If you rent a home with us this page explains how we’ll support you if we ask you to move out of your home temporarily.
A temporary move (sometimes called a decant) means that we may need to ask you to move out of your home temporarily.
If you rent a home with us, this usually only happens when something unexpected occurs - such as a fire or a serious leak - or when major repairs or improvement works are needed, and it wouldn’t be safe for you to stay in your home while the work is carried out. For more information about when and how this applies, please see our Temporary moves policy.
If a temporary move is needed, we’ll work closely with you to understand your individual circumstances and talk through what support you may need. We know this can feel unsettling, so we’ll take the time to explain each step and make the process as smooth as possible.
You’ll have a dedicated Moat team member supporting you throughout the move, who will be on hand to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
If you’re a shared owner or leaseholder, you’ll need to arrange your own temporary accommodation. This is usually covered through your buildings or contents insurance, but we recommend checking your lease and insurance policy to be sure.
We’ll talk through options with you and organise your temporary move.
This could be:
If a temporary move is required due to an emergency or major incident, like a fire or flood, we’ll work with your local authority in the first instance to find suitable emergency accommodation.
The following table provides information on the typical reimbursement costs if you need to say in a hotel. These amounts will be paid to you to help you to cover essential costs such as food and drink.
| Your meal allowance based on your accommodation type | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hotel room only | Hotel / B&B with breakfast | Hotel/B&B with breakfast and dinner |
| Adult rate per day | ||
| £25 | £20 | £10 |
| Child rate per day | ||
| £15 | £10 | £6 |
We’ll reimburse you for any reasonable costs incurred while you’re away from your home. For example, removal costs, disconnection and reconnection of your appliances and services like your broadband. We’ll also cover other costs including mail redirection, additional travel costs, school uniform (if moving to a different school), kennel or cattery and any other reasonable costs you might face because of the move.
This list is not exhaustive, and we’ll discuss this with you.
If your temporary home doesn’t include cooking facilities to prepare a meal, we’ll pay you a daily allowance.
While you’re away from your home you continue to be responsible for the terms of the tenancy including paying your rent. We’ll cover the rental costs of your temporary home.
We will talk to you about what will happen about your utilities and Council Tax.
This will depend on the extent of the work required, it may be that we place them into storage or that they can be safely located to one area of your home. We’ll discuss this with you.
We’ll keep you updated at every stage of the process, and one of our Property Services colleagues will be on hand to support you and help get you back home as quickly as possible.
For health and safety reasons, once work has started, we won’t be able to allow you or anyone in your household to enter the property. However, if you need to collect important documents or post, just let us know - we’ll arrange a time to meet you and accompany you during the visit.
To keep your home secure, we’ll change the locks while the work is being completed. As every situation is a little different, we’ll talk you through what to expect and keep you informed about how long the work is likely to take.
If we ask you to move out of your home, it’s because we need the property to be empty to carry out the work safely. This is usually due to the home being unsafe while repairs are taking place. We know moving out can be difficult, so we’ll always aim to keep the time you’re away from your home to an absolute minimum.
If we believe the work can be done safely without you needing to move out, we’ll talk this through with you. We’ll explain what work is planned and any health and safety measures that may be needed. This is usually only possible for smaller jobs, such as minor adaptations or work that can be completed within a day or two.
Once the work is finished, we’ll let you know as soon as you can move back into your home and we’ll support you through the move. At that point, your licence agreement for the temporary accommodation will come to an end.
If you don’t want to move back into your main home, we’ll take the time to understand your reasons and talk through what options may be available to you. It’s important to note that temporary moves for repair works aren’t a route to permanent rehousing, a larger property, or a move to a different area. However, we’ll make sure you have clear information about your housing options and the support available.
In some situations, if someone unreasonably refuses to move back into their main home, we may need to take legal action. This is because a condition of the tenancy is that the property is used as your main and principal home. We’ll always aim to work with you and resolve things in a supportive way wherever possible.
We know leaving your home could be disruptive and upsetting, especially if you move out during an emergency. We’re here to support you and your family - please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.
