Planning for move-ins/outs and removals this summer
Summer is the busiest time of the year for housing allocations and removal activity. Our suppliers will always strive to meet your preferred dates, however because of the volume of requests, on occasions this is not always possible.
To help manage this busy time and ensure you have a smooth experience, we recommend families consider our advice and guidance when planning for move-ins/outs and removals:
Book your pre-move-out appointment with your Housing Officer as soon as you apply for your next SFA (at least 30 working days ahead of your scheduled move-out date). We have extended the time to complete a pre-move-out appointment from 14 to 30 working days, allowing more time for you to receive advice on moving-out and guidance to prepare your house in meeting the move-out standard. If circumstances allow, please only request services during the last week of July and first week of August if you are unable to move at any other time. These are particularly popular dates and tend to be fully booked in advance. We understand how important it is to receive your next allocation and status of your application as soon as possible. Pinnacle have 15 working days to process your request, we kindly ask you do not chase for an update before this timeframe. You can start planning your removal as soon as Assignment Orders are received via the Agility Portal. To start the process, you only need the location and not a confirmed delivery address. Once you have been allocated SFA, it is advised to confirm availability for removals before booking a move-in/out appointment.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Agility directly (remember to include your service number). For further guidance, please visit the Pinnacle website.
Identifying your local named Housing Officer
To help you easily find out who your local point of contact is and ensure you can speak to your Housing Officer over the phone when you most need advice or help about your SFA – a full list of Pinnacle’s Housing Officers (including a name and direct telephone number) has been made available on the Pinnacle website, or you can call the National Service Centre on 0800 031 8628 (option 4).
You can find FAQs on the Defence Homes website, if you would like to find out more about the role of a Housing Officer, when you might contact them and additional ways of getting in touch.
This is in support of the SFA Consumer Charter commitment to provide families with better and clearer communication, including a named Housing Officer for every service family who can be contacted about housing related queries. Progress is underway for the remaining commitments which are due to be in place by December 2025.
JLL stock condition surveys return
From 21 July – 1 September 2025, DIO have commissioned Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) to continue the Stock Condition Survey on 1,000 UK SFA homes across 20 sites. The homes selected will be of different types, age and condition.
If your SFA is selected, you will receive a notification letter from JLL at least 2 weeks before the intended date of the inspection, requesting your availability to allow the surveyor access to your property. The surveys will take a maximum of 1 hour.
Where possible, we greatly appreciate your cooperation if you can provide access to your property, as this will allow the surveyor to successfully carry out the survey and inform a detailed assessment of the condition of SFA homes.
Please note your home will not be selected if you have already taken part in a previous survey (from January 2025).
