At move-in you are responsible for accepting your new home: when you sign the paperwork, you are agreeing that it is at move-in standard.
It is very important that you ensure that the move-in process is done correctly and that the Housing Officer (HO) follows the procedure as described on pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/moving-in
It is also very important that any issues raised at the move-in appointment are recorded on the digital form before you sign for your new home so please check that this has been done.
As a family living in SFA you are responsible for making sure that the property is to move-out standard when you leave.
As soon as you have been allocated your new home and have signed the Licence to Occupy (electronically on the e1132) you will be able to book your move-in appointment (also via the e1132).
You will receive a reminder of the appointment.
The Housing Officer will meet you at your new home with all the relevant paperwork including gas and electrical safety certificates, operating instructions for your boiler and cooker and will take meter readings of your fuel supplies.
Your HO will show you around your new home room by room (allow an hour for the appointment), following the agreed move-in process to ensure that you are happy that it meets the move-in standard, see pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk/moving-in
If you notice issues which don’t meet the move-in standard make sure that you raise them with the HO and that they are recorded on the move-in paperwork before you sign.
If you notice any issues after the move-in appointment, please log them as a response maintenance job through Pinnacle.
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When it comes to taking or handing over your home there is often some confusion about who can do it, sometimes resulting in delays to moves in or out.
Families sometimes assume that the spouse or partner may automatically handover/takeover an SFA or SSFA; unfortunately this is not the case.
In every case where a proxy is necessary, the serving family member must complete a Proxy Certificate granting the necessary authority and submit this to the Pinnacle Home Services Team.
Please note that the proxy may have to sign for any charges raised at move-out or for the standard at move-in so the choice of who to nominate should be carefully considered.
A proxy may be another Service person or a spouse or partner.
Back to topFor details of the move-in/out standard see the Pinnacle Move in/out Standard Checklist. We strongly recommend that you print a copy of this checklist and take it with you; should you feel there are concerns, you can raise these with the HO at move-in/move-out.
Back to topSee more details on what is considered to be an uninhabitable fault.
If an uninhabitable fault is found at move-in the HO will stay with you while everything is sorted out and if necessary, will arrange alternative accommodation for you (either temporary furnished SFA or hotel or an alternative permanent SFA in the same area).
Where a family has pets, it is understood how important it is to look after them and Pinnacle will endeavour to find a pet-friendly hotel. However, there will be instances where Pinnacle will be unable to find a suitable hotel that is a pet-friendly and in these rare instances, you will need to make alternative arrangement for your pets to be cared for.
Back to topBefore the HO leaves the move-in appointment they will arrange a follow up visit with you for around the 14-day point after move-in. They will visit to see how you are settling in and if you have noticed any issue whilst unpacking and settling in they will help you record these on the 14-day report. This will also give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have forgotten the answer to from move-in e.g. how the boiler works or where the stop cock is etc.
Remember, if you have any repairs these will still need to be logged with Pinnacle – don’t wait for the 14-day visit to raise them!
Once complete, the 14-day report will be uploaded to your house file and you will be able to add photos as well if necessary (e.g. to show a stain on the carpet). AFF strongly suggests that you keep your own copy of your 14-day report, along with any photos or videos, should you need these at your subsequent move-out to challenge any charges.
Back to topIf you occupy SFA or SSFA, you will have signed an agreement when you moved into the property called a Service Licence to Occupy Service Family Accommodation – known as a Licence to Occupy. Due to this, you are not classed as a tenant – as you would be in a civilian rental property.
Within the Licence to Occupy, which you sign on allocation, there is a clause that states that you are liable for damage up to at least the sum advised currently by the MOD, which, from 1 August 2011, was set at £20,000. By signing the Licence to Occupy you are agreeing that you have understood the need for this insurance. See Pinnacle Service Families: In my home – Buildings and Contents Insurance for more details.
Because you occupy the property under this agreement, standard home insurance policies do not cover your liability. Similarly, buildings insurance is not appropriate either.
At AFF, we have seen a number of families who have suffered extreme stress and financial hardship following major damage to their SFA from incidents such as fires or major flood damage.
If you are found to be liable for the damage, and have no insurance, the MOD will still charge you for the repairs and you will have to find the funds from your own pocket.
AFF strongly advises you to take out insurance to cover for such an eventuality. You may well feel that this is yet another expense you can do without, but if you damage your home, you could find yourself facing a bill of anything up to £20,000.
For those who like to see the regulations in black and white they are in JSP 464 volume 1 part 1.
Liability insurance is not compulsory, but it is highly recommended – it does not replace contents insurance which all families are advised to have.
