential safety inspection. However, any concerns you raise will be considered as part of the Council’s decision-making. 

If you remain dissatisfied after completing the Council’s complaints process, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service for independent advice or review. 

Working together to keep your home safe 

Access arrangements work best when: 

• Appointments are clearly explained 

• Contact information is kept up to date 

• Residents tell us promptly when they cannot attend 

• Officers and contractors attend as agreed 

• Additional needs are identified early 

• Reasonable adjustments are put in place 

• Safety visits are completed on time 

• Concerns are raised before they become more serious 

By working together, we can keep your home safe, complete repairs promptly and reduce the need for formal action. 

Last Updated: Monday 27 July 2026