Tenants are responsible for:

• telling us promptly when a repair is needed;
• letting us into the property to carry out repair work;
• contacting us promptly if an operative calls at their property while they are out and leaves a card

The tenant is responsible for any repair which arises as the result of action or inaction, wilful negligence or abuse by the tenant, members of their household or their visitors.

In the lists of specific repair responsibilities below, the repairs marked with a * may be carried out by us if there is no able-bodied person in the household. This is at the discretion of the responsive repairs team.

Electrical

Tenants are responsible for:

• electrical plugs and fuses to their own appliances;
• repairing or replacing smoke or carbon monoxide alarms, unless installed by the Council (tenants are responsible for regular testing of alarms);
• burglar alarms, unless installed by the Council;
• aerials (other than Council-provided communal aerials);
• replacement of non-communal light bulbs;
• repairing or replacing door bells, unless installed by us;
• cooking facilities, unless supplied by us;
• resetting trip switches. *

External

Tenants are responsible for:

• paths, other than those that serve a front or rear entrance to the property;
• installing and maintaining fencing, unless adjacent to the public highway;
• garden maintenance, other than those tenants eligible for the assisted garden scheme; and
• replacing clothes lines between posts (except in communal drying areas).

Plumbing and heating

Tenants are responsible for:

• draining down water systems before periods of absence in the winter months;
• adjustments to central heating clocks;
• sweeping chimneys and replacing ash pans, fire grates, fire bars and operating tools for solid fuel appliances (in addition to the annual sweep/service carried out by the Council or replacement once per year as a result of fair wear and tear);
• plugs and chains to sinks, bath and wash hand basins; *
• pipe work to washing machines; *
• cleaning and descaling sinks, baths, wash hand basins and external gulleys;
• replacing toilet seats; and *
• blocked wastes/toilets as the result of misuse. *

Doors and windows

Tenants are responsible for:

• locks, padlocks and latches to sheds, unless supplied by us;
• replacing lost keys, and gaining access and replacing locks if they get locked out;
• replacing window keys;
• additional security measures, such as bolts and safety chains;
• additional door furniture including house numbers, door knockers, pull handles and letter plates, unless these have been provided by us;
• adjusting internal doors after they have fitted floor coverings;
• window cleaning; and
• replacing cracked or broken glass. *

General

Tenants are responsible for:

• repairing or replacing any installation or fitting that they have undertaken themselves, unless adopted by us;
• repairing or replacing any installation or fitting that the previous tenant made without our permission (undaunted alteration), following an exchange;
• all internal decoration, including minor cracks or superficial damage to interior surfaces such as plasterwork; and
• decorative items such as curtain rails, picture rails, hangers and shelves.

Insurance

Tenants are responsible for any repairs that can be funded from their own insurance cover, including damage to the structure of the building.

Our repair responsibilities

As a landlord, we are responsible for the structure and outside of our properties including:

• drains, gutters and outside pipes;
• roofs and chimneys;
• doors, windows and outside walls;
• external paintwork;
• floors, ceilings and internal walls
•  paths and steps; and
• walls, fences and gates.

We are responsible for the gas, electricity and water installations in the home including:

• water heaters, fitted fires and central heating systems;
• electrical wiring, sockets and switches;
• internal pipes, baths, sinks, basins, toilets and showers; and
• other appliances (such as TV aerials) installed and owned by us.

We are responsible for common areas and facilities including:

• common entrances, halls, stairways and passageways;
• internal paintwork in common areas;
• play, parking, storage and any other external common areas; and
• lifts, rubbish chutes and entryphone systems.

We will ensure that any accidental or unavoidable damage caused by contractors when carrying out repair works will be made good. Damage caused to the property by the tenant will be recharged to the tenant.

Repairs in the defect period

Once the works involved in a building contract to build, refurbish, or carry out large scale major repairs are complete, there is a formal handover of responsibility for the property to us. A property is ready for handover when all works are complete and it is ready for occupation.

The defects period is for 12-months after handover, during which time the contractor remains responsible for maintenance works relating to the contractual defects to the property. Contractual defects have to be due to the physical breakdown of the property or its components, and the breakdown should have occurred through defective workmanship or materials.