Occupants of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) benefit from a comprehensive maintenance and repair service. However, you are responsible for keeping your home in a reasonable condition during the time you occupy SFA. In particular – you need to take care of:
- Changing domestic fuses and light bulbs
- Taking precautions to prevent damage to the SFA by fire, frost, the bursting of water pipes and the blocking of drains
- Clearing any sink or bath blockages
- Routine testing and cleaning of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms
- Resetting of electrical trip switches due to faulty bulbs
- Ensuring that all repairs are reported to the relevant maintenance helpdesk as they occur.
Licence to Occupy Insurance
If you live in SFA you should ensure that you have adequate insurance. In addition to arranging contents insurance to protect your personal possessions, you are strongly recommended (in accordance with JSP 464) to take out Licence to Occupy insurance. This specialist insurance covers your potential liability incurred as a result of damage to your SFA caused by you or your family – and would provide you with cover up to the required £20,000. This would include things like damage caused by kitchen fires, or flood damage as a result of failing to adequately protect and heat your home in Winter.
The Services Insurance and Investment Advisory Panel (SIIAP) website provides details of insurers who can supply this insurance and includes links to a range of relevant insurance company websites. If you are unable to find relevant information on the websites available, we suggest that you call the insurer using the telephone numbers which are also provided. If you already have Kit insurance with one of these specialist insurers, it may be worth checking if you are already covered - as some insurance policies include Licence to Occupy insurance.
For more information, please follow the link in the box on the right hand side of the page.
In addition – here's some useful guidance on how to look after your home properly.
You are responsible for ensuring that adequate frost damage precautions are taken, as you could be liable for damage if it occurs. You should therefore:
- Leave your central heating on permanently with the room thermostat set to a minimum of 10°C
- Turn all radiator valves on to full, leave all internal doors open and slightly open your loft hatch if appropriate
- Where possible, leave your keys with a trusted neighbour and ask them to check the house regularly.
What can I do to minimise the risk of fire in my home?
Never leave cooking, burning cigarettes or lit candles unattended. These are the main causes of home fires in the UK. Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children. Try to keep children and pets out of the kitchen during cooking and ensure your kitchen is clutter free. Keep lit candles away from flammable materials such as curtains and flower arrangements and out of the reach of children and pets.
What should I do if something catches fire in the kitchen?
If a pan catches fire, switch off the heat source and smother the fire by sliding a lid or damp wrung cloth over the pan. To prevent flare-ups hold the lid or cloth firmly in place until the pan has cooled.
- DO NOT attempt to remove it from the room.
- NEVER throw water on a fat or oil fire.
- In case of an oven fire, close the door and turn of the heat.
- Call the Fire Brigade.
You can also prevent condensation forming by taking the following steps:
- Open the windows in your kitchen or bathroom when cooking or bathing or, where fitted, switch on extractor fans
- Avoid drying damp clothes on radiators – use a clothes airer instead
- Keep the ventilation grills on double-glazed windows open
- Use adequate ventilation when operating tumble dryers. The effect is worse in winter when doors and windows are firmly shut.
The best way to help prevent condensation in your SFA is to ventilate your property as often as possible and ensure any vents in walls are kept uncovered.
Keeping pets
If you have been given permission to keep small domestic pets in your SFA by DIO Operations Accommodation, you are responsible for ensuring that they do not cause damage to the fabric of the property or the garden. You are also responsible for ensuring that that your pets do not cause any nuisance to other families. You are also responsible for keeping your pet free of fleas and ensuring that at Move Out the property is more thoroughly cleaned.
Further details
Full details on moving into your SFA are available in A guide to living in Service Family Accommodation Booklet C: Living in Service Family Accommodation and Customer Fact Sheet 4: Looking after your home – please follow the links in the box on the right hand side of the page.