All social housing landlords have a duty to maintain the communal areas in their buildings and grounds. Where a landlord does not properly maintain their communal areas residents have rights to complain and challenge the failure to properly maintain these areas.
Maintenance of common areas
What is a landlord responsible for maintaining?
In communal areas:
- lifts
- doors and door entry systems
- outside walls, doors, gates, windows, windowsills, window catches and window frames including external painting and external decoration
- communal water tanks and associated supply pipework
- communal heating systems and associated supply pipework and cabling
- communal lighting systems and associated supply cabling
- emergency exit signage and lighting
- communal sprinkler and firefighting equipment
- bin chutes, hoppers and storage chambers
- grounds, hedges and trees
- pathways, steps or other means of access
- boundary walls and fences
- paving and access roads that do not form part of the public highway
- play areas
- garage and storeshed blocks
- communal bin storage facilities
- car parking facilities
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