• Your New Home
    Your new home

    Your new tenancy

    Welcome to your new home with Southway. We will make sure your home is safe, clean, and ready for you to move in.

    Below is a summary of what you can expect from us and what you’ll need to do before your tenancy starts.

    We want your new home to meet all these standards. If something isn’t right, please let us know as soon as possible by:

    Logging in or creating your account at MySouthway by using the button below.

    Or contacting us online.

    MySouthway Portal
What you need to do

To get your home ready, you’ll need to:

  • Set up gas and electricity supply with your chosen provider so we can carry out safety checks
  • Provide your own furniture, flooring, and curtains
  • Provide your own cooker and white goods, safely installed by a qualified engineer
  • Fit a washing line if needed

If you need help with furniture or white goods, we may be able to support you through local charities, places for low-cost furniture and white good loans. Contact us for help.

Discover ideas and support for furnishing your home.

Discover ideas

Safety and security

When you move in, we’ll make sure:

  • Doors and windows open and close properly
  • All external door locks are changed so you have a set of new keys
  • You get keys or a fob for any communal doors
  • A qualified engineer completes the first stage of your gas and electrical checks
  • We re-glaze any cracked or broken windows
  • A carbon monoxide alarm is fitted and tested if your home has a gas boiler
  • Smoke alarms are fitted in line with safety regulations
  • Fire doors are checked and working properly
  • Door closers and hold-open devices are tested, if you have any
  • The water system is flushed and all taps and toilets are working

If your home is in a communal block, we’ll explain what you need to do and where to go if there is a need to evacuate the building 

Learn about safety in your home.

Learn more

A clean, clear and tidy home

Before you move in, we will:

  • Make sure your home is clean, with particular attention to the kitchen and bathroom, and free from pests
  • Remove all items from the previous tenant, unless you asked to keep any
  • Repair or replace any broken plaster, but we won’t fill minor cracks
  • Remove graffiti or stains
  • Leave walls ready for decorating. Please don’t use wallpaper strippers in older homes
  • Repair boxed-in pipes but won’t cover recently fitted pipes

Learn about repairs, DIY and your responsibilities once you move in.

Learn more

Heating and insulation

Before you move in, we will:

  • We’ll check your heating and make sure it’s ready to use - it may be gas or electric
  • If it’s gas, we’ll do a gas safety check
  • We’ll show you how to use the heating controls. We’ll make an appointment to visit when you sign up for your tenancy
  • We’ll check heating is balanced through your home, adding radiators if needed so every room is warm
  • If needed, we may arrange loft insulation top-ups after you move in

Learn how to check your heating is working.

Learn how

Damp and mould

Before you move in:

  • We’ll test for damp and mould before you move in and fix any problems

Learn how to prevent and treat damp and mould once you move in.

Learn more

Kitchens and bathrooms

We’ll make sure your kitchen and bathroom are ready to use:

  • Kitchen units, doors and drawers. We’ll replace any missing or broken units and doors with the closest colour match we can find, then check everything opens, closes and lines up properly
  • Shelving and edges. Loose shelves or chipped edges on doors, drawers and worktops will be repaired
  • Worktops and sink. Badly damaged worktops, worn sealant or cracked sink tops will be replaced or fixed, and every sink will have a working plug and chain
  • Bathroom fixtures. Check everything works and there are no leaks, replacing any cracked baths, basins or shower trays, and swapping worn handles or fittings for new ones
  • Replace broken bath handles and replace any stained items that can’t be cleaned
  • Broken tiles will be replaced or matched as closely as possible

Learn about repairs, DIY and your responsibilities.

Learn more

Gardens, paths and driveways

We’ll make sure your outside space is safe and tidy:

  • Gardens will be free from hazards and rubbish
  • Grass and bushes will be cut back
  • Paths to your front and back doors will be safe and clear
  • We’ll repair trip hazards
  • We don’t usually replace fencing, but we’ll make sure everything is safe
  • You’ll receive a council bin if there isn’t one when your tenancy starts

Learn about your responsibilities regarding your home’s garden and outdoor spaces, and how to get help if needed once you move in.

Learn more

A note about non-traditional houses

Some Southway homes are made with special materials (like diatomite or corolite). We’ll let you know if your home is one of these.

Important things to be aware of:

  • Exterior walls. Items like satellite dishes and hanging baskets will need special fixings. If you install them, you must take them down and repair the walls before leaving your home
  • Interior walls. May not hold heavy items like TVs or mirrors. Please speak to us before decorating, stripping wallpaper or fixing anything to the walls to get our agreement and advice