The information here is designed to help make your move‑in experience as smooth as possible. You’ll find details about your move‑in appointment, your first tour of the home, what to expect during the 14‑day visit, the required move‑in standards, charges, and other useful guidance.
Handy moving home checklist
Pre Move In - More than a month before moving
We understand that you might not always be able to book this appointment a long time before it happens. But when you can, please try to book early so you and your family have more time to get ready and make plans. We know this can be hard, and we are here to support you every step of the way.
Your pre–move out appointment must happen at least 28 days before you leave your home. This gives you enough time to do any work needed to bring your home up to the right standard.
When your Housing Officer visits, it helps if you open cupboards and doors before they arrive. This makes the check quicker and easier for everyone.
This is a good time to look through your old things and decide what you still want. Before you start packing, check your clothes, electronics and furniture. Choose what you want to keep, and take anything you no longer need to a local charity shop.
Start collecting free packing boxes from friends, family, colleagues or local shops. Pack your things in stages so you don’t feel stressed at the last minute, and remember to label every box. You can also make a note of what’s inside each one. There are free apps that let you do this on your phone, or you can write it on labels and stick them to the boxes.
Find out about your new area, including local schools and other places you may need.
If you have children who are at school, start getting things ready to move them to a new school if needed. Don’t forget to order any new uniform they may need.
If you want to move your phone or broadband to your new home, tell your supplier as early as you can, because it can take a few weeks to set up.
When you move in, you might need to wait for your internet to be connected, so download anything important before you leave your old home. This could include appliance instructions, directions, or entertainment like films and favourite shows for your family.
If you don’t have internet at first, you may be able to use your phone as a mobile hotspot. It won’t work as a long‑term fix, but it can help you keep things running until your broadband is ready
If you are moving to or from Service Family Accommodation you will need to cancel, move or rearrange your home liability insurance. All Service Family Accommodation must have cover for up to a minimum of £20,000.
If you are leaving Service Family Accommodation and you had a pre‑payment meter put in for gas or electricity, you must change it back before you move out. This is very important, because if you don’t, you may have to pay extra charges when you leave.
Pre Move In - In the last four weeks before moving
If you are packing your own things, it helps to label the boxes. You might also want to make a checklist so you know exactly what is in each one.
If you are moving from Service Family Accommodation, it is important that you repair any scrapes, scratches, nail holes, or marks left by your own furniture, shelving or pictures
Tell your friends and family your new address. You should also tell:
– Your bank, insurance company, and credit card companies
– The council and the electoral roll
– TV Licensing
– DVLA – change the address on your driving licence and your vehicle registration form
– Your GP and dentist if you are changing them
– Online shops like Amazon and any supermarket delivery services you use
You may also want to set up Royal Mail redirection for your post. Make sure you do this early, as it needs at least 5 days’ notice.
You will need to register with new services if your new home is in a different area. These may include:
– Schools and childcare
– GP and dentist
– Your new local Council if this has changed
Moving Out
Tell your gas, electricity, phone, and broadband suppliers that you are moving out, and give them the date you are leaving. On the day you move, take a final meter reading and send it to the right suppliers. Taking a photo of the meter can help, as the picture will show the date and prove what the reading was.
Make sure all windows are locked and secured.
Label all keys and remove all old house keys from your keyring
After everything has been packed go through all the drawers and cupboards in every room and check the garage and shed if you have one.
Moving day essentials
Handy packing list
On the day you move you might want to keep the following items with you:
– Important documents, such as passports, birth certificates, and marriage certificates
– Bank cards and any papers with your bank information
– Medication
– Phones, computers, and chargers
– Toilet paper and bin bags
– Tea, coffee, and milk for your new home
– A change of clothes
– Snacks and water
– Anything your pets might need
– Your child’s special toy or blanket
– Jewellery
– Any other valuables and items you cannot replace
– Make sure the property is clean before you leave
Move-In Appointment
On the day you move in, your Housing Officer will meet you at your new home. They will show you around the house and give you your keys. This is called your move in appointment.
You book your move in date and time on the e-1132 system, on the Defence Intranet.
The appointment should take about an hour. It is there to help you settle into your new home as quickly as possible.
