Your repair responsibilities

As our tenant, you are responsible for minor repairs, such as:

  • internal decoration
  • repairing minor cracks and holes in walls that can be reasonably filled before decoration
  • replacing plugs and chains on baths and basins
  • maintaining dividing fences, gates, driveways or any garden structure not erected by us. In communal areas this responsibility may be jointly shared among residents
  • maintaining sheds and garages
  • attempting to clear internal plumbing blockages
  • resetting tripped circuit breakers and replacing light bulbs, not communal stair lighting
  • testing smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
  • television aerials and reception equipment excluding communal aerials in isolated cases
  • replacing keys and locks if the keys are lost or stolen
  • burst pipes caused if caused by you (including frost damage)
  • replacing damaged or broken glazing if caused by you, your family or visitors (including vandalism) unless reported promptly to the police, then to us with the relevant police incident number

However, you can contact our repairs staff for advice on 03456 08 12 03.

You should also:

  • report any criminal damage or vandalism to the police and get an incident number
  • take action to prevent further damage once a fault has been identified, such as placing a basin under a leak
  • take action to avoid condensation and damp, such as ventilating and heating your home sufficiently, not blocking air vents and opening windows as necessary
  • get written permission before making alterations to your home
  • allow us access to your home to carry out safety checks
  • repair any damage that you, your family or any visitors have caused. We may charge you if we need to repair this damage

Electric heating teleswitch shut down

If you use electricity in your home for heating and hot water then it is very likely that you will use Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) equipment. RTS automatically controls when heaters switch on and off. This lets you benefit from different electricity tariff rates such as an Economy 7 or 10 tariff, or the Total Heat Total Control tariff offered by SSE.

Energy UK has announced the Radio Teleswitching Service will shut down on 30th June 2025.

The only alternative will be to have a smart meter installed. Some homes in rural and remote areas have been experiencing long delays in receiving a smart meter, and some homes won't be suitable for a smart meter at all.

As the electricity bill payer, you must contact, or respond to, your energy supplier as soon as possible to arrange a smart meter to be installed.

This is not something that the council, as your landlord, can do on your behalf. The contract to supply electricity to your home is between you and your energy supplier only.

Find out more about the closure of radio teleswitching: