Whose responsibility is it?

The Associations’ responsibilities

The rent you pay includes a contribution towards the cost of repairs and maintenance of your home.

It is the tenants’ responsibility to report all repairs to the Association’s office. The Association will not cover any items listed below if they have been broken, damaged or neglected by you, your visitors or any third party.

The Association will maintain:

• The structure and exterior of your home, for example, dangerous walls, blocked drains (if not the responsibility of your water company), gutters and external pipes, tiles blown off and roof leaks.

• The gas supply – for all gas leaks, turn off the mains supply immediately, open windows, ensure all naked flames are extinguished, then contact the local Gas Board. Telephone 0800 111 999.

• Plumbing and electrical systems – In case of emergency turn off the mains supply immediately a problem occurs, then report the fault to the Association.  ELECTRICITY AND WATER COMBINED IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

• Baths, basins, toilets and pipes, for example, burst pipes, leaks, faulty taps (not washers) flushing systems and blocked waste pipes or toilets (but only when the drain is blocked after the U bend). If the Association attends a blocked sink or toilet and the blockage is found to be as a result of something you have caused, you will be recharged for the cost of the call-out.

• Heating and the hot water supply equipment – for example, loss of your water supply, loss of heating and/or hot water.

• The security of your home – for example, broken or faulty external locks on doors and windows, window catches and door hinges. Where a break-in has occurred at your home and it needs to be made secure, i.e. a broken window that is usually the responsibility of the tenant, a police incident number must be obtained and given to the Association before we will attend.

• Banisters, handrails and stair treads

• Kitchen cupboards and work surfaces – this only applies to cases of fair wear and tear or after a flood/fire where base units may be damaged. It does not cover accidental or malicious damage by the tenant.

• Communal areas – for example, the lighting, heating, alarm systems and cleaning of communal areas in flats.

• Pathways, steps, hard standings – this only applies to those that were in place when the tenancy commenced and in communal areas.

• The annual servicing of gas and oil heating systems.

• Cyclical repairs – for example, external decorations.

The Association has a legal obligation to keep all of the above items in good repair.

Tenants’ responsibilities

The following are not the responsibility of the Association and you are expected to carry out these yourself:

• All internal decorations and generally maintaining your home and garden in a clean and tidy condition
• Burst pipes (if caused by your negligence)
• Adjusting doors for carpets
• Sink/bath chains and plugs
• Cookers, refrigerators or any household appliance that was not supplied by the Association.
• Light bulbs and fluorescent tubes (including special effects light bulbs)
• Fuses
• Replacement batteries in appliances such as gas fires and smoke detectors
• Fences, gates, sheds
• Blocked sinks or toilets
• Replacing broken glass in windows and doors
• Doorbells (if not connected to mains electricity or not installed by the Association)
• Curtain battens, hat/coat hook and rails
• All alterations to your home that you have asked permission to carry out at your own expense
• Any fault arising from any appliance or alteration which was provided by / carried out by you
• Damage caused regaining entry to your home by yourself or any other person (unless it is a break-in and you have a Police incident number)
• Replacement of any lost or broken keys
• Showers and shower guards
• Unblocking gutters and keeping them clear of debris

This list is not exhaustive – but if you are in any doubt over whose responsibility a repair is, please contact the office and we will advise you.

Please Note

As a tenant, you are responsible for ensuring that any of our nominated contractors visiting your home have a clean, hygienic and accessible work area to enable works to be carried out.

All of our contractor’s reserve the right to refuse to carry out works if they are not happy with the condition in which they are expected to work.

Also, if we have raised a repair for you and you then fail to return calls, fail to make an appointment or are not home for a scheduled appointment, we reserve the right to cancel the job.

You may also be charged for our contractor’s time in attempting to contact you or for attending an appointment for which you were not home.