TENANT’S RESPONSIBILITIES
REPAIRS
All properties are prone to wear and tear over time and so residents are advised to report repairs as soon as possible to try to get the problem solved.
Our repair responsibilities
We are not responsible for all the repairs in your home. Below is a list of some of the most common repairs the council is responsible for:
- Aids and adaptations
- Baths
- Blockages (unless caused by you)
- Ceiling repairs
- Central Heating
- Communal repairs
- Decoration (outside)
- Door entry system
- Doors (outside / front door)
- Electrical wiring
- Extractor fans
- Fences
- Floors (not floor coverings like carpet)
- Gas boilers
- Glazing (unless broken by you)
- Guttering
- Hot water
- Kitchen units (as part of planned replacement programme)
- Lifts
- Light switches
- Plaster finishing (except minor cracks)
- Radiators
- Roof
- Skirting boards
- Stair
- Stop cocks
- Taps (except washer replacement)
- Toilet pan and cistern
- Windows (frames, sills and vents)
Your repair responsibilities
You are responsible for keeping your home clean, internal decoration, repairing any damages caused by you or anyone living or visiting your homes, the upkeep of anything not provided by the council and for minor repairs including:
- Blockages. You must keep wastes and drains clear to prevent them becoming blocked, and also try to clear any blockages.
- Cookers, including installation or disconnection
- Curtain battens, poles or rails
- Doors (internal doors)
- Electricity and gas meters
- Floor coverings such as carpets or vinyl you have laid yourself (to note laminate flooring is only allowed if there is no one living beneath you because it is noisy when walked on an can cause a nuisance to neighbours )
- Forced entry damage caused by police after criminal activity
- Garden maintenance including looking after any trees
- Glazing
- Key and fob replacements
- Kitchen units (door catches, handles and hinges)
- Locks
- Light bulbs
- Limescale removal
- Mould – you should wipe away any mould using a proprietary cleaner.
- Plug chains to baths, sinks and basins
- Radiator bleeding
- Sealants to bath
- Sheds in the garden
- Toilet seats
- Tiling or grouting
- Windows (handles, locks, draught)
For further information on repairs please click the following below:
Lambeth Repairs Manual – Tenant & Council repair responsibilities
When reporting repairs to CETRA, the more detail that is provided, the better.
Normally all repairs are inspected by CETRA and it’s contractor, but in most instances the job is passed directly to our contractors.
In April 2022 we appointed T&J H Construction Ltd to deliver the repairs and maintenance service to the Cedars Estate. It is one of our aims to ensure that this service is of the highest calibre and the various performance targets are met. Residents can report a repair by contacting the office, by telephone, email or using the “Report It” facility on the website.
We normally give residents a morning appointment (between 08:30am-13:00pm) or afternoon appointment (between 13:00pm-17:30pm) at a date appropriate to the urgency of the repair. Out of Hours reporting is provided through Lambeth’s call centre and passed onto T&J H Construction Ltd.
Repairs have a strong impact on the overall satisfaction levels. Therefore CETRA will aim to improve this service with particular regard to the way staff deal with repair requests, ensuring we have a repairs reporting programme that is fit for purpose, how well staff understand the nature of repair and the overall quality of the repair work.
Smoke alarms
CETRA often receives queries concerning smoke alarms where the main issue is generally to do with the smoke alarm beeping.
There are several reasons as to why this is:
- Battery Issues. If the battery doesn’t fully power the smoke detector, it can’t function properly. A consistent beep.
- Dirty Sensing Chamber. Dirt inside the sensing chamber can cause the smoke detector to make sounds even when there isn’t.
- Environmental Interference. Environmental factors sometimes cause smoke detectors to beep. Humidity, steam or extreme condensation.
- Hardwire Power Reset. Hardwired smoke detectors may need a power reset to stop the beeping, even if you replace the batteries.
The most common reason for the smoke alarm beeping, is in fact due to the batteries needing to be replaced. However, smoke alarm covers can often be fairly tricky to remove and so more often then not, residents will tend to ignore the beeping and wait for the batteries to completely wear out. Having a working smoking alarm is imperitive to your health & safety as well as your neighbours, and so it is important to ensure that the batteries are replaced as and when.
In order to help those who may find it difficult to replace the batteries in their smoke alarms due to the cover, we have provided detailed instructions – please click the following link Smoke alarm instructions