What you must do
Your questions answered
What repairs am I responsible for?
You are responsible for taking care of the inside of your property, keeping it decorated inside, and repairing any damage caused by you, members of your household or any visitors. You are also responsible for certain minor repairs. See You must do the following and the Handy hints sections.
Do I have to pay Oxford City Homes for any repairs?
If we have to carry out a repair which is needed because of damage caused deliberately, carelessly or neglectfully by you, any member of your household, visitor or animal, we will charge you for the cost of the work. For non-emergency work, we will give you an estimate of the cost of the repair. You will be asked to sign a form accepting responsibility to pay before we place an order for the work to be done.
What if I can’t carry out my responsibilities?
You will need to find someone to do them for you. If you don’t know anyone who can help, we suggest you look in a local directory. Look for someone who is a member of a professional institute. This means they have been trained to certain standards.
If you are 65 or over, or receive Disability Living Allowance, we may be able to help you with specific tasks under the repair exemption scheme: internal carpentry, decoration and wall tiles. However, you have to complete an application form and be assessed before you can qualify for exemption of these responsibilities. Contact us to get an application form.
‘Repairs exemption scheme’
Can I put up my own fittings?
You can put in fittings such as shelves and wall cupboards, as long as you do not damage or remove anything or alter our property. If you want to make alterations, you must write to us to ask our permission. You must not go ahead until we have given you permission in writing.
Can I carry out changes to my home?
You can carry out changes or improvements to your home as long as you get our permission in writing before you start. This includes things such as laminate flooring. You will be responsible for any repairs to the changes you have made and for removing and reinstalling them if we need you to do this when we carry out a repair. See Improvements in your Tenants’ Handbook.
‘Making improvements to your home’
Do I have to do any repairs before I leave my home?
You are expected to leave the home in good condition, including the decoration, and to carry out any repairs that you are responsible for. See below for details. You are not expected to repair normal wear and tear on the property.
Your general responsibilities
- Tell us quickly when a repair is needed.
- Take reasonable action to prevent damage once you have noticed a repair fault.
- Contact us quickly if our operational staff call or leave a card while you are out.
- Let our operational staff or surveyors into your home to carry out repair work, inspections or safety checks.
- Look after any fixtures and furnishings provided by the Council under a Furnished Letting Agreement.
- Keep the inside of your home in a good condition during your tenancy and make sure it is clean and tidy when you leave.
- Take action to prevent water in pipes and tanks from freezing. See Frozen or burst pipes.
Charging for damage
You must arrange the repair or replacement of any part of your home that is damaged deliberately, carelessly or neglectfully by you, or by any member of your household, visitors or animals.
If we have to do the repair for reasons of safety or security or because you have not carried out the repair, we will charge you the full cost of the work and you will have to sign a form accepting responsibility to pay. Failure to sign will mean we will only make the situation safe in the event of an emergency repair.
If damage is caused by criminal actions, you must report it to the police and get a police crime report number (not an incident number given over the phone). You may be able to claim the cost of repair on your home contents insurance.
There is a list of rechargeable repairs available on request or you can download it from our website.
You must do the following (or arrange and pay to get them done)
- Replace plugs and chains in baths, basins and sinks.
- Replace lost or broken keys, if you get locked out.
- Replace ashpans and fire baskets for solid fuel fires.
- Get chimneys swept regularly (at least once a year) if used for wood or coal fires.
- Replace light bulbs and fluorescent tubes and starters, and fuses in appliances. Also reset trip switches.
- Fill small cracks and holes in plaster.
- Replace toilet seats and try to clear blocked sinks, baths, basins and toilets. See Clearing a blockaged waste.
- Replace glass, unless you can give us a police crime report number (not an incident number).
- Repair and maintain your own fixtures and appliances, including the pipework to your washing machine, dishwasher and tumble drier.
- Replace clothes lines between posts, and replace or re-string rotary driers (except in shared areas).
- Replace shelves, curtain rails and roller blinds.
- Maintain garden paths (but not the ones leading from the road to the front or back door) and patio areas.
- Repair or replace handles, locks and catches on internal doors, cupboards and wall tiles.
- Test battery-operated smoke detectors and replace batteries when they get low.
- Repair and maintain internal woodwork including internal doors, cupboard doors, skirting, architraves, picture and dado rails, and boxing panels (but not bath panels). This includes adjusting doors for new carpets.
- Repair and maintain TV aerials if you live in a house, bungalow or flat where we have not fitted a shared aerial.
- Maintain certain items that we provide under the Tenants Choice Schemes.
‘Tenants’ Choice When We Refurbish the Kitchen/Bathroom in Your Council Home’