VIVO/Amey/DIO are responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of your housing (such as lagging pipes) and you will only be liable for charges if they can prove negligence on your part. A burst pipe as a result of you turning off the heating during a cold spell would be your fault, but if it was as a result of insufficient insulation of the pipes and you had done everything you were meant to in order to prevent frozen pipes, then you would not be liable.
Ring your insurance company and ask if you are already covered for liability insurance; if you aren’t, ask to have it added onto your kit and contents insurance.
Back to topFamilies are responsible for utility bills from the date of move-in until the date of move-out, unless the home falls under an MOD fuel supply arrangement. Families should make sure that they take a meter reading at the move-in and move-out appointments.
Families can choose to remain with the existing supplier to their SFA or negotiate their own utility provider for gas and electricity.
It is the family’s responsibility to notify their supplier that they are leaving a property. Families should inform their energy supplier of their final meter reading and supply a forwarding address.
This is even more important as more small energy suppliers enter administration, so that DIO can engage with the replacement supplier, who is appointed by Ofgem, when a family moves out of their SFA.
AFF is aware of some instances where families have been contacted directly by water providers to pay bills with the threat of escalation if they do not. Families in SFA/SSFA do not pay directly for water charges. DIO is responsible for making payment to water providers for all SFA, whether homes are let or void.
If you are contacted by a water provider directly then you are asked to contact DIORDAccn-PFI@mod.gov.uk at the earliest opportunity. This will allow DIO to directly contact the provider to prevent any further escalation or action.
If you live in SSFA and are contacted by water providers please contact Mears as soon as possible.
Back to topA pre-move-out appointment (PMO) is compulsory and should be carried out about 28 days before you are due to move out. It helps you to see what needs to be done to get the house to move-out standard and it also gives Pinnacle the opportunity to see if any large works (painting, new carpets etc.) need to be done so that they can schedule them before the next family moves in.
Please ensure that you have your original copy of your 14-day report at move-in and any photos you took. This is an opportunity to discuss any concerns raised and outstanding works historical to the SFA.
A PMO should take about an hour and the HO will walk around the house with you and will leave you with a list of issues you need to rectify and a list of what you will be charged at move-out if they aren’t done.
You will be able to book your PMO via the e1132 if you are moving to another SFA – if you are moving out of SFA entirely contact Pinnacle Home Services Team directly.
We recognise that this information is UK-centric, should you be overseas, please contact your local housing provider for more details.
Back to topThe move-out appointment will take approximately 1 hour and the HO will check that your home is at move-out standard. They should have copies of your 14-day report from move-in and any issues raised at PMO so that they can check that they have been rectified. However, we strongly recommend that you take your own. If issues haven’t been rectified, they will be recorded on the Repairs Charge Sheet.
The HO will also take meter readings (NB you are responsible for notifying your energy supplier that you are moving out), collect all keys and make a note of your new address.
The HO will leave you with a printed copy of the move-out form and Charge Sheet (if applicable).
Back to topAll charges for damages and deficiencies on SFA and SSFA in the UK are recovered from the soldier’s pay – this is to reduce the time and costs involved with chasing those who don’t currently pay on time (or at all).
See GOV.UK: Service family accommodation = disputed charges for more information.
Back to topIf you don’t think that you are responsible for the damage, or that the damage is fair wear and tear, you can dispute the Statement of Charges raised.
Prepare your property to the required standard as outlined in the pre-move-out advisory visit, or on the Pinnacle website.
This includes:
For SSFA, during your occupancy you should raise any issues immediately with the MOD contractor to ensure remedial action, if appropriate, is completed.
Proxies should be trusted and carefully chosen as they are acting on your behalf in all aspects of the move-out appointment. If you wish to dispute the charges you can follow the process outlined above. However, you would be required to provide evidence and explain why you think the charges are not appropriate and this could be more difficult if your proxy accepted the charges and you were not present when the property was inspected.
This depends on the extent of the charges raised and other deductions made against your pay. However, any charges taken from pay will follow MOD guidelines on the total amount that can be deducted from pay in any one month.
Therefore, these charges will be treated like any other debt you owe to the MOD. If you have any specific concerns please speak to your local pay clerk or admin office.
No. This process is being introduced to ensure that charges raised are recovered more effectively.
All Service personnel and their families are required, as part of their Licence to Occupy, to look after the Service home provided to them.
Every instance of damage, or failure to prepare a property to the correct standard of cleanliness, means that the MOD incurs costs to prepare the property to a suitable standard for the next Service family; charges merely recover what the MOD is charged for putting these failures right.
This process is designed to be more efficient in recovering costs incurred by the MOD. Furthermore, a proportion of Service personnel continue to fail to pay charges for damages and deficiencies raised against them; this increases admin costs and has meant that a large amount of money continues to be outstanding from serving personnel.
