28 Repairs which are the council's responsibility

We are responsible for repairs to the structure and exterior of your home (excluding glazing) and we have to keep the installations in the property for gas, electricity and water supplies, heating and hot water, in good repair and working order.We are also responsible for drains, basins, sinks, baths and toilets.

Note: The exclusion of glazing relates to where the damage is your fault or the fault of another member of your household or visitor. In other cases of damage to external glazing, we will carry out necessary repairs.

29 Repairs & decorations which are the tenant's responsibility

You are responsible for keeping your home clean and in a good state of repair and decoration.You are also responsible for renewing or replacing the following items, in so far as they are not the council's responsibility under condition 28:

• Broken windows
• Tap washers
• Sink and bath plugs
• Chains and pulls to W.C. cisterns
• Blocked wastes to sinks, baths and lavatory basins
• Damaged locks, lost keys, door furniture, knockers, letter boxes and gate catches
• Sash fasteners, casement fasteners and window stays
• All door and window keys
• Fireplace tiles
• Any other small items and any damage due to negligence

We may carry out the repairs if you and your household are not able to do or arrange the work yourself because of your age, or a disability, or other special reasons.

Note: Your responsibility for repairing broken windows extends to all internal glazing and any external glazing
(where the damage is your fault or the fault of another member of your household or visitor).
You are also responsible for any small items similar to those listed here.

30 Decoration

We will decorate the exterior of your home, exterior woodwork and communal areas as necessary. If our contractors damage your decorations during the course of any works, we will decorate or make good the damage, taking into account the damage caused and the existing standard of decoration. This does not apply where the works were necessary because you had breached your tenancy obligations.

31 General services

We will take reasonable steps to keep all lifts, communal lighting, entrycall, shared laundry facilities, communal aerials and domestic refuse facilities in repair.

32 Repairs & decorations which are the tenant's responsibility

We will take reasonable steps to keep the communal areas in good repair, tidy and free of rubbish.

If you report a defect to us, we will take reasonable steps to put it right within a reasonable time.

For details on the council's repair target response times, contact your housing office.

33 Reporting defects

You must let us know immediately of any defects in the property or the communal areas, which need to be repaired.

34 Right to repair

Secure and introductory tenants
Your right to repair means that in certain circumstances, if we do not do certain urgent repairs in time, you can ask for another contractor to do the work. If the second contractor does not do the work on time, you may be able to claim compensation.You should contact your housing office for more information about this.

Non-secure tenants
The right to repair scheme does not apply to you.

35 Legal remedies

By law, we must remedy any defects in the property, which could damage your health. If you tell us about defects such as these, and we fail to remedy them, you have the right to apply to the courts for an order, forcing us to carry out our duties.

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