Housing repairs policy

You are responsible for some repairs in your home.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is responsible for repairing key parts of your home and looking after the structure of any communal buildings and communal areas, however you are also responsible for some repairs in your home and we have set out the most common examples as guidance below.

For further queries please contact us on 0808 264 444, or e-mail gynrepairs@ncsgrp.co.uk.  If possible, please ring to report a repair, so a convenient appointment can be made for the repair or inspection.

Ensure you're insured: Whilst we take out buildings insurance to cover the buildings we own and manage, please be aware that you are responsible for your belongings and making sure you have sufficient home contents insurance.  The Council offers contents insurance, please see   for more information, or contact the Rent Income Team on 01493 846726, or email rentincome@great-yarmouth.gov.uk

Overall

You are responsible for:

• keeping your home clean and in good condition
• reporting repairs the council is responsible for as soon as you become aware of them
• keeping your garden tidy
• insuring your home possessions
• giving us access to your home to carry out repairs, or any other essential work
• all repairs to your own belongings
• redecorating e.g., painting and wallpaper
• repairing hairline cracks or fractures in plastering
• taking reasonable steps to prevent condensation and mould, such as ensuring properties are adequately heated and ventilated, and treating and cleaning mould as appropriate (if you are in any doubt please contact us to arrange a repairs inspection where our surveyor can assess the problem and take further action if necessary)
• reporting a crime reference when reporting repairs caused by vandalism e.g., smashed windows
• providing access for safety checks to include:
• annual gas servicing (if gas heating system)
• five year electric checks
• carbon monoxide and smoke detector checks and servicing (carried out at same time as gas or other heating system service)
• Air Source Heat Pump/Electric heating system check

Kitchen

What you are responsible for:

• keeping the kitchen in good condition
• replacing sink plugs
• connecting and repairing your own appliances, e.g., washing machines, cookers and other white goods (please ensure these are carried out by a competent person and for cookers an electrician/gas engineer is used)
• rehanging a kitchen cupboard door where the damage is caused by you
• changing fluorescent light tubes and starters

We will:

• replace tap washers
• repair trip hazards or other damage to the kitchen flooring we have provided
• repair or replace detached or snapped unit hinges, drawer fronts, runners and backs where this is not caused by tenant damage/neglect
• repair or replace kitchen units, worktops and seals
• clear blocked sinks
• repair or replace sealant around your kitchen sink
• fix or replace extractor fans, pull cords and cooker ventilation hoods if installed by us
• repair electrical sockets and isolator switches
• fix and replace cupboard and drawer handles where these are not damaged by you/a member of your household or visitor
• tighten loose hinges, drawer fronts, runners and backs.

Bathroom and Toilet

What you are responsible for:

• keeping the bathroom and toilet in good and clean condition
• containing leaks and preventing water damage, reporting leaks promptly for repair
• clearing a blocked bath and hand basin (unless caused by a plumbing failure the Council is responsible for)
• replacing the toilet seat lid and hinges
• replacing bath and sink plugs, chains
• descaling or replacing shower heads and hoses
• replacing accessories such as mirrors, rails/curtains, riser rods, toilet roll holders, towel rails and cabinets
• repairing or replacing the internal tidy dryer, located over bath
• repairing or replacing WC and bathroom door locks/bolts
• replacing light bulbs (non-sealed light fitting)

We will:

• attend to and repair leaks
• clear a blocked toilet (where there is no other working toilet in the dwelling-house) or sink
• repair or replace basin and bath taps
• repair or replace showers that we have installed
• repair or replace toilet flushing mechanisms
• repair or replace shaver points
• repair or replace extractor fans and pull cords
• repair or replace leaking or dripping taps (including mixers) to wash hand basin, bath and sinks
• repair or replace sealant around bath, shower unit and wash basin
• repairing or replacing the bath panel, including side and end framing
• replacing light bulbs in sealed bathroom and toilet light fittings.

