Repair Responsibilities
As a tenant you are responsible for some of the repairs and maintenance of your home - always check your tenancy agreement for full details. Your responsibilities (this list is not exhaustive and may include):
• Repairing damage caused by you, members of your household or visitors, including broken glass
• Cleaning up condensation around windows and doors that may lead to damp & mould
• Replacing locks and lost keys
• Replacing doorknobs, letter boxes etc except where these are fire doors.
• Replacing broken toilet seats
• Unblocking sinks, baths and toilets
• Cracked wash hand basins and sinks, caused by tenant damage.
• Replacing sink and bath plugs and chains
• Replacing electrical plugs and fuses
• Replacing light bulbs and fluorescent strips and starter plugs (except in shared areas like stairwells in blocks of flats)
• Filling minor cracks in plaster
• Repairing paths in back gardens
• Keeping your garden accessible and cut back
• Repairing existing fences which are shared with neighbours
• Maintaining sheds if applicable. SHBA do not repair or maintain sheds
• Replacing shared fences with an appropriate alternative when they cannot be repaired (only boundary fences are SBHAs obligation to maintain)
• Sweeping chimneys
• Testing smoke alarms in line with manufacturers’ instructions, and replacing their batteries where needed
• Replacing clothes lines (unless they are shared)
• Repairing items which you have installed yourself
• Repairing your own electrical appliances
• Repairing TV aerials (unless they are shared and installed by us)
• Internal doors, handles, hinges, cupboard catches
• Flooring laid by you that was not installed at time you moved into the property. When you take out contents insurance make sure that the cover includes improvements you make to your home such as new laminate flooring or a fitted kitchen
• Fixtures or fittings provided by yourself, including additional security measures, alterations
• Maintaining your home in a good decorative order and not allowing it to fall into disrepair by deliberate damage or neglect
• Taking reasonable care of all specialist adaptation equipment
Contents Insurance
You’re responsible for insuring the contents of your home and garden.
