Repairs responsibilities

Landlord regulatory requirements

All social housing landlords are regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing which sets a series of requirements; these are called the Regulatory Standards.

The Regulatory Standard for repairs is the Home Standard – ensuring that social housing landlords maintain properties and carry out their repairing responsibilities.

Landlord responsibilities

All social housing landlords have a duty to maintain their tenants’ properties. Where a landlord does not undertake repairs that are reported to it within set times, tenants have rights to complain and challenge the failure to properly maintain their homes.

What is a landlord responsible for repairing?

In tenants’ homes:

• repair of building structure
• exterior drains, gutters and pipes up to the main sewer
• roof
• outside walls, doors, gates, windowsills, window catches and window frames including external painting and external decoration
• pathways, steps or other means of access
• installations for the supply of water, gas and electricity, sanitation and heating including; basins, sinks, baths, shower attachments, WCs, water pipes, waste pipes, electric wiring including sockets and switches, central heating systems, radiators, boilers, immersion heaters and valves
• kitchen units and built-in cupboards
• internal walls, floors (including floor coverings) and ceilings, doors and frames, door hinges and skirting boards
• double or triple glazing units
• internal drainage systems including stack pipes
• the cause of any water ingress and damaged associated with such ingress and penetrating or rising damp
• plaster work (excluding minor repairs which would normally be dealt with during internal decoration)
• boundary walls and fences erected by the landlord
• broken window glass, but only where it can be clearly shown that it had not been broken by the tenant, any member of the tenant’s household or by invited guests
• replacing door furniture and toilet roll holders, but only where it can be clearly shown that it had not been broken by the tenant, any member of the tenant’s household or by invited guests

Tenant responsibilities and damage

There are some repairs that residents have to do themselves. These will differ for tenants, shared owners and leaseholders; if your landlord undertakes repairs that are your responsibility they may recharge the costs to you.

What is a tenant responsible for repairing?

• internal decoration
• replacing light bulbs and lost keys
• replacing bell batteries and bulbs
• keeping the interior in a clean condition
• replacing WC seats
• changing tap washers
• replacing plugs and chains in sanitary ware
• removal of condensation to walls and internal windows
• damage to front door or locks as a result of lock-out
• any defects to the property caused by neglect, misuse or wilful damage and not considered normal wear and tear
• repairs resulting from any unauthorised modification to fixture and fittings

Safety and testing

All social housing landlords have a duty to undertake regular safety tests in tenants properties and communal areas. Where a landlord does not undertake these regular tests they can be breaking the law (such as with annual gas safety testing) and residents have rights to complain and challenge the failure to undertake these tests.

What is a landlord responsible for regarding testing and servicing?

In tenants’ homes:

• gas carcases, boilers and fires (annual gas safety test)
• electrical cabling, fixtures and fittings
• asbestos safety testing

In communal areas:

• communal water tanks and legionella testing
• lifts
• fire safety testing
• asbestos safety testing