Repairs – Responsibilities and Recharges

Right to repair

You can get certain urgent repairs done quickly, which affect your health, safety or security, at no cost to you.

If the repair is covered by the right to repair and we do not complete the repairs on time, you may ask for an alternative contractor to be appointed.You may be entitled to compensation if the alternative contractor also fails to complete on time.

Our Undertaking to You

Winchester City Council undertakes to maintain your home in a safe and weather-tight condition and wherever possible to provide modern facilities in line with the government’s Decent Homes standard. Repair issues will be categorised as soon as they are reported and dealt with in line with the priorities shown on page 64 of the Tenants handbook.

Who is Responsible?

We will not repair or replace your own structures, fixtures or fittings, other than those fitted by the Council’s nominated contractor under the Tenants Improvement Scheme.

The following list gives an idea of items for which you are responsible:

• Replacing lost keys
• Gaining entry if accidentally locked out
• Replacing light bulbs and fluorescent tubes
• Appliances, plugs and their fuses
• Broken glass to windows and doors
• TV aerials where not on a communal council
• maintained system
• Installation of your own appliances. This includes connection of gas and electric cookers, which must be fitted by an appropriately registered installer. A completion certificate for the work must be forwarded to us within one week.

In certain circumstances, you may be charged for work carried out to your home. The list below is a guide and is not exhaustive. We reserve the right to charge you for any reckless, accidental or wilful damage or neglect to your property, fixtures or fittings.

• The cost of unnecessary maintenance visits
• Failure to take reasonable care to maintain the property and the fixtures and fittings throughout the tenancy
• Failure to keep the property in a clean and habitable condition
• Failure to protect the property from fire, frost or water damage
• Failure to keep internal decoration in reasonable order
• Causing blockages to sinks, wastes, drains and gullies
• Failure to return the property to us in a reasonable condition at the end of the tenancy.
• Action needed to gain access to the property in an emergency
• Abuser of the emergency call out service

Our policy is to charge tenants for the full cost of repairs where the circumstances of the damage are not known. This may include the out of hours call out fee and associated costs. You should call the Police and get a crime number if you home has been damaged through crime or vandalism. This will help us recover the costs through any subsequent court case. You may be charged if you are unable to give this information.

We advise you if it is likely a recharge will be made. Any decision about recharging is not made by the contractor who comes to fix the fault.

At the end of your tenancy you must completely clear the property of all your belongings and fixtures and fittings. You must leave the property in a safe condition and repair any damage to decoration. You will be charged for the costs of removing any items left in the property.

In addition, we will charge you for reinstating the property to its original condition and removing your alterations or adaptations, such as electrical wiring and fitting that do not conform to safety standards, artex on the walls or unauthorised building works. We will also charge you for any council fixtures and fittings that are missing, such as doors and kitchen units, and for items that have to be renewed due to neglect or wilful damage.

If you have any doubt, you should contact the Voids Officer before leaving the property.