Repairs and maintenance responsibilities

You are responsible for some repairs in your home.

One Housing is responsible for looking after the structure of any communal buildings and communal areas; this may be in conjunction with a managing agent or directly with OHG.  The responsibility for repairs inside your home depends on whether you are a tenant, or a leaseholder/shared owner.

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.

What are leaseholders and shared owners responsible for?

If you are a leaseholder or shared owner, you are responsible for servicing, maintaining, and repairing things that are inside your property, for example any fixtures and fittings, plumbing and electrical items, appliance faults, general repairs and leaks.

Where communal heating systems are installed, you will have a Heat Interface Unit (HIU) the responsibility to maintain and service this equipment may be with the energy supplier, OHG, or perhaps yourself, as explained in your lease agreement. Gas boilers, or heat pump maintenance responsibility will also be documented in your lease.

The responsibility for maintaining the MEV or MVHR ventilation equipment, and cleaning of filters (where fitted) is also a leaseholder/shared owner responsibility. Please familiarise yourself with all maintenance requirements and arrange for necessary servicing at the required intervals to avoid negating any manufacturer warranties

If you have bought a new property, the developer’s contractor will deal with any defects during the defect liability period.  The defect period lasts for 24 months from the date the property was handed over to One Housing; not from the date you moved in as this may be shorter. Appliance faults must only be reported direct to the manufacturer using their warranty except where a clear installation fault has occurred.  After this 24-month period, you are responsible for all repairs at your property. Any general maintenance requirements are still your responsibility, even during this defect period. Please check your lease for any equipment servicing obligations.

OHG, or the managing agent, are responsible for maintaining and looking after the communal areas outside of your home, including their fixtures and fittings. Please refer to your Home User Guide, and lease document for further information.

What are tenants responsible for?

These responsibilities vary depending on what kind of tenancy you have. The list below applies to general needs tenants who live in social rent properties. Before you report a repair, please check if it's your, or our responsibility.

If you live in an intermediate rent property or rent privately you should look at your tenancy agreement to check your responsibilities. If your property is considered to be within the Care & Support department your responsibilities may differ. For more information, please contact your Tenancy and Leasehold Manager.

In terms of the general maintenance of your home, you're responsible for:

• keeping it clean and in good condition
• reporting repairs you aren't 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.

To help maintain your home and carry out small checks and repairs, read the following and watch our short films.

What you and what we are responsible for