Tenant repair responsibilities

You must take care of your home and repair any damage caused by you, your family, visitors or even your pets. This may include replacing things we are normally responsible for. In some cases we will carry out repairs and charge you the cost. 

As part of your responsibilities you should: 

• report a repair as soon as one is needed
• take reasonable precautions to prevent further damage - for example you should place a bucket under leaks
• make arrangements to allow our employees to get on with their work on the repair, for example, keeping children and pets out of their way
• ensure you protect and cover furniture or carpets before work starts. We may help but Ashfield District Council accept no responsibility for damage. You may also be asked to sign a disclaimer
• take responsibility for appliances or fittings that you have installed
• repair any damage caused by members of your household or any visitors to your home
• take responsibility for maintaining any improvement or alteration you have made to the property. 

What you are responsible for outside your home

You are responsible for the upkeep and repair of:  

• windows and doors
• glazing unless crime number obtained
• lost or broken keys – but for elderly tenants we will provide new keys or locks for external doors and windows as necessary
• draught proofing to windows
• pipes and drains
• gully grids
• more than first drain blockage if pipework not faulty - please do not allow items such as cooking fat and nappies into the drainage system
• garden maintenance. 

What you are responsible for inside your home

You are responsible for: 

• internal timber, UPVC or tile window sills unless affected by rot or woodworm
• skirting boards and picture rails unless affected by rot or woodworm
• internal doors, ironmongery and threshold strips unless affected by rot or woodworm
• minor repairs to plasterwork, such as cracks and small holes under 6 inches or 150mm square
• all decorating inside your home
• loose floors coverings and carpets
• Artex ceilings where tenants requesting whole ceiling done instead of a patch
• bath panels (unless we cause damage when carrying out repairs or affected by rot or woodworm. Replacement panels may not match existing panels
• wooden airing cupboard panels, frames and shelving unless affected by rot or woodworm
• plugs and chains to washbasins, sinks and baths
• chains to toilets
• internal pipework boxing
• cupboard door catches, handles and hinges
• venting of radiators (bleeding) with the exception of combination boiler heating systems
• sweeping chimneys and cleaning flues if you have solid fuel appliances. These should be done regularly once or twice a year
• fridges including disconnection and reconnection
• electric plugs and light bulbs including strip lights
• independent battery operated smoke alarms
• plugs to appliances
• electric meter and supply of electricity
• supply of gas and gas meter. 

Repair scenarios

Depending how damage happened we will deal with repairs or replacements in different ways.

In some cases you will be responsible for the cost to repair or replace the damaged item or areas. Any repair works undertaken by you must be completed to a standard that is acceptable to us. Failure to meet the required standard for such works may result in you being re-charged for the work. In some circumstances we may undertake the work on your behalf, but only after receiving payment.

Malicious damage

This is where damage has been willingly caused to your home but has not been reported to the police, or has not been classed as a crime by the police. This includes wilful damage caused by you, your visitors or your pets to any part of your home through an act of violence or mistreatment.

You are responsible for the cost of the repair or replacement. 

Accidental damage

This is where damage to your home has been caused accidentally by you, your visitors or your pets. For example when something has been dropped into and has damaged the bath.

You are responsible for the cost of the repair or replacement. 

Criminal damage

This is where your home may have been damaged or vandalised which has been classified as a crime by the Police.

When we know this type of damage has happened we will make sure your home is ‘made safe’.

We will only carry out a full repair when we have a crime reference number. This number will be provided to you by the police when you report the incident and you should then pass it to us. The police can be contacted on 101 for non-emergencies or 999 for an emergency.

Fair, wear and tear repairs

This is where a fitting or part of your home fails having come to the end of its useful life. For example a leak occurs from a toilet.

In this situation we will carry out the repairs. You can check your tenants handbook - in the Tenant Portal - for the latest guidance on our priorities:

Tenant Portal

We will not offer any compensation or to replace any of your personal items that have been damaged as a consequence of a fair wear and tear repair.

Household insurance

Household insurance cover is readably available from many organisations, including from us.  Considering how damage may happen you may want to take out insurance for your personal property in the event of damage through floods, leaks, fires, storms, or burglary.

Should the damage and repair be needed when we are not responsible for it, or damage to your home or fixtures and fittings is because of fair wear and tear, we cannot offer you any financial assistance and you will be entirely responsible for any costs which you have incurred. This is why you should carefully consider ensuring you have the relevant insurance cover to suit your individual circumstances.