Responsibilities for repairs

As a social housing landlord, we’re here to keep your home safe, secure, and in good condition, but there are some areas of home maintenance that you’re responsible for. It's important to know what you should take care of and what you should ask us to repair.

Listed below are some of the most common repairs and areas of home maintenance. In each example you'll see who is responsible for upkeep and repair. Please be aware that these are general examples and you should check your tenancy agreement for any specifics. Please contact us if you’d like a new copy of your tenancy agreement.

Defects in a new-build home

We’re responsible for repairing any defects or 'snags' if you're a social housing tenant living in a new-build home. For example, doors that stick or don’t close properly.

Not a social housing tenant?

Find out about responsibility for repairs if you’re a private tenant, leaseholder or shared owner.

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You can use our quick links below to jump to the repairs category you want to explore.

Bathrooms, kitchens, and plumbing

Bathrooms and kitchens

We’re responsible for repairs to:

  • sinks, baths, showers, toilets, and taps
  • worktops and kitchen units
  • wall tiles (three rows above kitchen worktops)
  • waste outlets for washing machines and dishwashers
  • creating space for a washing machine
  • extractor fans.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for the repair and maintenance of:

  • sink and bath plugs and chains
  • showerheads and shower curtains
  • bathroom cabinets and mirrors
  • toilet roll and towel holders
  • fittings and taps installed by you
  • appliances you own, like your washing machine and dishwasher.
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Plumbing, leaks, and blockages

We’re responsible for repairs to:

  • taps fitted by us
  • water mains, pipes, and waste pipes
  • immersion heaters, if the property is electric heated
  • waste outlets for washing machines and dishwashers
  • cold water storage tanks
  • external drains and septic tanks

As our tenant, you’re responsible for the repair and maintenance of:

  • washing machine hoses
  • minor blockages to sinks, baths and toilets.
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Help for dealing with blockages

  1. Try to clear the blockage using a plunger or drain-cleaning products.
  2. Speak to your neighbours to see if they have the same problem.
  3. Contact your water supplier if there is an overflowing manhole outside. It could mean that a shared drain is blocked.

If you’ve followed these steps but haven’t been able to clear the blockage, you should contact us to request a repair. However, you may be charged if you caused the blockage.

Plumbing guides and videos

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Inside your home 

Interiors and decoration

We’re responsible for repairs to:

  • walls, ceilings, and plaster
  • internal doors, frames, thresholds, architraves, and stops
  • flooring, floorboards, floor joints, and skirting boards
  • stairs and handrails
  • external door locks and bolts
  • built-in cupboards
  • fixing damage caused by our repairs.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for the repair and maintenance of:

  • decorating and your own decorative finishes or furnishings
  • minor defects or imperfections in plaster
  • locks, letterboxes, and door furniture fitted by you
  • floor coverings fitted by you.
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Electrics

We’re responsible for repairs to:
  • storage heaters, convector heaters, and electric fires
  • hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • individual door-entry systems
  • electrical testing
  • light fittings.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for the repair and maintenance of:

  • your own electric appliances, fires, and heaters
  • installing new intruder alarms
  • light bulbs.
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Condensation, damp, and mould

We’re responsible for:

  • conducting surveys
  • cleaning affected areas with fungicidal wash
  • clearing blocked air vent
  • cleaning or replacing filters and duct systems in ventilation
  • installing extractor fans as needed.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for preventing and dealing with condensation and mould.

Find out about managing condensation and mould.

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Pest control and specialist surveys

We’re responsible for:

  • removing pests from communal areas
  • removing pests from your home
  • sealing openings that allow pests in to your home
  • structural surveys if you’ve reported cracking or structural problems
  • damp and disrepair surveys
  • woodworm, dry and wet-rot treatment
  • removing or containing asbestos identified by an asbestos survey.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for removing pests and preventing infestations in your home.

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Outside your home

Roofs

We’re responsible for:

  • keeping the roof watertight
  • chimney breasts, stacks, and flues
  • gutters, downpipes and gulleys
  • loft hatches
  • replacing insulation where we removed it to do work.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for maintenance of TV aerials and satellite dishes.

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Windows, doors and outside walls

  • keeping windows, doors, and walls watertight
  • misted double glazing (doors and windows)
  • installing window locks for health and safety reasons
  • patio and balcony doors
  • conservatories and lean-tos made by us
  • ironmongery, catches, hinges and stays.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for glazing (windows and doors with glass panes), if you’ve damaged it. You’re also responsible for any conservatories and lean-tos made by you.

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Outside areas and buildings

We’re responsible for maintaining and repairs of:

  • boundary walls and fencing
  • drives and paths from the boundary access to the front and rear door
  • retaining walls
  • garages and permanent outbuildings.

If we repair fences, we may replace wooden fences with wire and post fences.

As our tenant, you’re responsible for:

  • garden maintenance
  • dividing fences
  • fence upgrades and new fences or gates (where not present before)
  • sheds and structures put up by you
  • paths, drives and patios made by you
  • non-access concrete and paved areas or perimeter paths.
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Communal areas

We’re responsible for maintaining and repairs of:

  • internal communal areas
  • doors and door-entry systems
  • letterboxes, cupboards, rubbish chutes, and bin stores
  • access routes to communal roofs
  • drying areas and equipment
  • parking areas, paved areas, and pedestrian bollards
  • communal boundary walls and fencing.

List of works – communal areas

We’re also responsible for the following, but contractors may do the work on our behalf:

  • gas appliances, boilers, and cylinders
  • immersion heaters, if the property is gas or oil heated
  • radiators and thermostatic radiator valves
  • timers and thermostats
  • pipework for the primary heating or hot water system
  • equipment covered under service contracts
  • lateral mains and high-voltage installations
  • intruder alarms, communal alarms and CCTV
  • street lighting within the curtilage of the block, if covered by a service contract
  • fire equipment, fire alarms, sprinklers, dry risers, and emergency lighting
  • barriers
  • generators
  • lightning protection
  • play areas
  • all arrest systems
  • pump stations or sewage treatment plants
  • specialist ventilation systems
  • remedial works following legionella testing
  • photovoltaic panels, if covered by a service contract
  • stair lifts and hoists
  • medical equipment
  • booster pumps
  • laundry equipment
  • asbestos surveys.
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Home maintenance

Helpful videos and guides for looking after your home.

Home safety

Essential home safety tips, including fire evacuation plans.

Planned improvement schemes

Learn more about how we improve our properties.