Unit move FAQs

01   Definitions

• Proxy: someone who attends a move-in/move-out and acts on your behalf if you cannot attend. For regular moves only, Service personnel or a spouse can be nominated as a proxy however, during unit moves, the proxy will be someone from the Unit Welfare Team.
• Housing Officer (HO): the person responsible for the local estate and who carries out the move-in and move-out appointments.
• IPHD (Industry Partner Helpdesk): the contractor, working on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), who is responsible for organising allocations, repairs, maintenance, move appointments, and the provision of SFA furniture. Within the UK this will be Pinnacle.
• Back to back move: when the period of time between a move out and a move in is less than the contracted working days.
• 14 day observation report: this if for you to record any defects found in your SFA within 14 days of moving in. As a general rule of thumb, use it to record anything you don’t want to be charged for at move-out (dents in walls, broken tiles etc.) Don’t use it to record issues which need to be repaired – these should be reported to the IPHD helpdesk.

02   How is housing allocated for a unit move?

The welfare team will work out how many families are moving, and how many and what type of SFA are needed to accommodate families. This list is sent to the IPHD helpdesk which identifies SFA to fulfil the requirements of the unit. Once provisionally allocated, this list is sent to the welfare team which will then allocate them to the families and will notify you of your address.

It’s very important you inform your UWO of any adaptations required for your new SFA, this will need to be discussed with other teams within Pinnacle to ensure that these are arranged prior to you moving.

There may be some locations overseas where individual needs within a family may not be able to be supported, e.g. medical, education or housing. If you feel your family may have some challenges in a new location overseas, please refer to the latest policy Overseas Accompanied Service Assessments – GOV.UK. Should you continue to be unsure if your family’s needs will be supported, please contact our Health and Additional Needs Team on the email address below. 

If you experience issues obtaining adaptations within your new SFA, please email our Health & Additional Needs team to discuss further – healthsupport@aff.org.uk

03   Can I change my allocation?

Given the high number of moves and the availability of SFA, it will be difficult to change your allocation. All relevant information should have been given to the Unit Welfare Officer (UWO) at the start of the allocation process, however, if family circumstances have changed then make sure that you discuss this with your welfare team as soon as possible so that they can try to help you. If your circumstances have changed due to medical reasons, please ensure that you present robust evidence from a medical professional e.g. doctor or consultant

04   Who is our main point of contact during a unit move?

Your welfare team will be your main point of contact during a unit move and they will be able to contact the housing provider for you if necessary.

05   What cleaners can we use?

It is you, the occupants, who are responsible for sourcing your own cleaners. Alternatively, your local Hive may hold a list of reputable cleaners.  

If you choose to find your own cleaners, please ensure that you do thorough due diligence checks. 

06   Do we have to have a pre-move-out (PMO) appointment?

Yes, this is an important appointment.

07   What happens at a PMO appointment?

The HO will go through the house with you and discuss what needs to be done to bring the property up to move-out standard. The HO will give you a breakdown of charges for the issues identified and if you haven’t sorted them by move out you will be charged that amount. This is a very useful time for the HO as it gives them the opportunity to assess if the SFA needs painting or new carpets so that this can be planned to coincide with move-out. See the Pinnacle website for more UK details.

 If you are moving from overseas, please ensure that you speak to the relevant housing department. These details can be provided by your welfare team if you are unsure who to contact. 

This is a good opportunity to raise any issues you noted on your 14-day report, especially when it comes to potential charges. Please ensure you raise any concerns with your HO at this appointment. For more information please see our Moving in/Moving out page.

08   Who can we use to do a proxy move-out or move-in?

During unit moves, many SFA will be handed over at different times to your moving dates and the proxy will be a member of the welfare team.

09   Do we need to get our proxy to see the house before we move out?

Yes, it is advisable to get the welfare team to visit your SFA before you leave so that they can agree that all works detailed at the PMO have been done and that the SFA is clean.

10   Could I be charged on move-out?

So long as you rectify any issues identified at the PMO, and leave the SFA clean as per the agreed move-out standard in the UK (see Pinnacle tick sheet) you will not be charged at move-out.

11   What happens if I get charged on move-out?

You will be informed at move-out of any charges, along with advice how to challenge them if you don’t agree. There is a strict timeline for challenging the charge, so make sure you respond within this timeframe otherwise the charges will be taken from the serving person’s pay. See defencehomes.mod.gov.uk/im-moving-out for more details.

12   How will a proxy move-in be done?

The proxy will attend the move-in with the HO, and the HO will go through the move-in process with them as usual.

13   Do we need to do a 14 day report?

Yes, if you identify issues during the first 14 days it is very important to complete a report as it identifies issues with the SFA on move-in so that you aren’t charged for them on move-out. Remember that, unlike a 14 day report abroad, in the UK it won’t generate repairs so anything which needs repairing (like a leaking tap) needs to be reported to the Pinnacle National Services Team on 0800 031 8628 option 1. See the Pinnacle website for more details.

14   What information will we be given at move-in if a proxy took over the SFA for us?

Your proxy will give you the keys and show you, amongst other things how the boiler and cooker work, where the fuse box is and where the stop cock is and the gas box etc.

15   Who do we report issues to if we aren’t happy with the cleanliness or condition of our SFA?

Report all issues to Pinnacle on 0800 031 8628  option 4 – log a complaint and make sure that you get a reference number. See the Pinnacle website for more details on how to contact them.

16   How do we challenge the grading of our new SFA?

If you feel that your SFA is not at the correct grade for charge on move in you have 28 days to challenge the grading from receipt of the grading letter. For more information, see gov.uk/government/publications/combined-accommodation-assessment-system-the-new-accommodation-charging-system-explained.

17   What will happen if the SFA has an uninhabitable fault at move-in?

Depending on the severity of the issue, you will either be put up in a welfare house (if available) or a hotel and your removals delayed or put in storage until the issue has been resolved; if there are suitable unallocated SFA in the area, you may be given one of these instead. Properties are prepared and inspected in advance to avoid this situation, but if an issue did arise your UWO and HO will liaise closely with you to resolve this as quickly as possible.

18   How do I complain if I am unhappy with the service provided and what is the process?

In the first instance contact your local IPHD. For the UK telephone Pinnacle on 0800 031 8628 option 4 or use the online complaints form. The  DIO SFA website outlines the complaints process, which should be followed to ensure complaints are recorded and investigated properly.

19   Do I need to change my plugs to the country specific fitting?

Yes. AFF has received reports of families not correctly converting their plugs to the relevant country’s electricity supply. In one instance, a supplier operative cut the plug off an appliance that had a two pin plug fitted as it was being dangerously adapted using matchsticks.

IPHDs will not ignore this type of practice. Aside from possibly resulting in electric shock or fire, it may also invalidate your home and contents insurance.

Adapting your appliances for in country use:

• For the short term on arrival, if needed, you can use a conversion plug. They can be fitted easily, quickly and safely, and will make the appliance safe for use in the relevant sockets.
• Check that the type of conversion plug you use is suitable for the plug and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions when fitting it.
• Do not use travel adaptors long term. They are not a suitable or safe alternative for continuous use.
• We would advise that you do your research on the type of plug adapters needed should you be moving overseas. These can then be purchased prior to moving so that you have them ready to use when you move in. Please keep them somewhere convenient for ease of access. 

What is a fuse and why is it important?

It is a safety device fitted in all UK 13A plugs and EU conversion plugs which protects the cable from taking too much electric current and overheating; it will cut off an electrical current in the event of a fault. Lack of fuse protection increases the risk of fire in EU conversion plugs.