It is only fair that families who cause damage or fail to prepare their property to the correct standard bear the cost of their actions or inactions.
Do I have to leave the same amount of oil in the tank as when I moved in?
Yes. If you leave more/less oil than you had recorded at move-in you will be credited/debited accordingly. If you can produce your invoice from the last time the tank was filled, the refund/charge will be applied at that rate; if you are unable to produce an invoice the refund/charge will be made based on the current UK average home heating prices according to the boilerjuice website.
If you are waiting for reconciliation following move out, please contact Pinnacle to ensure the request is in the system and do let AFF know by emailing housingsupport@aff.org.uk
You risk being charged for any damage to your SFA on move-out unless you can prove that it was present at move-in. Take a look at our top tips to make sure you are protected.
If you’re having issues relating to your move-out, contact AFF at housingsupport@aff.org.uk
Back to topProtect yourself against undue charges at move-out:
When moving out of your old home and into a new one, families should vacate their old SFA within 14 days.
This is especially important in areas where there is a high demand for SFA as it means the empty SFA can be made available to other families who are moving into the area as soon as possible.
Charges will be made for both the vacated SFA and the new one after the 14-day grace period, unless there are Service reasons this has not happened, which are supported by the local Service Commander.
Families should plan ahead and aim to move out in the 14-day period if possible. However, if you are unable to get a move-out/move-in appointment during the 14-day period, you won’t be charged.
Information on the 14-day grace period can be found in JSP 464, Vol 3 Part 1, para 0208.
Further information on move-ins and move-outs can be found at the Pinnacle website.
Back to topUnder the FDIS contract and as of 1 April the Walkaway Scheme will no longer exist.
Families will still need to meet the appropriate move-out standard and DIO will continue to charge damages or deficiencies not classed as fair wear and tear.
If using an external cleaner, AFF strongly suggests that you ensure that they completely understand what the move-out standard is and that they can commit to being able to achieve it. It is unlikely that they will have an opportunity to correct issues at the move-in appointment and you could incur charges as a result. Contact your Housing Officer for more information or you can contact us at housingsupport@aff.org.uk.
Back to topRemovals are booked online. Visit the Agility Logistics GRMS website and follow the instructions. We strongly recommend that where possible, you try to book delivery for the day after move-in should there be any issues at the move-In appointment.
A change to the application process now means that you don’t need to get a ‘wet’ signature from a designated officer; you can now save your application form as a pdf and email it to get an electronic signature. Download GRMS revised application process for instructions.
The Global Removal Management Service (GRMS) has raised concerns that some Service personnel are leaving it too late to apply for their removals because they are not in receipt of their new SFA address – despite this not being an initial requirement to apply.
It is vital that you apply for removals as soon as the soldier has their Assignment Order. The contractor can be informed of the new address at a later date. Download the Removals Process flow chart.
Download the FAQs asked of Agility about removals and insurance.
Global supply chains continue to be severely impacted by external issues so there is still reduced capacity/extended timelines across a large number of shipping routes – elements which are outside the control of suppliers.
There are also resource challenges impacting road movements within the UK and Europe. It is imperative that Service personnel do not arrange march in and out dates until they have a confirmed removals date. This will provide suppliers with additional flexibility to better manage tasks within the current resource constraints, particularly during the peak season of activity running from May to September. The supplier appointed to conduct your move will keep you informed of the status of your consignment.
As transit times reflected in JSP 800 are a guide only, there is no mechanism within the contract to enable the payment of compensation for the delayed delivery of consignments.
When assigned overseas or within the UK, you must take out suitable transit insurance for your removal. Adding your move to your existing house insurance policy is not adequate insurance.
Back to topIf you are being posted overseas, you are probably going to put your belongings into storage; but before you do so, make sure that you are aware of some issues that may arise and how you can do your best to reduce them.
Whilst you need insurance for storage to protect you from flood, fire, theft etc. it won’t cover damp or mould. For a full explanation, see Mould, Mildew and Dampness and the Storage of Used Household Effects – Insurance and Legal Liability Considerations.
So, what can you do to try to minimise the possibility?
Families who place a consignment of personal effects into UK storage at the start of their assignment overseas should keep the contractor informed of any changes to the end of tour date provided on the original storage application. Amendments can be emailed to rso@agility.com
Back to topIf you are unfortunate enough to have a flood, fire or similar incident while living in SFA, please don’t call Agility if your belongings have to be temporarily put into storage or re-housed.
Pinnacle will arrange for storage through their own contractor. Call the Home Services Team on 0800 031 8628 (option 2).
Back to topFor more information on moving related allowances including removals and Disturbance Expense please see Military allowances – relocation allowances
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