Your repair responsibilities

Your general responsibilities

You have certain general responsibilities:

to keep your property clean and in good decorative order inside, including repairing minor cracks or holes in walls or ceilings
to take action to prevent waste pipes (from sinks, baths or toilets) or drains becoming blocked. See Handy hints - blockages
to allow us access to your property to carry out repairs, annual safety checks and any inspections that are necessary
to repair and maintain any fixture, fitting or appliance you have put in including wastes, supply pipework and vents for washing machines, dishwashers and tumble driers
to take action to prevent and control condensation. See Handy hints - condensation
to take action to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting, mainly by using the heating system provided and lagging pipes
to make sure that no-one who lives in or visits your home causes any damage.

Damage and charging

If you, or anyone in your home (including visitors and children), cause damage to your home, we expect you to arrange and pay for it to be repaired.

You can get a good local contractor in or ask us to do the work. If you want us to do it you will have to pay the full cost before we start. If, for reasons of safety and security, we have to do repairs you are responsible for, we may charge you for the work.

If the damage is caused by a break-in or vandalism, we may arrange to have it repaired but you may have to pay for it. However, if you get a Crime Report Number from the Police you may be able to claim back the repair cost on your home contents insurance.

If you decide to leave your home, we will charge you for any repairs that need to be done because you have not looked after it properly.

Your responsibilities in your home

You are responsible for keeping your home clean and properly decorated, and for some repairs:

replacing lost or stolen keys, and changing locks if you get locked out
fitting extra locks, doorbells, letterboxes, spyholes and door knockers
replacing light bulbs
repairing or replacing curtain rails
repairing privacy panels and fences between neighbouring gardens, and any paths which are not main paths to your door
replacing toilet roll holders
trying to clear blockages in wastepipes or toilets
repairing minor cracks to wall plaster or plasterboard walls
replacing plugs or chains to baths, basins and sinks
replacing batteries in battery operated smoke detectors
replacing floor coverings such as tiles, carpets or laminate

If you are elderly or disabled and have no-one who can help you, we may do some tasks for you, or put you in touch with other organisations that can help.

If you are unsure about your responsibilities, please contact the Housing Contact Centre.