Tenants' responsibilities for repairs

Description of tenants' responsibilities for housing repairs.

As a tenant, some repairs are your responsibility, but others are the council's. Here's a list of the main ones that are your responsibility.

Tenant responsibilities

Bathrooms

  • Shower curtain or screen
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No
  • Sink or bath plug, or plug chain, broken or missing
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes
  • Toilet seat
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes

Curtains

  • Putting up curtain pole, rail or track replacement
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes (must be supplied by tenant)

Decorating the interior of your home

  • If any repairs works damage your existing decorations, we will only redecorate the area disturbed. This includes pre-tiled areas.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Doors

  • Repairs to internal doors (except kitchen doors)
    Kitchen door is a fire door.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes
  • Door chain broken or missing
    If the door is a FED30 (30-minute fire door) or FED60 (60-minute fire door) this repair will be done by H&F Maintenance and will be recharged to tenant.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes
  • Door bolt, padlock, hasp and staple broken or missing
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes
  • Damaged or missing letter box
    If the door is a FED30 (30-minute fire door) or FED60 (60-minute fire door) this repair will be done by H&F Maintenance and will be recharged to tenant.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes
  • Door viewer broken
    If the door is a FED30 (30-minute fire door) or FED60 (60-minute fire door) this repair will be done by H&F Maintenance and will be recharged to tenant.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes

Domestic appliances

  • Installing domestic appliances such as a washing machine or cooker
    Please use reputable trades people and a gas safe engineer for any gas appliances. The removal and disposal of any white goods and any making good is the responsibility of the tenant.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Fencing

  • Unless communal or abutting the public pathway or highway.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes

Flooring

  • Exceptions are kitchen, bathroom and toilet flooring where we will supply standard slip resistant flooring.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Gardens

  • Private gardens (trees and any foliage)
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Garage

  • Forced entry to garage
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes

Gates

  • Unless communal
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes

Glazing

  • Windows
    We will make the glazing safe by reboarding and will reglaze where the damage is the result of a crime, and you have confirmation from the police (crime reference number).
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes
  • Doors
    If the door is a FED30 (30-minute fire door) this repair will be done by H&F Maintenance and will be recharged to tenant.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes

Keys

  • Lost keys (front entrance door and communal doors)
    If the door is a FED30 (30-minute fire door) or FED60 (60-minute fire door) this repair will be done by H&F Maintenance and will be recharged to tenant.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes (but may be recharged if common occurrence - we will look at the root cause)

Maintaining items that you provided yourself

  • For example furniture or a washing machine
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

+Non-living areas

  • Basements, large cupboards, storage areas and loft space
    We will only carry out essential works to maintain the fabric of the building, such as damp works.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

+Repairs to improvements

  • Repairs to any improvements you have previously made such as taps or douche
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Sheds

  • Pram sheds and sheds not attached to property
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Wear and tear

  • Damage caused by you or guests
    We will recharge the cost of repairing any deliberate damage caused by you or your guests if you are unable to do so.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Joint H&F Council and tenant responsibilities

Drainage

  • Blocked bath, basin, sink or toilet
    If blockage has been caused by tenant behaviour such as putting fat down sink, flushing nappies – we will recharge the cost of clearing the blockage.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: Yes
  • Blocked drainage (street properties)
    If blockage has been caused by tenant behaviour such as putting fat down sink, flushing nappies – we will recharge the cost of clearing the blockage.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

H&F Council responsibilities

Decorating the exterior of your home

  • This is normally done as part of a planned programme.
    Eligible for discretionary repairs: No

Notes

+Before any alterations or improvements are done permission needs to be obtained from H&F Council. Please contact your local housing office for advice before doing any works.

Eligibility for discretionary repairs

There are a selection of repairs (above) that would normally be the tenant's responsibility that we will agree to do to help sustain tenancies for those falling into the following categories:

1. The tenant or a member of their household is 67 years of age or over.

Or

2. Any member of the household is in receipt of and can provide proof of:

  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - higher rate of the mobility component or the medium or higher rate of the care component
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) enhanced rate of the mobility component or enhanced rate of the daily living component
  • Attendance Allowance (higher or lower rate)
  • War Disablement Pension
  • Local authority registered care package
  • voluntary or statutory agency providing support
  • H&F Council internal referral.

Translate this website