If you are moving to a new SFA home because of a new assignment or for personal or service reasons, please remember this when planning your move:
You can only be the licensee for both homes for up to 14 days. After 14 days, you will be charged for both homes at the same time.
On the day you move in, your Housing Officer will meet you at your new home and show you how where everything is.
They will help you fill in the digital Move‑In Form. This form is used to note down:
– Anything that needs fixing
– Your meter readings
– Recent safety checks
– Your contact details.
At the end of the appointment, you will be asked to sign the form to show that you are happy your new home meets the move‑in standard.
Your Housing Officer will walk around your new home with you. They will show you important things and explain how they work, such as:
– The hot water switch and thermostat
– What type of fuel your home uses (for example: gas, LPG, oil, or heat pumps)
– The boiler, heating controls, and how to check the radiators
– Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and how to test them
– The electricity unit and how to safely switch off or reset it
– The mains water stopcock and how to turn off the water
– The gas emergency switch and how to use it
– Your gas meter and key (if you have one)
– The cooker and its controls
– Any extractor fans and how to use them
– Switches for outside lights
– How to get into any garage or shed, and making sure they are empty
– How the locks work and checking them with you
This tour helps you get to know your new home. If you have any questions, just ask your Housing Officer.
If you can’t go to your move‑in appointment, don’t worry. You can choose someone to go for you. This person can be your husband/wife, partner, or another serving person. To do this, you need to add their details to the e‑1132 system.
If someone goes in your place, they must bring ID to the appointment.
If you need to change your move‑in date, you can also do this on the e‑1132 system. If you can’t access the system, please contact our Home Services team as soon as you can.
14 day welcome visit
At your move in appointment, we will arrange another visit for about 14 days later. This gives you time to move in, settle, and think of any questions about your new home. The visit takes about an hour. Your Housing Officer will check how you are getting on, and you will fill in a 14 Day Observation Form together. This form is used to record any small problems you have noticed and any requests you would like to make. If you spot any issues in the first 14 days that do not need a repair, you can tell us at the 14 day visit and we will note them down. But if something does need fixing, like a leaking tap, please contact us straight away so we can arrange a repair with DIO’s contractors, Amey or VIVO.
We find that seeing you in person usually works best, but if this is not possible, we can do the visit remotely instead.
You will arrange the visit with your Housing Officer at your move‑in appointment.
Moving standards
These standards were created by everyone involved in providing your Service Family Accommodation. They follow the Government’s Decent Homes Standard. Your Housing Officer will explain what you need to do at your pre move out appointment. It is very important that you complete any jobs you are asked to do, or you may be charged. To avoid charges when you move out, make sure you follow the advice from your Housing Officer. You will have at least 28 days between your pre move out visit and your move out appointment to make any changes. Remember to check your home against the full move out standards and finish the list of work you agreed with your Housing Officer.
SFA charges and Contribution in Lieu of Council Tax (CILOCT)
Your accommodation charges start when you move in. These charges are usually taken through JPA (Joint Personnel Administration).
If you live in SFA but do not have a JPA account, the Pinnacle Home Services Team will send your details to the DIO Recoverable Team. They will post you an invoice and arrange payment with you directly.
For example, you may not have a JPA account if you are:
– An Exchange Officer
– F&C personnel
– A civilian licence holder
– A CVWW worker
Contribution in Lieu of Council Tax (CILOCT) is paid by all families living in SFA or SSFA. This is collected by the MOD through JPA once your accommodation charges have started.
If you have any problems with your CILOCT charges, please speak to your unit HR first.
Important Information
When you move in, we will give you some important documents for your home. These include the manuals and instructions for your boiler, heating, hot water, and cooker. We will also give you copies of the landlord’s gas safety certificate (CP12) and the electrical inspection report.
We want your home to be safe and comfortable. Our teams work hard to get it ready before you arrive.
Amey (in the North and Central areas) and VIVO (in the South East and South West) carry out work on your home before you move in. They follow the same move‑in standards for every home. This means all homes get the same checks before we give you the keys.
These standards were created by the main organisations that look after your Service Family Accommodation (SFA): DIO, Pinnacle, Amey and VIVO. They are also in line with the Government Decent Homes Standard.