Heating and Water

You are responsible for:

• reporting a gas leak call the Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. If you're a British Sign Language (BSL) user, you can use SignLive https://signlive.co.uk/login/ to contact the National Gas Emergency Service free of charge
• contacting Anglian Water if you have problems with your water supply
• clearing drain and waste pipe blockages
• reporting problems with lateral drains and private and shared sewers to your water or sewage company

We will:

• repair your heating system if it breaks down
• repair or replace radiators and storage heaters
• fix water leaks from your heating system and tanks
• fix leaking pipework
• repair or replace storage tanks and water cylinders
• clear soil and vent pipes in flats if needed
• repair or replace cracked or collapsed drains that are not the water or sewage company's responsibility

Electrics

You are responsible for:

• replacing light bulbs and tubes in your own home
• resetting the electric fuse box (consumer unit) if tripped
• replacing TV aerials and satellite dish (unless you live in a flat and have a communal TV aerial)
• changing batteries in smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors where units are not sealed
• testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms regularly
• your own appliances and testing that they're not causing other electrical problems
• reporting faults with utility meters to utility suppliers
• arranging for a qualified person to connect and repair your appliances

We will:

• repair or replace mains, fuses and power plug sockets in your home
• repair or replace faulty light fittings and switches
• repair or replace extractor fans and pull cords
• repair or replace hard-wired door bells
• repair or replace hard-wired and battery smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
• repair electrical hazards such as exposed or sparking wires and system shortages
• repair communal TV aerials

Doors and Windows

You are responsible for:

• keeping the doors and windows in good condition, and wiping away moisture
• heating and ventilating your home to prevent condensation
• arranging access to your home, if you are locked out or have lost your keys
• repairing or replacing door chains, door numbers and secondary locks
• keeping internal doors, handles and latches in good condition
• oiling catches and hinges
• replacing broken glass, where you caused the damage
• window cleaning
• weather strips to external doors and draught excluders
• maintaining doors, e.g., not installing spy holes, cat flaps or letter boxes without prior written consent

We will:

• repair or replace unsecure external doors, frames and panels
• repair or replace fire doors due to wear and tear
• repair or replace windows

Fabric of the building (including internal)

We will:

• repair large cracks and severely crumbling surfaces
• repair penetrative and rising damp
• identify causes of mould and remedial actions
• complete major structural repairs
• repair or replace internal doors (where these are not damaged by you/a member of your household or visitor)
• repair handrails and banisters for stairs.
• repair or replace roofs, chimneys, guttering and downpipes
• decorate external parts of your home, such as the soffits and fascias on a regular basis

Gardens

You are responsible for:

• keeping your garden tidy and carrying out any tree works in your garden
• weeding paths, paving and driveways
• maintaining, repairing and replacing garden fences you have erected wherever they are on the boundary between your home and neighbouring properties/roads or footpaths etc
• repairing any defective ironmongery, catches and bolts on gates which you have installed

We will:

• repair any boundary fence that marks the boundary between properties or a road/path etc  (please note the Council does not provide six foot fences to all boundaries)
• repair trip hazards in paths, paving and driveways
• repair or replace unsafe garden walls and brick sheds
• remove Japanese knotweed
• carry out work to trees where they are dead, diseased or dangerous - please note there may be a charge for trees in gardens

Pests

You are responsible for:

• keeping the inside of your home clean and disposing of rubbish appropriately to avoid attracting pests
• treating mice and other pests within your home (e.g., rats, ants, cockroaches and silverfish)
• reporting any bees or wasps' nests

We will:

• treat pests that are a communal problem and carry out pest proofing.

Building Safety

If you have any concerns about resident, or building safety, however great or small, please contact us on 0808 264 444, or e-mail gynrepairs@ncsgrp.co.uk for advice and support, including to arrange a repairs inspection where our surveyor can assess the problem further and take action if necessary.