Repairs Responsibilities

Repairs And Maintenance 

Reporting repairs
Whenever you report a repair, please provide the following:
  • Your name and address.
  • A telephone number where you can be contacted during the day if necessary. 
  • Whether someone is normally home in the day and what time is best to catch someone in.
We are responsible for the for the following repairs:
  • The structure and landlord’s fixing and fitting.
  • The services (gas, electricity, water) and sanitation (including basins, sinks, baths and toilets). 
  • The installation of space heating and water heating, as long as we have installed or approved them.
The Repairs that are the Responsibility of the Tenants’
Any damage caused by misuse, abuse or negligence by you, your family or visitors are your responsibility. We may refuse to carry out such repairs, or we will recharge you the cost of carrying them out (to which an administration charge will be added).
If a recharge is proposed your signed acceptance of the charge will be sought BEFORE the repair is carried out.
An example of rechargeable repairs are:
  • Broken windows 
  • Lock changes 
  • Intentional damage
In addition to you being responsible for repairs caused by misuse, abuse or negligence, you are also generally responsible for the following repairs, often referred to as Tenants Responsibility repairs:
  • Door Bells
  • Curtain rails, coat hooks/racks 
  • Sink/bath plugs and chains 
  • W.C. seats and covers 
  • Internal cupboard door catches, hinges and handles (kitchen units/wardrobes) 
  • Electrical plugs (not sockets) fuses and light bulbs 
  • Smoke detectors (even if originally supplied by the council) and faulty or worn out batteries 
  • Additional lost or broken keys 
  • Internal decorations 
  • Lockouts
We will decorate the outside of your home and any shared landings and staircases in the communal areas on a five/six year programme.
We are not responsible for decorating the inside of your home, as this is one of your responsibilities to maintain. We expect it to meet a reasonable standard, and especially if the property before it is given up.
Properties are also inspected prior to a transfer to another address and a property found to be in poor decorative order could mean:
  • A requirement on you to redecorate prior to your move taking place; and/or
  • Your agreement to be recharged for us undertaking the work.

Right to Compensation for Improvements

If you do make improvements to your home you may be entitled to compensation for some of the costs of these improvements, when you leave your home.
Compensation will be paid with minimum and maximum limits set by the Government, based on:

  • The cost of the improvement 
  • Its expected life 
  • Its current age
Some points to note
  • The improvement must have been approved by the council and inspected. 
  • Receipts for the work done must be retained. 
  • Compensation can be adjusted if: 
                - The cost of the improvement is excessive; and/or
                - There is a greater wear and tear than would be expected. 
  • If your tenancy ends because of court action and we repossess your home, compensation will not normally be paid.
Qualifying Improvements
  • Bath or Shower
  • Washbasin
  • Toilets
  • Kitchen Sink
  • Storage cupboards in bathroom or kitchen
  • Work surfaces for food preparation
  • Space or water heating
  • Thermoplastic radiator valves
  • Insulation of pipes, water tank or cylinder
  • Loft insulation
  • Draught proofing of external doors and windows
  • Double glazing or other window replacement or secondary glazing
  • Rewiring or the provision of power and lighting or other electrical fittings  
  • Smoke detectors, including wiring and fittings
  • Security measures excluding burglar alarms
  • Brick/concrete garages

Gardens

You are responsible for looking after your garden. This includes keeping the lawn, hedges and trees maintained, irrespective of whether you planted the trees or hedges yourself. You should also make sure that you do not allow rubbish to accumulate. We do not expect them to be reasonably tidy. This is out of concern to your neighbours as much as it is to us, as many tenants contact us to say how embarrassed they are for friends and relatives to visit them if their neighbours’ garden is an eyesore.
If you are no longer able to maintain your garden as well as you would like, there may be a scheme in your area that offers a low cost gardening service. Please contact the Citizens Advice Bureau or your Estate Officer for further help.
 
Disposal of Rubbish in Communal Living
Some of our blocks of flats have a rubbish chutes. To ensure that the chute does not become blocked, please wrap all rubbish in small parcels or bags. Under no circumstances should rubbish be left on communal landings or thrown from balconies or windows. This is unfair on other tenants in the block, as rubbish can smell; it may attract flies, and is sometimes broken up by cats etc. It is also and eye sore for your neighbours and is unfair on them especially if they do dispose of their rubbish correctly. Please respect your neighbours.
Disposal of Rubbish (Wheelie bins)
Large items of rubbish, such as old furniture, which cannot be fitted into the bin or chute, can be disposed of at the ‘Tidy Tips’. If you cannot get to a tip, the council does provide a service for collecting large items but a charge is usually made for this. You can contact Environmental Services who provide this service on 01582 472222.
Condensation
If your home is damp or you find patches of mould on walls, furnishings or clothes this might be caused by condensation.
Condensation is caused by moisture carried in warm air hitting a cold surface, such as a wall or glass. As the air rapidly cools down it holds less water vapour, which condenses to form water droplets.
Most homes get some condensation but if it is allowed to continue it can lead to mould growth and damage to your decorations. If you notice damp in your home, please let us know and we can inspect to find the cause.
What can you do to avoid excessive condensation
  • Close your kitchen and bathroom doors, especially when cooking, bathing, washing and drying clothes. Let the warm, damp air out by using an extractor from or opening the window slightly.
  • Keep your home heated throughout
  • Avoid using calor gas or paraffin heaters, which will produce large amounts of water vapour and more condensation.
  • Don’t dry washing over radiators.
  • Wipe down window cills regularly to avoid mould growth (every morning in winter)
  • Use a mild bleach solution or detergent to wipe down black mould on window cills and frames.

Mutual Exchanges

As you are exercising a right to exchange properties, the council does not routinely carry out its usual repairs, although of course we are still responsible for any health and safety checks and repairs. More often than not, we are contacted once a mutual exchange had taken place, as items have been found to be missing. You need to protect yourself, and leave little to chance.