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Responsibilities for repairs

Find out who is responsible for maintaining different parts of your home and communal areas.

As a social housing landlord, we’re responsible for keeping your home safe, secure and in good condition. However, you’re also responsible for looking after some things – and it’s important to know what you should take care of and what you should ask us to repair.

Below are some examples of who’s responsible for what, but you should always check your tenancy agreement to find the rights and responsibilities specific to your home. If you’d like a new copy of your tenancy agreement, please contact us.

Household items from a previous tenant

If you have been given items from a previous tenant, then they are your responsibility to maintain and fix. This includes things like fridges, washing machines, and lamps.

Defects in a new-build home

We’re also responsible for repairing any defects or “snags” if you're a social housing tenant living in a new-build home: eg doors that stick or don’t close properly.

Not a social housing tenant?

Find out about responsibility for repairs if you’re a private tenant, leaseholder or shared owner.

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Request a repair online

Request a repair online for a time that's convenient to you.

Bathrooms, kitchens and plumbing

Our responsibility

Sinks, baths, showers, toilets and taps.
Worktops and kitchen units.
Wall tiles (three rows above kitchen worktops).
Waste outlets for washing machines and dishwashers.
Creating space for a washing machine.
Extractor fans.

Your responsibility

Sink and bath plugs and chains.
Showerheads and shower curtains.
Bathroom cabinets and mirrors.
Toilet roll holders.
Fittings and taps installed by you.
Appliances you own, eg washing machines and dishwashers.

Our responsibility

Taps fitted by us.
Water mains, pipes and waste pipes.
Immersion heaters, if the property is electric heated.
Waste outlets for washing machines and dishwashers.
Cold water storage tanks.
External drains and septic tanks.

Your responsibility

Washing machine hoses.
Minor blockages to sinks, baths and toilets.

Dealing with blockages

Try to clear the blockage using a plunger or drain cleaning products.
Speak to your neighbours to see if they have the same problem.
Contact your water supplier if there is an overflowing manhole outside – a shared drain could be blocked.

If you’ve followed these steps, but haven’t been able to clear the blockage, you should contact us to request a repair. However, you may be charged if you caused the blockage.

Plumbing guides and videos

Inside your home

Our responsibility

Walls, ceilings and plaster.
Internal doors, frames, thresholds, architraves and stops.
Flooring, floorboards, floor joints and skirting boards.
Stairs and handrails.
External door locks and bolts.
Built-in cupboards.
Fixing damage caused by our repairs.

Your responsibility

Decorating and your own decorative finishes or furnishings.
Minor defects or imperfections in plaster.
Locks, letterboxes and door furniture fitted by you.
Floor coverings fitted by you.

Our responsibility

Removing pests from communal areas.
Removing pests from your home.
Sealing openings that allow pests in to your home.
Structural surveys if you’ve reported cracking or structural problems.
Damp and disrepair surveys.
Woodworm, dry rot and wet rot treatment.
Removing or containing asbestos identified by an asbestos survey.

Your responsibility

Removing pests from your home.
Preventing infestations in your home.

Outside your home

Our responsibility

Boundary walls and fencing. (Clarion is NOT responsible for any fence between you and your neighbour unless otherwise stated in your tenancy agreement. Clarion is only responsible for fences that divide you and a communal area such as public pathways.)
Drives and paths from the boundary access to the front and rear doors.
Retaining walls.
Garages and permanent outbuildings.

If we repair fences, we may replace wooden fences with wire and post fences.

Your responsibility

Garden maintenance.
Dividing fences.
Fence upgrades, and new fences or gates where not present before.
Sheds and structures put up by you.
Paths, drives and patios made by you.
Non-access concrete and paved areas or perimeter paths.

Communal areas

We’re also responsible for the following, but contractors may do the work on our behalf.

Gas appliances, boilers and cylinders.
Immersion heaters, if the property is gas or oil heated.
Radiators and thermostatic radiator valves.
Timers and thermostats.
Pipework for the primary heating or hot water system.
Equipment covered under service contracts.
Lateral mains and high-voltage installations.
Intruder alarms, communal alarms and CCTV.
Street lighting within the curtilage of the block, if covered by a service contract.
Fire equipment, fire alarms, sprinklers, dry risers and emergency lighting.
Barriers.
Generators.
Lightning protection.
Play areas.
Fall arrest systems.
Pump stations or sewage treatment plants.
Specialist ventilation systems.
Remedial works following legionella testing.
Photovoltaic panels, if covered by a service contract.
Stairlifts and hoists.
Medical equipment.
Booster pumps.
Laundry equipment.
Asbestos surveys.

Repairs and our working together commitment

We're committed to keeping your home safe and in good condition. In return, we ask that you take care of your home and let us know about any problems.

This video outlines our commitments to you, and your responsibilities as a resident.

Home maintenance

Helpful videos and guides for looking after your home.

Home safety

Essential home safety tips, including fire evacuation plans.

Planned improvement schemes

Learn more about how we improve our properties.

Responsibilities for repairs

Household items from a previous tenant

Defects in a new-build home

Not a social housing tenant?

Request a repair online

Bathrooms, kitchens and plumbing

Bathrooms and kitchens

Plumbing, leaks and blockages

Inside your home

Interiors and decoration

Electrics

Condensation and mould

Pest control and specialist surveys

Outside your home

Roofs

Windows, doors and outside walls

Outside areas and buildings

Communal areas

Communal areas

List of works

Repairs and our working together commitment

Home maintenance

Home safety

Planned improvement schemes