Repair Responsibilties

You will find that from time to time repairs need doing to your home and we rely on you to report repairs to us.  In this Section we will tell you which repairs are our responsibility and which are yours, how to report repairs and what to do in an emergency.

SAHA's Responsibilities

We are responsible for keeping the structure and exterior of your home in a good state of repair.  This includes:

• Drains, gutters and external pipes;
• The roof;
• Outside walls, outside doors, windowsills, window catches, sash cords and window frames (including necessary external painting and decorating);
• Pathways, steps and other means of access;
• Plasterwork;
• Garages and stores
• Boundary walls and fences.

We are also responsible for keeping in good repair and working order any installations provided by the Association for space heating, water heating, sanitation and for the supply of water, gas and electricity.  These include:

Basins, sinks, baths and toilets (including plumbing);
Electric wiring (including sockets and switches), gas pipes and water pipes;
Water heaters, fitted fires, fireplaces, central heating installations.

We also have to keep common entrances, halls, passageways, lifts and stairways in reasonable repair and to keep the exterior of premises and common parts in a reasonable state of decoration.

Residents' Responsibilities

There are some repairs that are your responsibility for which you will have to pay.  We will sometimes carry out these repairs on your behalf, but you will have to reimburse us.  Vulnerable residents or those with disabilities may be able to obtain help from SAHA – please contact the Customer Service Centre for information. These include:

• Clearing the waste to a blocked sink, bath, toilet or basin
• Blocked drains - if you caused the blockage
• Bleeding of radiators
• Replacing lost or damaged keys
• Replacing keys and locks to internal doors
• Mortice locks (unless supplied by the Association)
• Mending fuses/replacing batteries for door bells etc
• Broken window panes resulting from resident damage
• Repair of any damage caused by you, your family or visitors
• Repair of any fittings and fixtures that you provided yourself
• Repairs to TV aerials (except communal TV aerials, which are SAHA’s responsibility)
• Eradication of certain types of vermin - your local authority may perform certain services free of charge
• Eradication of wasps/bees
• Eradication of ants
• Removal of garden rubbish
• Hairline cracks to plaster
• Plumbing to washing machines (unless supplied by the Association)
• Tap Washers
• W.C. seats
• Any appliances left by the previous residents
• Residents' own improvements

Please tell us if you notice that any external repairs need doing, such as leaking gutters, water pouring from overflows and similar defects, even if you are not directly affected.

Please also let us know if repairs are needed to communal areas, such as loose stair treads, broken handrails or banisters, faulty door locks etc.

Infestations

If you discover infestations of ants, cockroaches, fleas, mice, rats, wasps or any pests in your home you should contact the Environmental Health Officer at your local council.  Pest Control Officers are trained to investigate, advise and treat, where necessary, complaints about animal or insect pests.  Some local authorities will charge for the service but others are free.