Before you report a repair, it’s worth checking who is responsible for the repair – yourself or your landlord. When you report a repair, please check who manages your tenancy so you can get in touch with the right people and your repair can be dealt with.

You can report a repair in person, by phone or email, on our website, or on the tenants’ portal – whichever is easiest for you.

As a tenant, you’re responsible for some repairs and maintenance of your home, including, but not limited to:

• Keeping your home clean, well-decorated and well-ventilated to prevent condensation.
• Maintaining and general upkeep of the garden.
• Allowing access for annual inspections and legally required safety checks.
• Reporting vandalism or criminal damage to the police and providing a crime reference number.
• Taking reasonable steps to prevent further damage once a repair is needed.
• Repairing, replacing and maintaining window blinds once the defects period has expired and any items you’ve installed yourself (such as shelves or radiator covers).
• Moving personal belongings if needed before major works are carried out.
• Replacing lost front door keys, unless you provide us with a crime reference number. We will replace lost communal keys.

You are also responsible for carrying out minor repairs and maintenance, such as:

• Replacing small fixtures (for example doorbells, shower curtains, toilet seats, bath plugs, shower hoses/heads and smoke alarm batteries).
• Replacing broken or cracked glass, unless you provide us with a crime reference number. Without this, we will temporarily board up the windows for your own safety.
• Resetting trip switches, changing light bulbs or tubes and bleeding radiators.
• Clearing minor blockages in sinks, toilets, pipes or gullies.
• Cleaning shower heads.
• Tightening or adjusting hinges and catches on doors and cupboards.
• Repairing small cracks or holes in walls and ceilings.
• Maintaining and replacing white goods, as confirmed in the disclaimer you signed when you moved in, which can be found in Appendix A (Inventory of Furniture and Effects).

Always check your tenancy agreement for full details. If you need additional support, please contact us.

As a social landlord, we are responsible for structural repairs, repairs to essential supplies (such as water, gas, electricity) and any repairs where there could be a health and safety risk. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Repairing and maintaining the structure of the property (chimney, roof, walls, floors and stairs). This includes inspecting trees that have caused structural damage to the property or boundary, to decide whether pruning or removal is necessary.
• Carrying out annual gas safety checks for every home with a gas supply.
• Looking after external parts to the property (such as gutters, paving, fences, brick outhouses, steps and paths leading to front or back doors).
• Repairing and replacing internal fixtures such as baths, sinks, kitchen units, pipes, wiring, fixtures and fittings for heating, power and lighting, drainage and mains-operated smoke detectors, skirting, worktops and floor tiles.
• Maintaining shared spaces including door entry systems, lifts, stairways, TV aerials and gardens.

Rechargeable repairs are when someone (either yourself, the people you live with or your visitors) damages, neglects or misuses your home. In this case, you could be charged for these repairs. If you have contents insurance, you may be able to claim money back from your insurance company.

• For accidental damage, we’ll discuss this with you, look at what needs to be done and give you an estimated cost before carrying out the work, so you know what to expect.
• For emergency damage, we’ll carry out the work straight away, but we may charge you afterwards.
• For criminal damage, through vandalism or a break-in, you must report it to the police and share the police crime reference number with us. If you don’t get this, you could be charged for the cost of the repair.

When we charge you for rechargeable repairs:

• We will tell you how much it will cost before the work is carried out, unless it’s an emergency repair.
• The contractor will ask you to sign a form which outlines the completed work and the cost. They should not ask you for money at this stage.
• We will send you an invoice to pay, which will include administration costs.