Responsibilities

From time to time the inside and outside of your home will require repairs. Below is your guide to repairs that are your responsibility as part of your tenancy agreement.

Outside your home:

• Your private garden if you have one (including greenery and small trees)
• replacing clothes lines and posts (unless in a shared area) keeping gully grids clear
• any fixtures or features in your garden that you have installed (i.e decking or sheds)

Inside your home:

Appliances

• installing and repairing all appliances

Blockages, bathrooms and kitchens

• clearing blockages in toilets, basins, baths
• handles, hinges and catches in kitchens and bathrooms 
• cleaning extractor fan vents
• toilet seats
• plugs and chains on baths, basins and sinks
• shower heads and hoses, shower rails and curtains.

Doors windows and locks

• additional security, including extra locks or bars
• adjusting doors when you have new floor coverings
• broken glass in windows unless the result of vandalism or a break-in (for which you have a crime reference number)
• doors inside your home, including handles, hinges and locks. Many doors are designed to be fire doors so please do not remove these. Please contact us before you make changes to doors if you are not clear.
• door knockers, handles and bells (excluding in any shared areas or any that have been adapted for disabled users)
• new keys or changing locks then you lose your keys, get locked out or a lock has broken
• oiling of hinges on windows and doors
• draft proofing

Other

• bleeding radiators
• re setting trip switches
• filling in minor cracks or holes (smaller than 3mm) in internal walls
• floor coverings and finishes including laminate or hard wood flooring. We are not responsible for unavoidable damage caused to flooring as a result of carrying out necessary maintenance works. We strongly recommend that you do not install solid or difficult to remove floorings for this reason. See our Hard wood flooring advice sheet if you are considering changing your flooring.
• hooks, curtain rails, blinds and shelves
• internal decorating
• replacing light bulbs and florescent tubes (unless in shared areas or in sealed light fittings)
• testing and cleaning smoke detectors that you have fitted (we are responsible for the ones we have fitted)
• TV sockets and aerials except for shared aerials.

Other responsibilities you have

• If damage is caused by you or a member of your household or a visitor to your home, it is your responsibility to repair it.
• If your home is damaged by a third party we will make your home safe but we will only be able to carry out work if you have a crime reference number (not an incident number).
• We only insure your building. Contents insurance is your responsibility. See here for more detail.
• You must seek permission before making alterations to your home. See here for more detail.
• Keeping your home clean and tidy to a reasonable standard and letting us know about repairs that are needed to make sure that we can take action at an early stage.
• Ventilating your homes and taking action to prevent condensation and pipes from freezing and bursting.
• Setting heating and boiler controls.