Responsibilities

We’ll arrange for someone to fix and monitor the device or line.

We will take care of all electrical fixtures and fittings, including extractor fans, sockets, wiring, switches and light fittings.

If your home has been changed in any way to help with your disabilities, we will carry out repairs to minor adaptations such as grab rails.

If you require significant changes to your home to help with your disability, you’ll need to contact your Local Authority to arrange these adaptions, and we’ll work with you to get any changes made. You are also responsible for the maintenance and repair of anything installed to your home.

We will regularly clean any communal areas. Cleaning of your home, including shower heads and keeping drains clear is your responsibility.

All fitted appliances, fittings and white goods provided by us will be tested. It’s up to you to arrange testing for your own electrical items.

We will inspect communal fridges, freezers, and dryers weekly.
We will carry out annual safety checks of all gas appliances owned by us.

You are responsible for any domestic appliances that you own, including cookers, fridges, washing machines and dishwashers.

The responsibility for handling damp and mould is shared by us, as landlords, and you. We will provide specialist advice in complex cases and if needed carry out surveys and repairs.

There are certain daily activities that can cause excess moisture in your home, so it’s important to do what you can to prevent it from becoming a damp and mould problem  - see here for details.

We have a programme of work to maintain kitchen units, worktops, sinks and tiling - that includes full replacements, if required.

We will coordinate several routine inspections. This includes electrical and fire equipment checks, as well as testing for Legionella and other sewage treatment checks.

We are responsible for all repairs.

We will repair your shower and electric towel rail if they were provided by us, and any communal toilet seats. We provide new toilet seats when a new tenancy begins and you are responsible for these after you move in.

You are responsible for your towel rails, toilet roll holders, cabinets, plugs and chains. 

Please see more information about blockages below.

The responsibility for handling damp and mould is shared by us, as landlords, and you. We will provide specialist advice in complex cases and if needed carry out surveys and repairs.

There are certain daily activities that can cause excess moisture in your home, so it’s important to do what you can to prevent it from becoming a damp and mould problem  - see here for details.

You’ll need to have a reasonable attempt to clear all blockages. And please don’t throw nappies and wet wipes down the toilet or pour chip fat or oil down your kitchen sink.

We will take care of floor coverings in any communal areas, as well as in your kitchen, utility room and bathroom.

Apart from the kitchen, utility room and bathroom, you’re responsible for all the floors in your home. This includes any changes you need to make to your doors to accommodate new carpets. If your property was built pre 2000 we may need to check the floor tiles for asbestos before you start any work to replace them.

We won’t repair any shower heads, hoses or curtains.

You’ll need to replace shower heads, hoses and curtains if they break. Looking after them through regular cleaning will help avoid the need to replace them.

You are free to put up and maintain coat hooks, curtains and curtain rails.

You are responsible for any damage caused by you, your family or visitors to your home. Remember, you may be recharged if we have to repair damage to your home.

If you moved into an empty home - not via mutual exchange - since April 2022 it will be decorated neutrally throughout. We will bring any surface back to this standard after a repair. 

We will also, where needed, wash down and decorate external communal areas.

It’s up to you how you decorate your home. Just please make sure you leave it in good decorative order and painted in neutral colours when you leave.

We will look after the floor structures, including the floorboards and screed coverings.

As part of our annual programme, if your heating system breaks down or you need a new one, we’ll take care of it. Whether it’s gas, solar, air source, oil or electric storage heating, we’ll keep them up & running. This also includes any built-in fan heaters and hot water cylinders. We’ll also maintain any heating in communal areas.

We’ll make sure energy meters, flues and meter boxes are easy to access (keeping the area free from overgrown plants, for example). You can also ask us to relight any pilot lights that have gone out, or to give access to certain areas for annual services.

You need to ensure there’s enough fuel or energy supply for heating.

We will replace light bulbs and fluorescent tubes in communal areas when needed, and we will replace bulkhead light fittings in older persons' schemes too. If you’re unable to change lightbulbs inside your home, perhaps due to a disability, you can always ask us.

Unless you’re physically unable to, replacing bulbs, fluorescent tubes, starters and dimmer switches in your home is up to you.

If you find large cracks in plaster or render, we'll repair them.  If there is a structural issue, we'll involve our insurance company.

We’ll leave any cracks that are under 3mm wide (about the thickness of a £1 coin) to you.

If your smoke, heat or carbon monoxide detector needs its batteries replacing, we’ll do that. Similarly, we’ll also install them in new properties when we visit to carry out a gas service. It’s up to us to repair and replace any sealed, hardwire smoke detectors too.

It’s up to you to regularly test the batteries in these detectors.

It’s up to us to provide and maintain any telephone/aerial points & sockets in communal areas.

You’ll need to maintain any points or sockets that are inside your home.

We will monitor and manage any discarded items, including fly-tipping that’s on our land. There may be a change incurred if this happens.

We will make sure your front boundary is in keeping with neighbouring properties. Any repairs we carry out will match the existing fencing, but if a full replacement is needed this will likely be post and wire. Your rear boundary will be marked with a post and wire fence unless it borders a communal area in which case, we will provide 1.8m fencing with concrete posts.

We will take care of any repairs, such as replacement doors etc.

If you lose your keys, it’s up to you to cover the cost of a lock change or a set of new keys.

We carry out surveys and maintenance on all trees on our land to ensure they’re safe. We also take care of grounds maintenance and gardening in your communal areas.

Our Neighbourhood team have the tools and will remove graffiti from any buildings on our land. If it’s not Banksy, we will take it off. 

When the weather turns, we will take care of gritting and salting for our older person schemes.

We will clear and maintain septic tanks as required ... lucky you.

If the shed is made of bricks, we’ll take care of the repairs.

If it’s made of wood, it’s up to you to repair.

We’ll repair and replace any broken communal washing lines.

You’re responsible for your individual washing line.

We are responsible for internal and external doors, including hinges and external locks.

If you lose your keys, it’s up to you to cover the cost of a lock change or a set of new keys. 

We’ll routinely clear out the gutters and downpipes outside your home and repair them if they break.

We are responsible for all maintenance and repairs to lifts.

Anything to do with existing paths, roads, car parks and steps is our responsibility. That includes repair and replacement.

Upon finding out about structural damage to your home, we’ll carry out an initial investigation and diagnose any problems.

All you’ll need to do in the event of structural damage to your home is to let us know about it.

We’ll carry out repairs to meter box cupboards. For relocation of meters, please contact your service provider.

If there are walls which need repairing, repointing or rebuilding, we will take care of it all.

You don’t have to repair, repoint or rebuild any walls – what a relief!

We will repair any window locks which have broken, whether they’re internal or external. We can also replace window restrictors if required.

If you lose the keys to your window, you’ll need to buy replacement keys or a new lock as required.

We are responsible for any appliances installed by us, and any structural repairs, such as repointing or rebuilding. 

You are responsible for sweeping your chimney.

We will coordinate any upgrades to cavity wall and loft insulation. We’ll also replace any loft insulation if we removed any, due to a repair.

It's up to you to keep on top of any household pests in your home and garden.

However, if you live in a flat and find there’s a serious infestation causing damage to your flat from either bed bugs or rats, it’s best you ring us to sort it out.

Similarly, if there’s a pest in a communal area or sheltered property, like rodents, insects or wasps, give us a call.