Looking after your home is a shared responsibility Repair responsibilities

Resident's responsibility

• Blocked drains, toilets, sinks, basins, baths etc (excluding communal drains) 
• Plugs and chain 
• Shower curtain 
• Toilet seat 
• Any elements that have been gifted to you by the association 

Association's responsibility

• Bath 
• Burst pipes (if caused by a resident, it will be recharged to them) 
• Enclosed light 
• Extractor fan 
• Flooring 
• Shower (if we fitted it)
• Toilet 
• Taps 
• Tap washers 
• Wash basin 
• Water supply 

Association's responsibility:

• Banisters 
• Brick work or render 
• Chimney, including pots and cowls 
• Damp proof course 
• Fascia and soffit boards 
• Floors 
• Foundations 
• Guttering 
• Handrails 
• Loft hatch 
• Plaster and plaster board (excludes minor cracks = anything less than the thickness of a £1 coin) 
• Porches 
• Roof including slates and tiles (excluding moss) 
• Roof skylight 
• Skirting boards 
• Stairs 
• Steps to entrance / exit 
• Ventilation systems 
• Walls 

Resident's responsibilities

Child’s play:

• Do not let any child in your care play in shared entrances, halls, stairways, passageways or lifts. 

Rubbish and obstructions:

• Keep any shared or communal entrances free from rubbish, furniture, domestic appliances, or any items that may cause an obstruction or fire risk. 
• Please do not drop litter or leave unwanted household items in communal areas. 

Safety equipment:

• You must not interfere with security or fire safety equipment or means of escape in common areas. 

Association's responsibilities

• Boundary fences or walls bordering a communal area 
• Communal areas to flats 
• Communal decoration 
• Communal drying areas 
• Door entry system 
• Driveways 
• Fencing between properties 
• Garages 
• Gates 
• Lighting 
• Main access paths and other paved areas 
• Parking areas 
• TV aerials 

Resident's responsibility

• Doorbell (unless hardwired) 
• Door numbers/plates 
• External door – lost or broken keys 
• Letterbox 

Association's responsibility

• Broken or cracked glass in doors and windows (we will board up to make safe if necessary and re-glaze) 
• Door entry system 
• Internal and external doors including hinges, handles and locking mechanism 
• Window frames and sills 

Resident's responsibility

• Faulty appliances 
• Replacing light bulbs (excluding sealed units) 
• Tripped fuses 
• TV aerial (individual) 

Association's responsibility

• Carbon monoxide detectors (battery and hardwired) 
• Periodic electrical check (every 5 years)
• Smoke alarms (battery and hardwired) 
• Socket outlets and switches 
• Total or partial power failure 

Resident's responsibility 

Floor coverings

• You are responsible for the flooring in your home, except for bathroom and kitchen floors, which are our responsibility. 

Resident's responsibility

• Setting the programmer for heating and hot water (if you need any help, please get in touch)
• Bleeding radiators 

Association's responsibility

• Partial loss of heating or hot water: we will arrange for the job to be completed within 5 working days
• Total loss of heating and hot water between 1 October and 31 March: we will arrange for the job to be completed within 24 hours 
• Total loss of heating and hot water between 1 April and 30 September: we will arrange for the job to be completed within 5 working days 
• Gas leak repairs following Cadent or National Grid attendance  
• Annual gas or solid fuel safety check and service

Resident's responsibility

• Cooker repairs  
• Kitchen fittings provided by the resident 

Association's responsibility

• Burst pipes (if caused by a resident, it may be recharged to them) 
• Extractor fans 
• Flooring 
• Kitchen units 
• Kitchen worktops 
• Sink 
• Stop taps 
• Tap washers 
• Water supply 

Resident's responsibility 

• Garden, including trees and shrubs 
• Garden sheds (including base) 
• Greenhouses 
• Painting and treating fences 
• Rotary / washing lines 
• Water butts 

Association's responsibility

• Boundary fences or walls  
• Driveways 
• Electric vehicle charging point 
• Garages 
• Gates 
• Main access paths and other paved areas 
• Outside tap 
• Parking areas 

You are responsible for pest control in your own home and garden.  

We’re responsible for pest control in communal areas. 

Find out more about pest control

If you're a shared owner, please see the shared owners section of our website for information about repairs and maintenance responsibilities.

If you move into a newly-built rented home, the repair responsibilities are slightly different. 

There is a ‘defect period’ for new homes, which can vary from six to 12 months depending on the building contract. When you sign the tenancy, your housing officer will let you know what the defects period is for your home. 

Problems within the defects period

Please report these to us in the normal way, and we’ll arrange for the contractor to contact you. 

Defects that occur just before the defects period ends: 

Just before the defects period ends, we will arrange a convenient time to come and inspect your home. If you know about any defects, it's important that you tell us. Any outstanding defects will be given to the contractor, and it’s their duty to put these defects right at their cost. 

Defects outside the defects period: 

All future repairs and maintenance will be dealt with as a normal repair.