Repair Work Obligations in Housing Association and St Neots Resident Authority Houses: Tenants or Landlords?
If you live in social Housing, your rights and obligations as a renter likely vary from if you resided in personal rented Housing.
One grey area which tenants tend to lack understanding in is who spends for residential or commercial property repair work and maintenance in social Housing, specifically if the damage is not the occupant’s fault.
Do the repair work commitments in housing association and regional authority homes are up to the tenant or the property manager? The answer is – it depends.
In some cases it is clear cut that the tenant is responsible for a repair, and in some cases it’s apparent that the property owner should pay up, however what occurs when it isn’t so black and white? Or, what takes place if a housing association disregards their repair responsibilities and leaves their occupant living in disrepair?
This guide intends to help you develop if your social Housing property owner is trying to shirk their duty and what to do about it if they are.
If you reside in social or council Housing and your proprietor is refusing to make necessary repairs, we can assist.
Repair work and Maintenance in Social Housing
St Neots Housing Association Tenant Responsibilities and Repair Obligations.
As a housing association occupant, you have a series of repair work and maintenance obligations, primarily for features inside your residential or commercial property.
If you or somebody visiting your home accidentally or deliberately causes damage, you’ll be the one responsible for fixing it.
If something happens and repair is needed then you need to inform your property manager as soon as possible.
They might agree to carry out residential or commercial property repair work and upkeep themselves and after that charge the cost to you, or they may accept you repairing it.
By law, in every occupancy contract it will mention that you should give access for repair: your property owner or their representative has the right to access your home as long as they give you a minimum of twenty-four hours notice.
In an emergency, for instance if a pipe has burst, and they can’t call you then they hold the right to go into the home without your consent.
You are accountable for utilizing your home in a “tenant-like” way, which normally suggests:.
Carrying out small repair work yourself i.e. altering fuses and light bulbs.
Keeping your house reasonably tidy.
Not causing damage to the property – including visitors.
Utilizing any fixtures and fittings appropriately, for instance, not obstructing a toilet by flushing something unsuitable down it.
It is really essential to note that at no point throughout the occupancy do you can stop paying or decline to pay lease.
Even if your landlord has actually stopped working to carry out repairs, you should continue to pay lease till the end of the tenancy.
If you think you must not have to pay the total, you can form a complaint with the property manager in which you can mention your factors.
Taking Your Housing Association to Court for Housing Disrepair
Once you have finished your Housing association complaints procedure, you will then have to wait 8 weeks. During this 8-week period, your Housing association ought to solve your problem for you. If it does not, then you will need to bring a claims case versus them, which will either be settled out of court, or litigate for judgement.
We can help you take your Housing associated to court. Call us at the number at the bottom of this page to learn how we can do this.
