Responsibilities ours and yours

Our responsibilities

As your landlord, we are responsible for certain repairs to your home and repairs to shared communal areas that are caused by fair wear and tear, such as:

• The structure and exterior of the building including the roof, drains and chimneys
• Heating and plumbing appliances that we have fitted
• Servicing of heating systems
• Fixtures and fittings we have put in such as kitchen units
• Doors – inside and outside the home
• Windows
• Electrical sockets, switches and wiring
• Blocked drains*
• Paths, steps and any fencing we own or have put up.

We will repair defects to your home that are due to fair wear and tear but not if they are caused by you, your family or any visitors.

If you are leaseholder or homeowner, you are responsible for your own repairs but we are responsible for shared communal areas.

Rechargeable repairs

You will be charged for any repairs that are caused by abuse, misuse, wilful damage or neglect. So, if a repair is not due to fair wear and tear, we may repair it but charge you for the cost of the repair. This includes replacing glass, lock changes, unblocking sinks and drains blocked due to neglect, rubbish removal and holes in walls, doors, handles of cupboards and toilets you’ve wilfully damaged. You can find out more about rechargeable repairs here.

* The water authority is responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the main sewer system. If you think the main sewer is blocked please contact Anglian Water.

Your responsibilities

As a tenant, you are required to take reasonable care of your home and report any repairs or faults to us straightaway.

You are responsible for:

• Decoration inside your home
• Replacing light bulbs or fluorescent tubes and starter motors
• Carpets and floor coverings, unless they were provided by us
• Fixtures and items you have put in yourself
• Electrical fuses
• Replacing plugs, chains and toilet seats
• Replacing doorbells
• Timber shed, greenhouses or any other item accepted at the start of your tenancy
• Trees in your garden
• Taking reasonable steps to protect the premises from any damage such as fire, flood, frozen pipes, blocked drains or condensation.
• The removal of pests including mice, rats, fleas, wasps or ants unless they are in a communal area or coming from an empty property that belongs to us.

You will be charged for any repairs that are your responsibility and caused by abuse, misuse, wilful damage or neglect. So, if a repair is not due to fair wear and tear, we will repair it but charge you for the cost of the repair. You can find out more about rechargeable repairs here.

If you are leaseholder or homeowner, you are responsible for your own repairs but we are responsible for shared communal areas.