Find out which repairs are your responsibility to fix, how to request a repair, how to give someone else permission to request repairs on your behalf and timescales for completion.
Repair responsibilities
Your tenancy agreement conditions set out the repair responsibilities for us as landlord and you as tenant. When you report a repair to us, we will assess if it is our responsibility and if not, we will tell you why.
Your responsibilities
You are responsible for some repairs to your property. Some of the common repairs are:
- filling small holes and cracks to walls and ceilings
- replacing locks or keys where the keys have been lost
- turning the water off in emergencies to control leaks
- keeping clear waste pipes to sinks, basins or baths
- toilet seats
- keeping clear external gully grates of vegetation and food deposits
- shower curtains
- wiping away condensation that forms and wiping clear small areas of mould growth
Read the full list of repairs that you are responsible for
You are responsible for the following repairs to your property:
- Filling small holes and cracks to walls and ceilings
- replacing lost keys or providing additional keys
- changing locks where the keys have been lost
- replacing fuses and electric plugs
- resetting mains fuses and trip switches
- replacing plugs and chains to sinks, basins and baths
- replacing clothes lines
- turning the water off in emergencies to control leaks
- keeping clear waste pipes to sinks, basins or baths
- tightening up loose waste pipes
- tightening up loose toilet seats
- replacing toilet seats
- replacing light bulbs, lamps and fluorescent tubes to light fittings
- clearing external gully grates of vegetation and food deposits
- re-fixing and replacing shower curtains
- providing curtain battens above windows and doors
- replacing sealant to worktops
- tightening up loose kitchen cupboard doors
- repairing and maintaining aerials, satellite dishes, telephone points and cables unless fitted by the council in communal blocks
- keeping paths, patios and hard standings clear of vegetation
- wiping away condensation that forms and wiping clear small areas of mould growth
- trimming and refitting doors after new floor coverings have been installed
- replacing door numerals and name plates to individual homes
- repairing and replacing doorbells to individual homes
- repairing, maintaining and replacing fences
- putting right any damage caused by you, other household members, visitors or pets
Damage caused by you
If you have caused the repair yourself through wilful damage or neglect, or damage has been caused by other householders or pets in your home then you are responsible for putting it right to an acceptable standard.
Warning
If the repair is urgent then we may complete the work and charge you the costs.
Our responsibilities
We are responsible for some repairs to your property. Some of the common repairs are:
- the structure of the building including, roof, walls, chimneys, gutters and external pipes.
- equipment and installations inside the home that are used to provide water, gas and electricity and drainage
- sinks, baths, showers, toilets and basins
- equipment and installations that provide heating and hot water
Read the full list of repairs that we are responsible for
We are responsible for the following repairs to your property:
- the structure of the building, including the roof, floors, balconies, external walls and any chimneys
- installations and equipment that has been installed inside the building for water, gas, electricity and drainage, but excluding meters and other equipment that are the responsibility of utility providers
- heating and hot water installations
- bathroom and toilet fittings including showers
- ventilation systems and fans
- repairs to corridors, stairways, entrance doors, windows and lighting in communal areas of buildings
- communal equipment such as door entry systems, rubbish chutes and lifts
- paths and steps to buildings, inside and out
- windows and doors including the frames, locks, hardware and glazing
- damaged plaster work
- basins, sinks, baths and toilets (council fittings)
- kitchen fixtures and fittings (council fittings)
- tiling to walls and floors
- smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms
- sprinkler installations
- decoration of external walls and internal communal areas of buildings (on planned programmes only)
Before you request a repair
When you request a repair we will ask you for:
- some personal information to confirm your identity, for example your date of birth
- your name, address and contact details
- date and times you will be at the property to allow access to a contractor
A responsible person will need to be in the property to let the contractor access your home.
If you have any individual needs that will affect how we deliver the repair, please tell us so that we can consider the need to make reasonable adjustments.
Who has permission to report repairs
Only the person or people named on the tenancy agreement can request repairs for a property, unless they give someone else formal permission. This is also known as advocate consent.
Find out how to request advocate consent for someone to report repairs on your behalf.
If someone is reporting issues on your behalf then we will need to have a record of your consent or you can give verbal consent to us once we have confirmed your identity.
Request a non-urgent repair
There are various ways you can request a repair.
Online
You can't request emergency repairs online.
If you require an
emergency repair, tell us immediately on 0800 188 4000 or 0113 376 0410, or in person at one of our
community hubs during customer service opening hours.
You can report non-emergency repairs using the online portal.
If you do not already have an account to manage your tenancy online, you will need to
register to create your account.
Log into your online account to request a non-urgent repair External link
Call our contact centre for free on landlines and mobiles. Please be aware that outside of office hours we will only take calls for emergency repairs.
0800 188 4000 or 0113 376 0410
(Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am to 5pm; Wednesday 10am to 5pm)
In person
Visit one of our
community hubs during customer services opening hours.
Please check the opening hours for the customer services before you visit, as these may differ from the hub opening hours.
Find information about your appointment.
Timescales for completion
We have set timescales that we aim to carry out responsive repairs in based on the urgency of the issue. The most urgent repairs are those that are likely to have an impact on health and safety.
| Priority category | Aim to complete the job |
|---|
| Emergency | attend within 3 hours, complete within 24 hours |
| Urgent | 3 working days |
| Routine | 20 working days |
Sometimes when there are high levels of demand and we can't always meet these timescales. We will tell you if this is the case.
A list of all repairs and their priority category can be provided upon request.
Non-priority repairs
Not all repairs fall into these repair priority categories. The following repairs are non-urgent repairs which are outside the scope of our responsive repairs service.
Batched repairs
Batched repairs are routine, non-urgent, non-complex repairs and replacements that we group together and deliver in small planned batches. This allows us to plan ahead and make the best use of our available resources.
Examples include:
- large areas of plastering
- replacing gutters
- fencing repairs
Timescales:
The target is 90 days.
Minor works
Minor works are small refurbishments or complex repairs that require an appropriate level of planning to make sure that they are properly designed and delivered in a safe and efficient way.
Examples include:
- refurbishments after fires and floods
- structural repairs
Timescales:
Agreed based on the size, complexity and planning required for each individual job.
Temporary repairs and replacements
Sometimes we will need to complete temporary repairs before further works can be carried out, or replacement elements can be installed.
Examples include:
- Broken glazing - windows are boarded to make them secure, with an order placed for the manufacture of new glazing, which is installed at a later date
- roof leaks - temporary repairs are carried out to stop a leak and make safe, with more substantial works completed following the erection of any necessary scaffolding
- doors – an inspection finds that a front door is nearing the end of its lifespan. Minor repairs are completed to ensure it remains secure and functional, and a referral is made for the door to be replaced under a planned programme
Timescales:
Estimated based on urgency and our available resources.
