Your landlord is responsible for most repairs in your council or housing association home.

Landlord responsibilities

The council or housing association is responsible for:

• most repairs

• the safety of your home

Repair issues

The council or housing association is responsible for most repairs in your home including:

• gas appliances

• heating and hot water

• toilets, baths, pipes and sinks

• electrical wiring and any appliances they provide

• common areas such as lifts and communal entrances

• the structure and exterior of the building – including the roof, walls, windows and external doors

Your tenancy agreement sets out any extra responsibilities your landlord has.

Health and safety

Your council or housing association must deal with gas, electrical and fire safety issues.

They should also make sure your home is fit to live in.

Your home may not be fit to live in because of hazards such as:

• damp, condensation, and mould

• rats, cockroaches and other infestations

• broken windows, falling plaster, or dangerous stairs

• damaged asbestos

You can complain to your council or housing association if there are health and safety problems in your home.

Tenant's responsibilities

Your responsibilities include:

• reporting repairs

• keeping your home and garden reasonably clean and tidy

• fixing or paying for any damage caused by you or your guests

• carrying out minor jobs such as replacing smoke alarm batteries and light bulbs

Your tenants' handbook or tenancy agreement might set out any other responsibilities you have.

Decorating your home

You're usually responsible for decorating your home.

Your landlord could be responsible for redecoration:

• if damp or disrepair damaged your home

• following damage caused by repair work

Ask your landlord to pay something towards redecoration costs if the property is in a poor state of decoration when you start your tenancy.

Furnishing your home

Your home is usually unfurnished unless you're in temporary or supported housing.

You're expected to provide your own:

• carpets

• furniture

• domestic appliances

You're responsible for repairing or replacing them.

If you can't afford to repair or replace things you may be able to apply for a:

• budgeting advance - if you get universal credit

• budgeting loan - if you get income support, JSA, ESA or pension credit

What to do about repair issues

Report your issue to the council or housing association. Include details of:

• repair problems that need fixing

• how your health is being affected

You must allow your landlord or their contractor access to see what the problem is and what can be done about it. Allow a reasonable time for the work to be done.

If your landlord doesn’t do repairs

Contact your council or housing association landlord again if they take too long to do repairs or don't keep to an agreement about what should be repaired.

You can make a complaint if you're not happy with their response.

Damage to your home during repairs

Your landlord should fix any damage caused by their repair or maintenance work.

You can ask for a rent reduction if you can't use all or part of your home because of repair work.

Using the right to repair scheme

Local authority tenants

Local authorities must have a right to repair scheme in place for secure, flexible and introductory tenants to use.

Repairs available under the right to repair scheme

Only certain types of repairs are covered under the right to repair scheme. These are called qualifying repairs. They include insecure windows and doors, unsafe power sockets or electrical fittings, leaking roofs and broken entry phone systems. A full list of the qualifying repairs is set out at the end of this page.

A repair won't qualify for the scheme if:

• it exceeds an estimated cost of £250, or
• the local authority has fewer than 100 properties, or
• the local authority isn't responsible for the repair.

The repair may be inspected before your landlord decides it's a qualifying repair. If it isn't a qualifying repair, your landlord should write to you and tell you that the scheme doesn't apply.

What happens when you report a qualifying repair?

When you report a qualifying repair, your landlord must issue a repair notice to a contractor and send you a copy with information on how the right to repair scheme works. There will be a time limit for the contractor to do the work by, which will depend on the repair needed.

What happens if the work isn't done in time?

If the repair work isn't done within the specified time limit, you need to tell your landlord and ask for another contractor to do the work. If another contractor is available, your landlord must issue a repair notice to them and send you a copy. Your landlord can only use contractors on their list.

What happens if you're not in when the contractor calls?

If you're not at home to let the contractor in as arranged, the scheme no longer applies.

Claiming compensation

If the second contractor doesn't do the repair work within the time limit, you'll get £10 in compensation. For every extra day you wait, you'll get another £2. The most compensation you can get for any one job is £50.

If you have any rent arrears, your landlord can use the compensation to reduce the arrears rather than paying you the money.

Housing association and other social housing tenants

Unlike local authorities, other social housing landlords don't have to have a right to repair scheme in place. However, many do, and these often operate along similar lines as the scheme for local authority tenants.

You should check your tenancy agreement, tenant handbook or ask your landlord if they have a right to repair type scheme in place.

Qualifying repairs under the right to repair scheme for local authority tenants