Your right to repairs

Everything you need to know about your right to repairs in your home.

We have a legal obligation to carry out repairs to your home under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. The following sets out the areas we must repair to keep your home safe and fit for you to live in:

The structure of your home

The structure means the parts of your home that give its main appearance, stability and shape. For example, walls, ceilings, foundations, staircases, bannisters, internal and external plasterwork.

This does not include decorations and fittings, like mirrors or blinds.

The exterior of your home or building

The exterior is the outside of your home, including external walls and the roof. It includes drains, guttering and external pipes.

The systems that supply power, heating and water

We must keep the systems that supply your home with gas, water, electricity, sanitation (kitchen and bathroom plumbing), space heating and water heating in working order. These include:

• electrical wiring and sockets
• water and gas pipes
• boilers and water tanks
• radiators and other space heating installations
• sanitation equipment, like basins, sinks, baths and toilets

We're not responsible for the repair of appliances that make use of gas, water and electricity, like ovens or washing machines, unless stated in your tenancy agreement.

We must also repair any systems we own or control, which supply gas, water or electricity to your home*. For example, communal heating in a block of flats owned by us.

You can find lots of useful information on your right to repairs under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 on Shelter’s website.

*Except for tenancies granted before 15 January 1989 where the installations must be in the resident’s home.