Repairs and maintenance

Repair responsibilities

Most minor repairs are your responsibility to fix, but some repairs are our responsibility.

A broken window

When you rent a home from us, there are some things you’re responsible for maintaining and repairing to keep your home in a good condition and other things that we’re responsible for as your landlord.

The information below will help you identify your responsibilities, but you can find details of all your repair and maintenance responsibilities in your tenancy agreement.

Inside your home

Kitchen

You are responsible for:

  • cleaning your kitchen
  • cleaning kitchen extractor fan vents
  • installing, repairing and replacing washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers
  • repairing and replacing electric or gas cooking appliances you have installed
  • ensuring appliances are installed correctly and any damage caused during installation is repaired
  • installing waste pipes on washing machines and dishwashers
  • installing vents on tumble dryers
  • replacing sink plugs and chains
  • unblocking your sink

We are responsible for:

  • repairing leaking sinks and taps
  • repairing kitchen cabinet doors and drawers

Bathroom/WC

You are responsible for:

  • cleaning your bathroom
  • cleaning bathroom extractor fan vents
  • replacing bath and sink plugs and chains
  • repairing and replacing loose or broken toilet seats
  • replacing flush handles
  • replacing bath panels
  • replacing showerheads
  • fitting shower curtains
  • unblocking sinks, baths and toilets
  • renewing silicone sealant around baths, sinks and showers

We are responsible for:

  • repairing leaking baths, showers, sinks, taps and toilets

Heating and plumbing

You are responsible for:

  • setting your heating controls
  • bleeding radiators
  • preventing your pipes from freezing or bursting in cold weather
  • knowing how to turn off your water stop tap

We are responsible for:

  • installing central heating systems
  • repairing and servicing your boiler and central heating system (including gas pipes)
  • repairing fireplaces
  • unblocking main drains up to the soil stack

Electrics

You are responsible for:

  • changing light bulbs and tubes
  • reattaching light pull cords
  • testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replacing batteries
  • resetting trip switches in your fuse box

We are responsible for:

  • installing a smoke alarm
  • repairing sockets and switches
  • servicing your electrical wiring

Doors and windows

You are responsible for:

  • adjusting doors
  • adapting doors to accommodate carpet

We are responsible for:

  • replacing door thresholds
  • repairing window sills
  • replacing window catches, fasteners, sash cords and locks
  • repairing window frames
  • renewing glazing putty

Internal walls, floors, ceilings and stairs

You are responsible for:

  • keeping the interior of your home clean and tidy using suitable cleaning products
  • painting and decorating
  • repairing minor cracks in plaster
  • repairing fixtures you have put in or fixtures you have damaged
  • replacing cracked or broken wall tiles you have installed
  • fitting curtains and blinds
  • cleaning carpets and floors
  • replacing carpets and floors you have fitted

We are responsible for:

  • repairing plasterwork
  • repairing structural issues with walls, floors, ceilings and stairs
  • repairing skirting boards
  • replacing floor coverings that we have installed

Condensation and mould

You are responsible for:

You are responsible for preventing and controlling condensation in your home. Read our guide to find out how to keep your home free from condensation and mould.

Pests

Pests in your home

Keeping your home clean and tidy will help avoid pest infestations. If you do have pests in your home, such as ants, cockroaches or mice, it’s your responsibility to deal with the problem. Your local authority can often help you deal with pests. You can help keep your home pest-free by:

  • wiping kitchen surfaces and floors regularly
  • clearing away food and rubbish
  • keeping bin lids shut
  • checking your pets for fleas
  • checking your external walls for holes or gaps around service pipes where pests could get inside your home, and letting us know if you spot any areas we need to repair

Pests in communal areas

We’ll deal with pests in communal areas such as cockroaches, rats and wasps, as part of your service charge. We’ll be looking out for pests during our cleaning and grounds maintenance visits, but please get in touch if you see evidence of pests in shared areas.

Outside your home

Doors, windows and locks

You are responsible for:

  • getting new keys and changing the locks if you lose your keys or get locked out
  • installing and maintaining doorbells
  • replacing house numbers and door knockers
  • repairing letterboxes
  • fitting draught excluders
  • cleaning your windows
  • replacing smashed, damaged or faulty window panes

We are responsible for:

  • replacing faulty front and back doors
  • repairing external door frames
  • repairing post boxes in blocks of flats
  • replacing broken glass (a crime reference number must be provided)
  • replacing door locks if they break through normal use

Gardens, sheds, fences and garages

You are responsible for:

  • cutting the grass in your front and back garden
  • looking after garden paths and patios
  • looking after trees in your garden
  • installing and maintaining sheds
  • replacing broken washing lines
  • repairing damaged fences (we will only repair fences if they border a public right of way and your tenancy agreement states that we are responsible)
  • replacing garage door pulls

We are responsible for:

  • repairing pathways, steps and means of access
  • maintaining garages that are part of the property
  • maintaining stores that are part of the property
  • maintaining brick sheds and outhouses that we have provided
  • replacing gates, hinges and latches that we have installed
  • repairing brick garden walls

Foundations, external walls, roofs and drainage

You are responsible for:

  • clearing rainwater gully grids
  • installing and maintaining TV aerials

We are responsible for:

  • repairing foundations
  • repairing external walls
  • repairing roofs
  • repairing chimneys
  • sweeping your chimney once a year (unless it is part of a central heating system)
  • maintaining drains and gutters

Communal areas

We are responsible for:

We are responsible for looking after communal areas. You can find out more by visiting our estate services page.

Utilities and energy

We are responsible for:

  • repairing external pipes
  • repairing energy generating equipment

Carrying out simple repairs and maintenance yourself

Our step-by-step guides will help you carry out simple repairs and maintenance at home if you are able to do so. This may avoid you needing to wait until we can send someone out to repair it for you.

Repairing deliberate damage or neglect

If we have to repair any deliberate damage to the property caused by you or visitors to your home or damage caused by you neglecting your responsibilities, you will be charged for the cost of this work.

Likewise, if we repair something that’s your responsibility, you will be charged the full cost. This is sometimes known as a recharge and we will advise you how this needs to be paid.

Examples of when we’ll charge the cost of our repairs back to you include:

  • if you lock yourself out of your house and need us to change the locks
  • if we have to replace smashed doors or windows
  • if you need us to unblock your sink or toilet
  • if you pull radiators off the wall

If your home was damaged by someone else, you may be covered for the unexpected repair costs by your home contents insurance. We don’t provide contents insurance, so it’s important you arrange your own cover as soon as you move into your home.