Repair responsibilities

Overview

Although we will carry out most repairs for general wear and tear, there are some things you will need to organise and pay for yourself.

You are responsible for:

any damage caused by yourself, a member of your household or visitor
replacing keys or locks when keys are lost or when you get locked out
fitting and repairing additional door locks or latches
replacing or repairing catches, locks and latches on internal doors and cupboards
repair and maintain any fixture, fitting or appliance you have put in, unless we have agreed to maintain it for you
adjusting doors when you have fitted new carpets
replacing curtain rails and battens
replacing coat rails and hooks
replacing light bulbs, fluorescent tubes and starters
resetting trip switches and, if necessary, turning off the mains supply
testing your smoke detector regularly
unblocking basins, sinks, baths and toilets
unblocking washing machines or dishwashers
replacing plugs and chains on baths, basins and sinks
installing washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers
keeping drain covers clear of leaves or rubbish
keeping air vents clear

Exceptions:

If you are over 60 years old or disabled and have no able-bodied adult to help you, we may be able to put you in touch with organisations that can help
If damage is caused by a break-in or vandalism, we will carry out work to make your home safe. We will then investigate the causes before we carry out further work
If for reasons of safety or security, we have to carry out repairs that are your responsibility, we will charge you the full cost of getting the work carried out

Preventing Damage

To make sure your home is safe for you and your family, and keep your home in good working order you must:

keep your property and garden in good condition
decorate inside including filling minor cracks or holes.
let us know as soon as you notice a repair is needed and take action to prevent it getting worse
allow us access to your property to carry out repairs, annual safety checks and any necessary inspections
take action to prevent and control condensation
take action to prevent pipes from freezing or bursting
contact Gas Emergency Service immediately if there is a gas leak - call free on 0800 111999
turn off your water supply at the stop tap if a water pipe has burst and then turning on all taps to allow remaining water to flow out

Garden repairs

You're responsible for:

Keeping your garden in good condition
Any improvements or alterations
Replacing keys and locks to garage or shed doors

Fences and boundaries

From general maintenance and wind damage, to boundary issues and responsibilities, this article should tell you what you need to know and clarify what’s your responsibility.

Boundaries

Until a property is sold, all boundaries belong to Derby City Council. If a boundary is between two properties managed by Derby Homes, the tenants have a shared responsibility for maintaining the boundary.

Where a boundary lies between a Derby Homes managed property and a private property, we will speak with Derby City Council to find out who is responsible for the boundary.

Fences

In most cases, you are responsible for Repairing and replacing fencing.

What will Derby Homes do?

Any fence that is deemed dangerous will be made safe, but will not be repaired or replaced. There are some exceptions where we will repair and replace fences:

In communal areas. 
Where properties adjoin access roads to garage sites and there is no footpath between the boundary and the road. 
If not having a fence poses a risk to the tenant.
Where there is a change in ground levels that creates potential trip or fall hazard.

If there is a boundary dispute, we will separate two properties using a ranch style fencing.

There will be some situations where the fencing layout or location is not clearly defined enough to fit within the above guidelines. In these cases, our staff will work with you to make that judgement.

How long do fencing repairs take?

Dangerous fencing Will be 'made safe' within 24 to 48 hours of being reported.

All other fencing is classed as specialist, non-urgent work and will be completed within 60 working days (approximately three months). Even though the majority of this work is external and may not require an appointment, it’s best to let us know in advance if there are any issues with access as this may delay any work.

Note: Where we experience high levels of reported works, for example due to storms and severe weather, timescales in some circumstances may exceed the stated response times above.

Severe weather events

There are times when uncontrollable events occur that are not the fault of any party.

Derby Homes are not liable for any damages caused by a severe weather event. If you have any specific concerns, we will work with you on a on a case by case basis as we acknowledge each instance is different.

Damage to neighbouring properties is not the responsibility of Derby Homes. Those individuals will need to deal with incidents through their own insurance.

Gates

Our responsibility:

Hand gates attached to fencing separating front and rear gardens.
Driveway gates that have a dropped kerb.

Your responsibility:

Gates you’ve installed yourself.
Driveway gates that don’t have a dropped kerb.

Definitions

Maintain – Fix broken panels, reset posts, rehang gates, treat/stain wood
Make Safe – Removing any affected and dangerous panels or posts
Replace – Fit new panels, individual boards or posts
Hand gate – Small gate
Dropped kerb - a small ramp built into the kerb of a pavement.
Public highway - any public street, road