Repairs & maintenance responsibilities
Although bpha are responsible for most of the essential services and structural repairs on your home, when it comes to repairs and the maintenance of your property, there are some areas for which we are responsible but others that fall into your responsibility as a tenant.
Please note: This is a Guide for bpha tenants and does not include Shared Owners, Right to Buy or any other leaseholder tenancies.
Our responsibility
• Outside walls, outside doors, window sills, window catches, sash windows, frames including
any decorating needed outside but not replacement glass
• Drains, gutters, outside pipes and the roof
• Chimney stacks, Chimneys and flues.
• Footpaths, steps or other access points.
• Boundary walls and fences but not those you share with your neighbours.
• Keeping installations for water, gas, electric, sanitation in working order.
• Wear and tear in communal area’s including lightbulb replacements.
• Repairing fences, walls and gates at the rear of the property that border public highways and
paths
You are responsible for
• Keeping your property well ventilated to prevent the build-up of condensation and damp
• Bath panels, toilet seats and covers, shower hoses, heads and riser rails
• Unblocking toilets, baths and sinks within the property (not including external drains and
(stacks)
• All cleaning, internal decoration (including following a repair) and garden maintenance
• Repairs to internal doors and fixings (including re-hanging and replacement), replacing door handles
• Repairs to any type of letterbox
• Replacing all light bulbs (including starter motors for fluorescent tubes)
• Filling minor cracks in plaster
• Replacing glazing, locks and handles to windows
• Replacing worktops, floors and any other item due to misuse by you, your family or visitors
• Repairing any goods installed by you or accepted by you at the start of your tenancy and making good any damage caused by the failure of such installations (for example washing machines, dishwashers, security lights, cookers, flooring etc be aware that gas cookers must be fitted/removed by a Gas Safe contractor)
• Fittings for gas cookers (bpha will provide a bayonet fitting to the gas supply only)
• Bleeding and ventilating radiators
• Replacement and repair of washing lines (does not include communal lines)
• Replacing lost/stolen keys or keys snapped in locks
• Keeping your smoke/carbon monoxide alarms clean and regularly tested
• Repairing and replacing any fencing/gates/walls shared with a neighbour or not adjoining a public footpath or highway
• Repairing/replacing TV aerials
• Conservatories
• Pest control
bpha recommend you take out home contents insurance as this can cover some of the perils mentioned above. Please ask us for more details.
Shared Owners, RTB and Leaseholders are responsible for all their repairs, we welcome any enquiries.
