Mobility scooter policy

We are committed to safe neighbourhoods and to keeping our customers safe in their homes. Electrically-propelled mobility scooters present a risk to fire safety in communal areas and we are committed to working with our customers to help them live independent lives and to stay safe.

Our mobility scooter policy has been developed in line with the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) mobility scooter guidance. You can read our full mobility scooter policy here. A summary is below.

Storage

All customers who wish to store and charge a mobility scooter or its battery inside their flat or house or in an existing/dedicated charging facility must have permission. Reasonable conditions around safety will form part of the permission and non-compliance will result in the permission being withdrawn, ie we expect these conditions to be complied with and reserve the right to request evidence or withdraw permission.

Customers or their visitors who use mobility scooters will not be permitted to store them or charge them, even temporarily, in an internal or covered communal area or along internal or external communal fire escape routes or access routes.

We will work with customers to try and identify areas on-site that could provide a safe designated area to store and charge electric scooters and will consider carrying out the work to make the provision.

The responsibility for covering the cost of providing new storage or refurbishing existing storage will be assessed on a case by case basis.

We will offer reasonable assistance to meet the customer's needs but there will be instances where permission to store a scooter cannot be granted. This would include where none of the options in the NFCC guidance is suitable and/or it would breach legislation or impact on the health, safety or welfare of other occupants within the premises.

Lettings

We will ensure that potential customers are told about restrictions on mobility scooter storage and charging before we let a property.

New developments

Where we develop new purpose-built sheltered or supported housing, or refurbish existing sheltered or supported housing, provision for scooter storage and charging will be provided as part of the design brief.

Information and advice

Should permission be refused or retracted due to health and safety requirements for the safe storage/charging of the scooter, the customer must take steps to address this and follow the requirements. Failure to do so could see action being taken under the tenancy agreement.