When you move in, your Housing Officer will show you around your home and check that it meets the move‑in standards. If you notice any problems after you move in, you can tell your Housing Officer at the 14‑day welcome visit.
If you need any repairs, please report them straight away, don’t wait until the 14‑day visit.
On your move‑in day, your Housing Officer will take photos of your gas and electricity meters and write down the readings. One of the first things you need to do is contact the gas and electricity companies to give them these readings. This makes sure you only pay for the energy your family uses and helps you set up your own account. We cannot do this for you.
If you have moved into a MOD fuel‑supplied home, you can find more information at In my home – Gas and energy – Pinnacle Service Families.
If you do not know who supplies your energy, you can via Ofgem.
Once you have told the current suppliers your meter readings, you can choose to switch to a different energy provider if you want to.
You must pay for energy from the day you, or your proxy, signed for the keys to your home. You can find more information about gas and energy management here.
What if my move in goes wrong?
We know there is a lot to think about when moving house, and we want everything to go well for you and your family. Your home should meet the move in standards. If it doesn’t, you must tell your Housing Officer at your move in appointment. You might also notice problems after you move in. If something needs fixing, please raise a repair request straight away and it will be sent to one of DIO’s contractors, Amey or VIVO. If it is not a repair issue, you can tell your Housing Officer at the 14 day welcome visit.
Sometimes, when you move into your new home, there may be a problem that you notice that doesn’t stop you from living there. If this happens, your Housing Officer will write it down on your Move In Form. This type of problem is called a “habitable fault.”
We will arrange for the problem to be fixed by DIO’s maintenance teams, Amey or VIVO.
If your new home does not meet the move-in standard, you may be able to get compensation in some situations.
Sometimes a home may not be safe to live in when you are meant to move in. This is rare, but if it happens, we will work with DIO’s maintenance teams, Amey and VIVO, to fix the problem as quickly as possible.
If your home cannot be lived in, you may need temporary accommodation, you may receive compensation.
Your home is classed as unfit to live in (uninhabitable) if any of the following problems are found:
– Glass in doors or windows that is not safety glass
– Flats that do not have fire-safe doors where they are needed
– Stairs that do not have safe handrails or balustrades
– No proper worktop space
– Not enough tiles behind worktops or the cooker
– Cooker placed in a dangerous position
– No suitable space or plumbing for a washing machine or fridge
– A fridge space placed next to a cooker
– A heating system that does not work, especially between October and May, or at any time if someone vulnerable lives with you
– Major damage inside the home, like a collapsed ceiling
– No working water, gas, or electricity (if the problem only affects your home)
– Any serious health or safety risk
– A major hygiene problem that could make you ill
– A big roof leak letting water into the home
– An unsafe electrical system
During your move-in appointment, your Housing Officer will check your home carefully to make sure everything is safe and working.
If any uninhabitable faults are found, you won’t be able to move in until the problem is fixed by Amey or VIVO.
In this situation, we will provide alternative accommodation for you and your family.
If your new home has a serious problem that cannot be fixed in time for your move-in appointment, your Housing Officer will arrange another place for you to stay.
You may be offered:
– A temporary, fully furnished SFA home nearby (if one is available), or
– A different permanent SFA home
If you need to move into alternative accommodation, our Home Services team can arrange for your removals company to store your belongings and bring them back when your proper home is ready.
If there are no temporary homes available, we will arrange for you and your family to stay in a nearby hotel. If this happens, your Housing Officer will keep in close contact with you to make sure you have the support you need.
Your SFA charges
The amount you pay for your SFA home depends on the type of property and its band. You will also need to pay:
– A contribution instead of Council Tax
– A charge for a garage (if you have been given one)
– A charge for furniture (if you use it)
All charges are worked out per day and are taken monthly. This means that the charges for August will be taken from your August Statement of Earnings at the end of the month.
If you move in or out of a home, your charges will change. These changes will show on your next Statement of Earnings, depending on when the pay run happens.
Below are two documents that explain the current charges, which introduced on 1 April 2024:
If you spot any problems with your SFA charges or need help, please email:
caascharges@pinnacleservicefamilies.co.uk