What repairs are we responsible for?

We provide a responsive repairs service, and we want to make sure you can enjoy living in your home. We want to ensure that you are confident speaking to us about any issues you may have in relation to the service we provide.

Outside space

Our responsibility

  • It is our responsibility to attend to the structure of your home including the roof, outside walls, doors, windows and windowsills. We will cover glazing issues if there is a crime reference number
  • We will repair chimneys, flues, guttering, down pipes and drains
  • Unsafe garden walls and brick sheds, fences except where they are the neighbouring property’s responsibility (usually NHG is responsible for the left side but not always)
  • Trip hazards in paths, paving and driveways that provides access to your home
  • Paving, paths and decking in communal areas or balconies
  • Garage structure, roof and garage doors
  • Conservatories present before tenant moved in unless they have been gifted.

Your responsibility

  • To keep wooden garden sheds, beds, and trellising in a
    good state of repair
  • To look after plants, bushes and vegetation
  • To look after paving weeding paths and decking in private gardens, paving and driveways (unless when covered by a service charge)
  • To maintain a good level ofrepair of any conservatories and lean-tos not built and provided by NHG.

Throughout the home

Our responsibility

  • Structural damage to inside walls, floors ceilings, skirtings, and air vents
  • Door frames, door hinges, letter boxes, window catches, sash cords and window frames
  • Fixtures (including those that have been approved as home improvements)
  • Handrails, banisters and stair steps
  • Persistent issues with drainage and blockages, removal of wastewater, plumbing leaks to bathroom, kitchen or heating and hot water including to taps, pipework
  • Fitting or repairing fire and carbon monoxide alarms, communal alarm systems and fire panels
  • Warden call/telecare equipment (that is installed by NHG.

Your responsibility

  • To repair any appliances and fittings that you have installed (eg., white goods; gas cooker, washing machine), carpets, furniture etc.
  • Maintain an internal decoration (except where we are painting to cover an area affected by a leak etc.)
  • To repair any small cracks in plaster or woodwork
  • To replace both internal and external light bulbs eg., security lighting, fuses (unless they are in the communal area, or you have above average height ceilings)
  • To replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
  • To install additional locks or replacing keys and changing locks, if you are locked out. In an emergency or where your home is not secure, we may carry out these works and recharge the costs to you
  • To lubricate door/window locks and hinges
  • To replace or maintain security features such as spyholes and door chains
  • To ease and adjust internal doors after own floor coverings laid to bedrooms, hallways and living rooms
  • To maintain floor coverings (eg. carpets, lino, tiles, and laminate) except in the bathroom and kitchen, which is NHG’s responsibility
  • To repair any items that have been damaged by you or your guests, except where these pose a risk to health and safety (including glazing). We may charge you for these repairs
  • To provide and maintain curtains and blinds
  • We are not responsible for any improvements you have made, unless they have gone through the NHG improvements process and have been authorised by us.

 

Kitchen

Our responsibility

  • We repair kitchen units, doors and frames
  • Kitchen sinks and taps
  • Trip hazards in kitchen flooring
  • Water leaks
  • Wall tiling, seals, and splashbacks
  • Air vents, extractor fans and pull cords
  • Electrical sockets and isolator switches
  • The cold-water supply, stop valve, and trap for the washing machine.

Your responsibility

  • To maintain kitchen furniture and electrical appliances (including cooker hoods) in all instances, even when they have been provided by us
  • To keep the kitchen clean and in the good condition
  • Sink waste pipe blockages
  • Replacing sink plugs and chains
  • Fixing and replacing cupboards and drawer handles
  • Connecting and repairing your own appliances.

Bathroom

Our responsibility

  • Showers (where provided by us), shower screens (not curtains), toilets, baths, wall tiles, splashbacks and basins
  • Flooring (both tiled and vinyl) and wall tiles
  • Extractor and humidity fans
  • To maintain and replace internal locks and door handles installed by us
  • Water leaks
  • Toilet flushing mechanism
  • Lighting fittings
  • Showers (where provided by us), shower screens (not curtains), toilets, baths, wall tiles, splashbacks and basins
  • Flooring (both tiled and vinyl) and wall tiles
  • Extractor and humidity fans
  • To maintain and replace internal locks and door handles installed by us
  • Water leaks
  • Toilet flushing mechanism

Your responsibility

  • To keep the bathroom and WC clean and in a good condition
  • Replace toilet seats (including lids and hinges), shower heads, hoses, and sink/bath plugsTo provide, maintain and replace shower curtains
  • To attend to sink/toilet blockages in the first instance. You should attempt to unblock these with drain unblockers/ plunger where appropriate
  • Any bathroom locks that were installed by you
  • To clean of low-level mildew around windows, doors, grouting and bathroom ceilings

Heating, gas and electrical

Our responsibility

  • We will repair your heating system if it breaks down
  • Repair radiators and storage heaters
  • Repairs to the gas installations such as boiler and pipework (not including appliances)
  • Electrical repairs (not including electrical appliances)
  • Water leaks from heating system
  • Faulty plug sockets
  • Faulty light switches and fittings
  • Hard-wired doorbells
  • Hard wired smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
  • Electrical hazards.

Your responsibility

 

We will provide your home with a heating system, which is safe and provides adequate heat.

You are responsible for:

  • Allowing access for gas service at your property if there is a gas supply to your home
  • Bleeding radiators
  • Painting radiators.

Important: Any repairs to gas installations such as cookers or gas fires should be carried out by a certified Gas Safe engineer. You should follow up on the Gas Safety engineer advice, to ensure your safety when such installations are at the property.

 

Pest control

Our responsibility

We will provide pest control in communal areas and inside the property if the infestation is being experienced across multiple homes. This includes such pests as rats, mice, cockroaches, squirrels, pigeons, wasps, fleas, bedbugs and pharaoh ants, which can carry and transmit serious diseases.

Your responsibility

You are responsible for keeping the inside of you home clean and tidy and not to encourage pest infestation, and to conduct internal pest control of your home, to ensure your home is safe, healthy, and free from things that could cause serious harm.

If you find any evidence of mice, cockroaches, pharaoh ants, wasps or any other pests, please contact your local hardware store who should be able to give you advice on which products are best to help get rid of your pest problem. You should also let your housing officer or PMO know if you do find pests in your home or in any communal areas. You can contact your housing officer or PMO by logging into My Account.

Communal repairs

Where we are responsible for communal repairs, which is defined under the terms of individual lease and tenancy, we look after entrances, halls, lifts, communal TV aerials, stairways, passageways, rubbish chutes, lighting, door entry systems, communal letter boxes, paving, paths and decking in communal areas or balconies and other parts provided for common use. They may also be carried out on fencing and to other external structures which are the responsibility of NHG as the landlord.

Some communal repairs in the same scheme/group of properties might be collated to be completed together. In such cases, they would not be completed within the usual target. We will inform you when we do this and the revised timescale for completion.

We will work with contractors to gain access to the building when planning to carry out identified repairs in the communal areas.

We carry out some repairs to communal areas as part of its cyclical works programme, rather than as a responsive repair service.

In supported housing schemes, this will also include any fixtures, fittings or facilities provided to you as part of the service contract.