Tenants 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

• 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.