Repair and maintenance responsibilities

We carry out around 29,000 repairs, alterations and safety checks on Council homes every year. Because we carry out so many jobs, it's important that you know the type of repairs we're responsible for.

You can view our housing responsibility guide (PDF, 2 MB) to find out what repairs the Council is responsible for carrying out in your home.

It's also important that tenants know what repairs that they are responsible for. Small household maintenance jobs such as unblocking toilets and sinks, changing strip-light bulbs and fixing toilet lids are usually the responsibility of tenants to carry out.

We have provided a number of tutorial videos to help you carry out these simple repairs.  There is a section on plumbing jobs, another for simple electrics and a section with general hints and tips such as how you can turn your electrics or water on and off.  If you have a simple repair that needs carried out, please take a look at these videos.

Rechargeable repairs

Tenants can be charged to repair damage to their home that they are responsible for through misuse or neglect. Our Rechargeable Repairs Policy (PDF, 1 MB) sets out this process and some of the estimated charges involved.  

Planned maintenance

Typically planned maintenance includes external joinery like windows, doors, external timber linings and eaves boarding, slates, rainwater gutters and downpipes, and external repainting. During planned maintenance staff also inspect common closes where there is a mixture of Council houses, owner-occupiers and private sector rented properties. If private owners agree re-painting inside these closes will also be carried out.

Your house is likely to have this kind of work carried out at least once every five years. However, if major improvements are planned we would normally defer planned maintenance so that all the work happens at the same time. We will write to you beforehand to let you know what we are intending to do.

If your home is due for planned maintenance the outside will be surveyed to identify the work that's needed.  If your home has had no maintenance work for more than five years, or you have any questions about maintenance, please check with your Local Area Housing Team.